The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-20
Alleged Drugging of
Miss Martel Explained.
That Miss Whitney Was Drugged
Remains Undisputed.
Especial TO THE FREss.l

Auburn, November ~ -Ine FhE0o
correspondent visited ths scene OF the al
legged drugging OF Miss whitney OF Au-
burn at Sapattis today, with the result
that considerable evidence was secured
which tends TO throw doubt upon the
full truth of her statements. The actual
location of the premises connected with
the dance hall at Sabattis are such rs 10
render it impossible for some OF the al
legged events to be true, and makes others
seem highly improbable. In the nrst
place Miss Whitney says that she did not
dance altar the interInission The ticket
seller at the hall who is deputy sheriff
OF the county, and prominent citizen says
that he saw her dancing after the inter
mission, that he knows her and talked
with her after the intermission. he did
net wish his name used as he Will un-
doubtedly te a witness at the hearing on
Saturday. Miss Whitney said tnat after
the alleged assault she went up stairs by
the back stairs and went to the window
In the ladies dressing room and leaned
out to get the air. While there she alleges
that her assailant came up to her and
tried to get the bottle she says she took
from him. AS a matter OF fact the back
stairs do not connect with the hall at all.
Furthermore the window in question is
allied down and the managers Of the hall
say 1t has been 20 for months In fact Is
never open. This window also has an
iron screen across 1t on the inside so that
it would be impossible to throw any
thing out OF it. The location OF the win
dow also is such as 20 be In fun view of
the orchestra and II open would have
caused draft upon them which they
must have felt.
They unite in saying that the window
was not open and they saw no one near
1t during the evening. Miss Whitney
alleges that the assault took place just
outside the door of the sink room on the
floor below the hall soon after the inter-
mission. Her story was that she went
down a after drin K OF water and finding
1t stale and unfit to drink stepped to the
door to spit 1t out and was seized and
dragged to q shed near by. The so-oalled
sink room Is not separate room, but is
an alcove of the dining room, separated
from 1t by Partition about as high as a
mans waist. The dining room Is In the
rear OF the waiting room of the electric
road the ticket office, and the store Of Mr.
Lombard, the proprietor Of the hall. Win
dows open from all these rooms into the
dining room and there are also double
doors from the store into the dining
room. A clear view OF the sink is pos
siple from all parts Of the three front
rooms, and they were all brilliantly
lighted at the time Of the alleged assault
and the rooms were occupied. No one has
been found yet however who saw any
struggle at that door as described by Miss
Whitney. The water Is brought there In
pail from a neighboring spring and is
for the use OF the dancers. It is claimed
that 1t could not have been stale, for the
pail was replenished as often as emptied,
which was quite frequently. The pail
stood at the end OF the sink and at least
fifteen feet from the door. 10 go to the
door she would have to pass directly by
the sink and 1t seems unlikely that she
would lave done so simply TO spit out
mouthful of water when she coul d have
done SO at the sink so much more easily.
The door opens out onto walk leading
from the building in which the hall is To-
sased across the passage between this
building and MIR. Lombard's house TO a
shed where there is toilet room used by
the women at the dance. The shed
was lighted at the time. This walk is
about four feet above the ground and
there are no steps leading from 1t to the
ground. Tne passage between the hall
building and MIR. Lombard's house is
about twenty feet wide and numerous
windows In the hall, the floors below and
in Mr.. Lombari's house opening into ib
make 1t as light as the hall itself very
nearly. The passage is open to the street
an1 there is always a crowd hanging about
the front of the hail which 1t Is claimed
must have seen and heard any such
performance as Miss Whitney describes.
The slightest outcry on her part would
have brought a crowd to the scene.
Furthermore Miss Marcia Weymouth
was sitting at window in MIR. LON.
bard s house for upwards OF an hour and
9 half looking down upon this passage
way, at just about the time OF the alleged
assault, and looking for her brother who
was coming after her with team. She
saw nothing of the kind told by Miss
whitney, though she could hardly avoid
seeing the trouble had It occurred as de-
scribed.
Another side was discovered to
the alleged dragging Of Miss Lizzie Mar