Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-03-27
BEST TAKES STAND.
Makes Cool and Careful Wit
ness in Own Behalf.
Tells What He Knows of Disappear-
ance of George Bailey.
His Evidence Not Finished and Will Be Con
tinucd, This Morning.


afternoon, and his words, given undo.
oath, will be the chief testimony of the
defence.
His appearance had been eagerly
awaited, as it was doubted whether he
would take the stand and subject him
ney General knOwlton and District At
self to what must needs be a most
searching cross eXaminG ton by Attor-
torney Peters But his lawyers say
that he has nothing to fear. ana have
therefore shown no hcSitancy to his
taking the stand. He had by no means
finished at adjournment. tonight, and
will resume, in the morning
The government rested its case ear
lier in the day. after eight days devoted
to the introduction of evidence. during
which 90 witnesses told a story which
followed every movement of George +,
Bailey, the victim. and of Best immc-
diately preceding and subsequent to
the disappearance of Bailey.
In spite of the heavy rain which had
been falling all night and had made the
ground wet and muddy, over 100 men
waited outside the doors of the super
ior court room. Tuesday morning, for
to the trial of John c. Best, for the al
legged murder of George +. Bailey.
the eighth days session of
which began Tuesday. Best ar
rived at 9.2S O'Clock and presented
the same nonchalant appearance he
has during the past week. He appear
ed, however, to be exhausted by the
strain. as do also the members of the
jury. The jurymen have created a
very favorable impression among the
county officials. who declare that they
are the most amiable, agreeable set of
men with whom they have ever been
associated in court work.
AS nearly every important trial has
some mystery connected with it, the
Best trial is not without something of
this nature. Considerable interest is
centered in The question OF the identity
of handsome. middle-aged woman,
richly dressed. but without the veil
which unusually figures in such cases,
who has been the first To enter the
court room and the last to leave it on
every day since the trial began. No
one knows who she is or can account
for the apparent interest which she
manifests in the'Case.
The first witness. Tuesday morning,
was Capt. w. II. Proctor of the state
police. who testified. Monday, relative
to the bullets taken from the body of
Bailey and other bullets which had
been fired from the gun with which it
Sc, lat xii %
further testimony on this line and At
torney General lkncwlton questioned
him as to the marks on the bullets
which had been fired from the gun
since the Bailey disappearance. Mr..
SiSk objected to much of this evidence
and took exceptions. He claimed that
the gun had been hanging in damn
place from Oct. 6 to oct. Is. and had
had every opportunity to become rust
ed after the disappearance of Bailey
Mr.. Proctor testified that he found
certain marks of rust on bullets which
had been fired from the gun since Bal
ley's disappearance and he found idcn-
teal marks on the bullets which were
taken from Bailey's body.
Daniel c. r. Palmer. deputy sealer
sets. then gave testimony relative to
the weight of various bullets which
had been submitted as evidence.
After VIM. Maynard, gun sales
man. had verified the story of capt.
Proctor and stated that his impress
sions were that the bullets which kill
ed Bailey were fired from the Best
gun. Deputy Marshal Bartlett of Lynn,
was called and told of the arrest OF
Best. He said that Best told him on
the day of his arrest that he was
sound sleeper and he thought it posi-
BILE that a person could drive into the
ward without his hearing him. Officer
BARTLETT testified that he questioned
Best closely regarding the broken
wheel on the wagon and Best acknowl-
edged that he broke it in Lynn while
he was drunk and that for that lea
son he did not care to say anything
q bout it.
Frank p. Bennett of Saugus. testified
TO having Bailey the sum of $35.SS on
the last day of September.
Attorney General Knowlton then an
nounced at Hip that the common
wealth rested it's case.
recess was taken. uHtIi ii-oV anu
N. d. A. Clark. Junior counsel for the
addressed the jury in his
opening remarks for the defense. He
explained the degrees of crime and said
that the mere fact that body was
cut up after death did not show that
the crime when committed was of an
atrocious nature. He said that the
had not shown premedita-
ZION nor when or where the crime was
committed.
The government has attempted to
show that a man drove on to the
bridge at Glenmere pond. and without
stopping. threw the dismembered body
into the water. He declared that the
sack containing the trunk weighed 115
and that it was impossible
that this could have been done.
Mr.. Clark then made the announce
mont that Best would take the stand,
nrobably. this afternoon. He declared
that the prisoner was an innocent man
and would like to tell what he knows
ahout the case. When he found that
u-aS not at home he vent