Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-12-18
STATE HOUSE.
Stain and Cromwell Case Be-
fore Council, Today.
Brief Review of the Celebrated Dexter
Murder and Trial.
Changes Desired in the National Guard
System

i
Versal attention throughout New Eng
lana, brief review of the famous case
VIII not be out of place, this morning.
| on Feb. %, 1878. John Wilson Bar
ron, CASHIER Of the Dexter Savings
Banks was found in an unconscious
condition in the vault of the bank. a
gag in his mouth and his hands bound
behind his back with handouts that
1 locked by means Of a spring. He died
| without rega!ning consciousness and 4
diversity of opinion existed among the
people of Dexter and the bank officials
as to whether the cashier was muir
dered or committed suicide.
! Ten years afterward, David L..
Stain and Oliver Cromwell, alias
Smith, were arrested on evidence
furnished by Charles. the son of
Stain. Young Stain claimed that he
accompanied the men to Dexter, that
he did not witness the crime but that
his father had confessed it to him.
Young Stains motive for making his
| confession was to Wreak vengeance
on Stain and Cromwell. who was his
| Drother-in-law, for real or fancied in
| Juries. The men Were taken to DeX-
| ter and given hearing and renlanded
TO the Jail at Bangor to await the ac-
| ton of the grand jury. An Indictment
for murder was found. and at the
February term Of the supreme judicial
/ court for Penobscot county the case
was tried, Chief Justice John A. Peters
presiding. On account of it's unique
| features the case attracted attention
! throughout the country and the trial
lasted for several days. Attorney
General Orville d. Baker of Augusta,
and County Attorney Frederick II. APP
pleton, conducted the case for the
government. while Stain was repre-
scented by Lewis Barker and Cromwell
by P. Fl. Gillin.'
! The defence was a general denial
and an attempt to prove an alibi. On
! circumstantial evidence the men We're
convicted of murder in the first de-
gree, the jury having the case under
| consideration for nearly 90 hours.
Witnesses testified that they recognized
the prisoners as the same persons they
saw in Dexter about the time of the
murder, 10 years before.
| The case was carried to the law
court on exceptions and a motion for a
new trial was asked. which was de-
| Hleu. STAIN ana NIOiiNe ell were sell
fenced TO State prison for life. They
have always asserted their innocence.
| For several years after their confine-
| ment Stain and Cromwell never spoke
to each other although they worked al
most side by side in the prison work
shop. Both are now past s. years of
age and have given up all hope OF
| ever regaining their freedom.
his son Lewis 4. Barker, devoted
time and money trying to secure a
pardon for the men. And now Lewis
A. Barker grandson of the first at
torney. takes the case as a heritage
and after a long study and much re-
search, he has prepared his argument.
4, In 1895. Josiah Crosby of Dexter. APP
! peared before the Council asking for n
/ pardon and it was denied. Bertram
L. Smith Of Patten. the present county
attorney of Penobscot, Will represent
the government.
i 1t is understood that the evidence
! offered by the petitioners Will not be
entirely new. but they claim that much
OF il was not offered at the trial Of the
prisoners. The hearing is likely to oc
cupy considera BILE time.
/ Adjutant- General Richards returned,
Sunday afternoon, from Washington
and Governor Powers will arrive this
morning The visitors at the National
Capital had most enjoyable time.
AS has been before stated in the
Journal. the adjutant generals meet
ing will be held at Washington. Feb
L. It is expected that much for the
, good interests of the different organi-
cations Of the National Guard and for
the Guard as a whole will develop
from this meeting. Gen. Richards
and other conservative thinkers in
military circles believe that the Ma
tional Guard should be subject to the
direct call of the President. authorized
by Congress. The men should be eX-
amined on the same basis as are the
members OF the regular army, and
should be fully equipped 50 that no
re-enrollment or muster would be
necessary in case of a call, as is the
case under the present arrangement.
Thus in case of war would valuable
time be saved as the men would al
WAYS be ready TO march to the front.
\ and the Guard would be National
Guard in reality az well as in name
while s the matter now stands it Is a
? State Guard subject to the call of the
, Governor. RI
Gen. Richards also favors similar
= ity and uniformity In qualifications
for rife practice in order that al
> thu oughout the United States who de
l sire to become marksmen must mee
the same conditions. The govern
ment should establish rifle ranges II
different sections of the country.
said Gen. Richards. They should be
located at army posts an6
G should be for the use OF the mef
at the posts but also at tht
disposal of the National Guard IL
the immediate vicinity. In this way
there would be opportunity for Inter
state matches and by the score:
Y made. the best team in the United
states could be known. Then thi.
y ARRANGEMENT would result in great
competition that would be conducive
Of good results by developing higt
standard of workmanship.
: 1t IS not probable that the presen
r Congress will be able to consider ant
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