Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-06
SPRAGUE MURDER.
Edwin H. Knight Being Tried
on Horrible Charge.
a Man of High Reputation Among
TownspeopIe.
Prisoner Peads Not Guilty" to The Charcc
in Indictment.

the one to attract most general jnt,r
est. was that which, today. came be-
fore Judge Powers in the York county
supreme court when Edwin IL. Knight
lumber manufacturer, wclI-to-do
farmer and prominent citizen and
churchman of South Berwick. was ar
raiSned on the charge Of numbering
Fannie Sprague in a barn on the f. H.
Knight farm near South Berwick JUNE
ton on the first Of May. 1900
For many months the murder had
been discussed throughout the county
and even beyond the limits of the State
the foremost topic of conversation. AMI
although a heavy northeast snow
storm lasting through "A hours had
made the roads almost imrasssa BILE tha
court room was filled long before thu
opening hour. this morning. Among
those present We're many ncighbors of
Knight from South Berwick ana just
before the court opened the wife of the
defendant entered and took n seat near
her husbands counsel Her appearance"
was that of a person in great anxiety
and her eyes We're dimncd with tears
rs the evidence proceeded.
The prosecution is in the hands Of
Attorney General Geo. NJ. Seidcrs If
Portland and County Attorney VIM. :.
Matthews of Berwick. Hon. George e.
Yeaton of South Berwick. Hon. II. NJ.
Higgins of Limerick, and c. Dean Var
ncy Of South Berwick. are counsel for
Knight.
There was little difficulty in securing
4 jury, only s. talesmen being eXamin-
ed before the necessary II had taken
their seats in the jury box. Then
County Attorney Matthews warned the
jury of the care they should exercise
and the Importance of the duty they
We're so soon to begin to carry out. Ac-
journment then was taken until ;
o'clock when the real work of the trial
was begun.
County Attorney Matthews devoted
about three-Quartcrs Of an hour to the
opening for the presentation ana the
remainder of the afternoon session was
taken up in the examination of three
witnesses. the two important ones be
ing Florence ]. Knight and George r.
Warren. who found the body of Fannie
Sprague in the burning barn.
1t was nearly 10 o'clock when Edwin
Knight, the prisoner, guarded by
deputy sheriff. was brought in and took
his place in the dock. He acknoWi-
edged the greetings of his counSel anu
a number of friends in a cordial man
ner. although he glanced nerVouSiy
about the crowded court room. Knight
seemed to have suffered but little FROM
his 10 weeks confinement in the Al
fred iail Although he was very pale
HI, seemed strong and vigorous nut hA
was ill at ease The hundreds Of curl
Gus ewes, every one of which was a.
rooted toward him. caused him to move
uneaSily.
When the indictment charging nm
with murder was read and ne was
told to stand. he answered N"'
guilty" in a strong, firm voice.
Then the work of choosing Jury /
was begun. Sixty venires had been -
sued but there yet remained % "hel'
the requisite u men had been Secureu.
The Jury selected was composed most
lv of farmers and was made up as foi-
lows: Roscoe G. Pease of CORNISH
farmer. Ether s. Thayer, WOODEN opera
tor. Shapleigh: Lester b. Chadpouriie'
farmer. Sanford; Herbert y. Slill.n'
windmill dealer. Dayton: lssachar "
JeIleson. boarding house keeper odco'
Henry p. Atkinson. furniture deaic'
Piddeford: Henry l.. Meserve farihti'
LYMAN: John Murch, farmer, DaS toii'
Pani Grassland, mill employe, Sah-
ford. John l.. GOodale. machlnst' Haoo'
John d. Weymouth. cloth inspector
Sanford. Bracket T. LORD, lailiic''
parsonfeld. Judge Powers theh u
st,uctad the Jurors regarding their ~"
tics during the progress Of the 20,
,na then adjournment was taken u"'''
o'clock. a., ,ftcr-
when the court came in for the ai'c'
,,oo,, session County Attorney Matthew'S
oro,od for the State. He began by eiN
inc, ., careful outline of the case from W
-, L-,nnie Sura que first cntercu nv
plov of Edwin II. Knight Up - ~ and
Of knights arrest, last Deccii.'ot, thc
.aid tbc state was prepared 70 SinM MI,
I'LL" ', that knight was responsible LOT Hi
dcYth He told in most draiih',l1 nI,r
ncr Of the methods pursued nE ~ iittio
dercr in his CHASTITY, work an" ,, rom to
hv little evidence had been ni%Is fixad
lirht which in his opinion Iit fo,
upon the prisoner the respoisii',,,ss cIues
the deed. He told of the va ',,on rho
followed after suspicion rested uPoii,,net
,.,,e,J nf how he was traced AIM ~,
constantly from that time up ~ t;nr, III.
If his arrest and Of the converse ith u
defendant * alleged to have htu inas
;,, ,,,rsons in reference to the ulplrn9
,ntness caused by his relations Win III
Sprague woman. ..,dance dur
There was even a large attendaffl nrannnn
ing the afternoon than at .iIn was
lesion and the closest attention -
given Mr. Matthews during hI NJ
quarters of an hcur opening a Ganrrc +.
Following brief recess ,,oroncc ].
Warren who was with florelI,G' WAS
X night when Fannie Sprague's b poo y.t wnI
found in the burning barn tooh M Ills
as tic first witness, for The ,. Sea'e On the
I.,,I 10
,'nrninr az NAV l. last. he was at worh
reparng cuivert ii the rear Of tb 5ny
Knight barn During the foreno"dl when
had occasion TO go to the barn a any iss,Iing
they entered the smoke was seen n they
from the cellar Entering the "a t, II,
found that the flames had burner - "a. stalls
the planking in one of the h oTeT Not
; ,,nti, NE fire. was completely out did NJ If
See TIE body Of a woman in the m hllErned
tht. smoke that issued from tle rothing