Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-05-08
EASTMAN ON STAND.
Continued from page -


there. He denied that he urged Grogan
10 come back home. but said that the
latter overlook him on the way home:
Either one the other suggested going
Down in the hen yard to finish the target
practice, and after one or two trips to his
house to get the weanons the two men
gan having his pearl-handled and old Colt
revolvers while Eastman had his black
handled revoiver, the small rifle and the
o,o rim-ire revolver. rnis & was @ ute
with the Old "A Colt revolver. when Gro
gan said IL was too loud and put the ends
Of his handkerchief in his ears.
Eastman said he went down and fixed
a target and when he came back Grogan
had his own pearl-handled revolver in
his left hand Eastman loaded his black
handled revolver and in doing so used up
all of the centre-fire cartridges. lie then
took his turn at the target and fired all
the cartridges in his revolver. After do
ing 50 he went over and tcok up the old
I;m-iire revolver. leaving GrOgan with
one complete round of cartridges in the
ucarl-handlcd revolver. Eastman took
up the old rim-iire and found one unex-
riedcd cartridge in it, He Illustrated with
Mr.. Elder how he was standing when he
was examining the revolver and how the
cylinder of the old revolver stuck.
He said that he last remembered seeing
C;rogan at this time when the latter was
some three feet away from him. GroSan
was re,narkini- on the proper method OF
sighting revolver when. Eastman said
hands. lie was standing with his back
slightly turned from GroEan and when
the revolver went off he was immensely
startled. He was even more frightened
when on looking up he saw GroSan with
in four feet Of him This was the frs
time he had seen MIN 50 near.
He saw Grocar'S hands so UP and he
seemed to stacser, and Immediately after
there was a discharge Of MS revolver
Eastman said he spranS towards GroSan
and observed his features.
tI,s- N..,t Il
cannot give an exact and consecutive ac-
count Of what took place. / know /
sprarG forward with the idea of assisting
him. and as ne staggered back the revol-
yer in his hand went OFF a second time.
I rushed towards him TO Srapple the
weapon out of his hand | was whirlcd
about him and there was struggle Tor
She possession of the gun on my part
There was confusion. cXclamaI ions. noise
and cries and the next | remember was
the decn indrawinG of breath. when ne
hurst nIt with something like Damn IT,,
| am shot"
Finally ! got possession Of the revol-
YER after a long struSsle and Hroean
was brought to his knees. | don't exact
" know what happened after that he
cause of the frieh, and horror and OF the
aSCnizad cries | cried out TO him to let
go while on his part he said in the m rst
agonized tones. oh. Oh. Oh | then re
membcred tnat we ran and that We again
came together for another struggle.
Some weapon. | don't know what. lay
on the ground and tried to kick it out Of
the way. This ended in Grogan's break
irS away and running through the gate.
| know now which way he went. but ny
next vision of Groean was his staggering
through the gate and about that time
.,ot possession of the old Colt revolver
and ran after him.
At 1his poir. Mr.. Elder said did yor
ever have any feeling Of malice or jeal-
ousY towards Gr2Can?"
Eastman replied, Never in my whole
life
No ~
harming him?
Never. nor towards any human being.
J saw Grogan stagger and fall into the
arms of Captain Dellinger.'
Mr.. Eastman after recess told how he
held Grogan's left arm while M. Dallin-
ger went for doctor. Some other peoo-
not remember and then Grosan recovere1 /
slightly. He wrlrned in his pain. then
onened his eyes and, turning over, said:
Charles Eastman has shot me. There he
is now. Honest to God. he shot me.
Eastman then said that he assisted in
taking GroCan into the house. He could
~: tell who the others were who helped.
II could not speak. said he. Il did not
seem to have any breath
After reaching mis- own home, his at
tention was called to his own wound and
saying that it was a terrible thing and
that If II had not been for the old gun
it would not have happened. Soon after
the police arrived and he made his state
the chief went ont and when he came
back the thread of the story was not
taken up where it was dropncd so that no
mention was made at that time of the
struggle. Next morning he was asked II
there was not struggle over the Old
revolver He explained that the struggle
was over the smaller revolver.
Attorney General knowlton asked him
rs to his salary from Harvard Universi-
ty. He said he received $1,000 He said
no time did he really want the Clark
lens factory and that il was Mrs. East
man who suggested GroSans taking i.
lie denied ever saying that Grocan could
stable keeper. or that all he could do was
to talk horse.
He admitted using the old rim fire re-
volver on several occasions tcfore Fourth
of July and he knew that il worked hard.
Tho attorney general tried 10 have him
say that he had some particul ar object
in placing only two cartridges in the old
revolver and Eastman admitted that he
held it for what he termed reserve occa-
sions.
lie said he last saw Groran aiming at
the target some 10 feet back Of him. hut
that re stepped back until he was four
foot away from him on the left. 1t was
there that the rim fire went off. I.a ST.
man explained that he was holding, back
the hammer OF the old revolver. trying to
turn the cylinder. when it went off. He
bad mover any doubt as TO the rim fire
revolver killing GroGan until Il center fire
bullet was produced to the grand jury
ard at this trial.
HAD NoU any doubt at the time of thC
shooting that X was n rim fire revolver"
asked the attorney general.
Eastman said No.
But YOU doubt il now?"
II am compc,lcd to-. said Eastman.
Eastman said he could not remember
whether he changed the target. but he
did recall that he emptied all the car
tridces in his revolver before he laid l.:
down and took the rim fire. He could
not tell whether Grogan had fred once or
twice 1T trc target before the rim fire
went eff. He lad no consciousness of how
ne took hold of Grogan's revolver after
he had wrestlcd it out of his hand.
DO You think you could stand now be-
fore your brother-in-law holding that
pistol in your hand. dischar"e it and yet
not remember that YOU had shot him?"
asked the attorney general.
Not IL | was in my right senses" re-
Tl'el Eastman.
You did not find out then that thu
pistol which you took away from him
was empty?
No. replied Eastman.
And you do not know why YOU threw
away pistol with no cartridges in it ami
took M tho old II Colt revolver with one
cartridge ready TO fire and so after Il
wounded man who had no pistol in his
hand?''
Eastman replied: II don't know why |
Wicked un the old 4! Colt revolver, but |
knew tha: did and that / followed Gro
"ar til hc sank down fainting on the
walK''
The court adjourned until tomcr-ow.