The Portland daily press., 1900-11-02


Champion, charged with the murder OF
four persons in West Newfield. last June,
which was begun In the supreme court
here last Tuesday, would be interrupted
Tor a time. owing 20 the Illness Of Lewis
+. HIN Of Saco. one OF the jurors. Mr..
Hill was attacked soon after court i'd
jou rned yesterday and was painfully III
all night. Early this morning IL was
thought that he would be unable to be
present in court today, but when tn e
hour for opening Of court had come the
Juror insisted that he was ''all right"
and the trial was resumed at $50 o'clock.
Judge wisweil Informed Juror HIll that
every constellation would be shown him
and that II at any time he desired to
rest the court would take recess for that
purpose.
There were many strangers in town to-
day In addition to those who have been
here since the trial began and the court
room was crowded before the hour OF
opening.
The first witness Of the day was DIR.
Alfred King OF Portland, q physician and
surgeon connected with the Maine Gem
eral hospital. DIR. Kings testimony was
entirely OF technical nature. He did
not make an examination OF the bodies OF
the victims Of the West Newileld tragedy.
Asked as to what blood vessels would be
affected by cut such as that on Fred
Bertsch's neck, as described by previous
witnesses, witness replied several large
.1o
bly, the iugular vein. He said that
when a large blood vessel in the body OF q
living person was Eopsned, the blood
would come from It in spurts; II the per-
son was dead the flow OF blood would be
steady and very slight. The cuts on
Bertsch's breast, as described to him, he
said, probably would sever small arteries
but II attended to in time he did not
think they would cause death. In his
opinion blood clot of any considerable
size would not collect In a fracture made
after death. and added that in his opinion
any blood found ON the brain of any of
the victims must have been caused by an
injury sustained before death.
DR.. King was subjected to a searching
cross-examination by counsel for the
defence. In the course OF this examina-
tion he admitted that after blood had
been burned there remained a dark pow
der, and he did not think that he could
determine from an examination of this
powder whether the blood was veinous or
arterial. During his examination yester-
day afternoon Dr. Leavitt OF Efiingham,
N. H., testified that he Lad examined
blood taken from the head OF one of the
of the opinion that it was arterial blood.
Tho next witness called was Mrs.
Sarah Il. Champion, wife of Charles
Champion, OF No. 9 fremont street,
Lynn, Mass. Mrs Champion testified
that George Champion came to ner home
at six o'clock IN the evening Of June
and remained there until shorty after six
the following morning. While there
Champion told her that he was on his
way to Somersworth. N. III, He was go
ing there, he said. because boy named
Poole had been injured In Boston and hs
did not wish to be held as a witness in
the case. Witness stated that Champion
had told her he was without funds and
then asked Charles Champion for loan
OF o.. Her husband did not have this
amount in the house, but 1t was bor-
pion. Witness said Champion at that
time wore dark coat and vest, pair OF
light trousers, light colored neoktie and
a pair Of well worn black shoes Charles
Champion was called and oorroborated
the testimony of his wife.
Thomas r. Hodgdon, Boston hack
driver, testified that he knew Champion,
having met him at the stable where he
worked in Boston, He saw Champion in
Boston June IL, between IL 80 a. m.
and two O'Clock p. m, about one and
one-haif miles from North Union Station.
John Anderson, baggage porter at tho
South Union station, Boston, testified
that he saw Champion and his wife at
the South Union station June IL, when a
trunk belonging to Champion was
brought to the station in a herdic and
checked for Milford, Mass.
John Flanagan, testified that it was
his herdic which brought Champions
trunk TO the station. He called for the
trunk at the North End Mission, and
when they arrived at the station Cham
pion gave him So bill from which to
take payment. Witness could not make
change so Champion handed him one
dollar bill. AT that time witness saw
in Champions possession ten dollar
bill and two or three tives. On the way
to the station Champion asked witness
not to tell anybody where the trunk was
going.
At this point County Attorney Mat
thews requested that recess De taken for
lunch, as he had no more witnesses In
the room.
The indispositIon Of Juror Hill was
responsible for two brief intermissions
during the forenoon, but it was not be-
lievsd the illness will cause any serious
delay in the trial.
The first witness called at the afternoon