The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-03
His Explanation of the Circum-
stances Against Him.
Mrs. Champion Also Gives Testimony i'm
Behalf of Her Husband.

She received letter from her husband
the following Monday. That night they
spent at the home of her sister in Rox-
bury. The next morning Champion left
the house at six o'clock, going TO Bos-
ton where she met him several hours
later. While In Boston several purchases
were made, including clothing, and then
Mrs. Champion had her husbands trun
checked for Milford. When they arrived
at Milford Champion paid for one week
lodging. 81, In advance. The following
day he was arrested. She said her hus-
band told her nothing of the Newfield
matter until they were at police head
quarters In Boston. At that time she had
81 ~, ~ of which her husband had
given her in Milford and the remainder
which he gave her on the train while on
the way to Boston.
Cross examined by County Attorney
Matthews witness said she married
George Champion in February following
the November when his first wife died
She had heard her husband speak OF go-
ing to Maine at least month before the
Monday he left Boston. She knew he had
IS previous to starting for Maine. She
did not recollect telling anyone In Boston
that her husband gave her 50 upon his
return from Maine.
In redirect examination witness said
she gave her husband the So of which
she had spoken in the cross examination.
At the conclusion of Mrs. Champions
testimony a short recess was taken and
when the court reconvened Harold Poole
OF Boston, whose name has figured in the
trial as the victim OF the assault In
Boston in which Champion was inter-
ested, entered the room and took a seat
beside County Attorney Matthews. 1t
could not be learned whether or not 1T
was the intention of the prosecution to
put Poole upon the stand.
The next witness called was DIR. John
Lord of Biddeford who, in regard to the
wounds upon the bodies OF the Goodwin
farmhouse tragedy Victims, said that In
his opinion 1t was highly improbable
that an examination of the oharred bodies
would enable anyoneI to determine
whether the wounds were inflicted
signs OF an incised or lacerated wounu,
he said, probably would be almost en-
tirely obliterated II exposed any length
or time to intense heat. 1t was possible
that lacsrated wound which had been
exposed TO heat until the edges were
charred might, by rubbing a finger
along the edge, be made smooth. In
reply to question by the defence witness
said that under the circumstances which
the bodies were found he believed they
had been subjected to heat intense enough
to destroy the characteristic differences
between an incised and lacerated
wound. Witness said he could not imagine
any condition that would cause the
mem branes of the brain to become
bathed IN blooo except from the action of
the.heart, and there was no action OF this
sort after death. There might, however,
be an oozing Of bloody serum after
death, and the powder produced by dry
ing this serum would strongly resemble
that made by veinous or artertal blood
under similar conditions Nothing I'M
portance was brought out In the cross ex-
animation.
DIR. Nathan W. Emerson, a surgeon at
the Massachusetts, Homeopathic hospital,
Boston, was the next witness. DIR. Emer-
son said intense heat and considerable
time would be necessary to consume a
human body. He said there would be an
oozing of bloody serum from an injury
to the head received after death, provid-
ing the injury was received Immediately
aftsr death ana there was present a
sufficient degree of heat to prevent the
body cooling. The powder produced by
the drying of this bloody serum would be
the same as that produced by dried
arterial or veinous blood.