Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-16
NOW THE VERDICT.
The Jury Must Decide Edwin
Knights Guilt or innocence.
Attorney General Seiders' Plea o.
cupies the Entire Day, Friday.
Judge Powers Will Deliver The Charge 10 Jury.
This Morniny.

SIco. Me. Feb 1.-THE work of
clues that might lead to the identity Of
Il taCttul murder, were today summed
manner by Attorney General Seilers
senior counsel for the State in the
trial Of Edwin II. Knight for the muir
Ger Of Fannie Spgague, the OCCASION be
ing the plea to the jury.
The address Of the attorney general
occupied the entire day but the force
ful method with which it was present
ed. the clear and concise arrangement
of the complex threads Of evidence.
made inter- sting a repetition of the re-
Voting facts which We're gathered from
a host of witnesses.
The supp enc court has completed the
tenth gay Of its cess on and the gu aStion
of the guilt or innocence of the pris-
0ncr now remains for the jury 10 de-
iGe Judge Powers will delive. his
charge n the morning. and it is proba-
bic that by noon the II men will have
the momentous question before them
for judgment.
The trial has been a supremely con
tested one on both sides. No estimate
of the length Of time the jury may take
10 tind verdict can be given. but it
$, ems probable that the conference will
be a long one. a great volume Of evil
dence has been submitted ana for this
reason ii not for the extremely peculiar
feature of the murder, no haSuy YER
diet is probable.
The court room was again crowded
ana number stood during the greater
part of the day. The defendant did not
give evidence of any undue emotion
during the trying ordeal. and listened
;.ttentiIcly to every word of the attor-
ncy general. Mrs. Knight was, for the
first time since the trial commenced.
absent from beside her husband.
Attorney General Soldiers began his
argument for the State, Friday morn
ing b. explaining to the jury what
constitutes true testimony and what
constitutes perjury.
lie gave q number of simple exam
pies Illustrating wherein 4 witness fol
lows the truth ninctccn -tWentiethS OF
he way. but in the remaining part he
DIVORCES, ana in this divergence the
l,oint for which he was called is lost.
There and then the witness perfumes
himself.
Mr.. Soldiers then went to the scene
of the mmG der ana showed the jury
that on the morning Of May the roads
on all four sides Of the defendants
house were under the observation %
witnesses just ~ if police traversed
there. Edwin II. knight was not seen
to travel along the roads he main
tanned he traEcrSed.
The man who committed this brutal
crime was not seeking the life of Fan
ME.
Mr. Soldiers laid particular stress on
the diSapprarance of the blood stained
shorts bag after the defendant drove
away on May ,. 1t vas used to protect
the murderer from being smeared with
blood. Mr.. Seiders said. 1t was the
work of only few minutes to fell that
poor woman, to plunge the knife into
her throat. pour on the Kerosene ana
set the. body afire Mr.. Seiders attack
ed the position of the defense that y
was the work Of an hour to commit
the crime.
The jury was shown the plaster casts
of the track found leading from the
scene of the murder. Mr. Seiders asked
the jury to take the cast and the rup-
Der boot worn by Edwin II. KNIGHT
on that May morning ana consider
them while they were forming their
opinions. In length they were the same
to a sixteenth of an inch, the Wiuth
was exactly the same, the heelS COM
pared to surprising degree or exact
ness There was no doubt in MI. s'eiu
ers mind that the footprints marked
the retreat Of Edwin II. Knight aiter
he had completed the dreadful erfaho'
Mr. SeiderS traced the retreat OF the
murderer to the brook where ne
washed his hands. and showed now
easily the defendant could have reach-
ed his home unnoticed.
The next piece of evidence that Ar.
Soldiers took up was the wood cart out
of which the blood stained rali louii'
roar the body was said to have come.
There was an object in sending WA
cart to ShapleiSh 20 miles away anu
nlocing if behind a pile of WOOD IVY
| feet long. where it was intended 10
main. Mr. Seiders demonstrated 10 'ne
| Jury that the worn portions OF inc o"N
rail which he held in his mana coiie
| sponded exactly to the worn places VI.
| the uprights When the ofllcer went
miles and sought an old worthless ca
| Edwin H. Knight never once flaue ~
most natural suggestion tor an i'"i'
cent man: What on eartn ~
want it for?" 1t was inconcelNdpie -"
! during the ride of the defehoaht
his partner. mention was htNe'
of the horrible murder that hiu
| CURED in their neighborhood oiliS
dav before 1t was legal admisSioh
euiit. Mr. Soldiers said. why dlu '
defendant and his partner. ihoiiii
avoid conversation of even 'iie
nile fact of this crime when tooN
life of a woman whom Edwin -
had known and who had Wofkeu ~
house? 1t was because Thompson r.a
rccted his partner and dld no. ~
the heart to bring up n supJe 1T
ny -, ,,oar homo The defendant
had every opportunity to carry q
the rail. secrete and put 1t
dreadful n purpose. ,h,1lne
~. no empnI OI