The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1901-02-11

grave Importance.
The attorney general read from Green
leaf, the laws covering the point OF the
admissabimty OF evidence given by q
young child.
The little fellow when he stepped into
the witness stand stood scarcely higher
than the railing and seemed &C be amused
at the novelty of the situstion. His pres
ence Of mind was remarkable. The oath
was then given. lie answered without
the least hesitation, the questions as TO
his sgs, who his mother was and where
he lived.
Cross-examined, Attorney Yeaton drew
from the boy the admission that some
one had talked with him about the ques-
tions that would be asked him In the
court room. Witness said while his
mother VIVA washing the floor ED knight
came TO the house. The boy went to
George warren's store TO get milk and
while going saw respondent with his
mother. Mrs. Sprsgue and respondent
were at this harm together. The boys
mother went Into the barn first.
Answering to direct question as to
who went into the barn with his mother.
witness said Ed. knight. Witness said
either Ed. Knight or Fannie sent him
over to George warren's after butter,
but he got milk.
Cross-examtned witness was asked
whether he knew Mr.. Townsend who
stood before him. lie gave number OF
answers both positively and negatively.
Witness had been talked TO regarding this
crime on the afternoon Of May LIST, BY two
women. lie remembered OF talking TO
them but he said nothing to them about
Ed. knight. Witness said he did not al
ways tell all he knew. Witness said he
saw Mr.. Locke In the kitchen talking
with mis- mother. This was before she
washed the floor. Mr. Locke, witness
said worked in the woods, chopping.
Recess was here taken until two
o'clock.
The little fellow resumed the stand this
afternoon. The cross-examinat ion was
continued. witness said that at the coro-
ner's jury he mentioned the name OF Ed.
knight. This concluded a most dra mat
10 piece of testimony. coming as 1t did
from a child so young and under the con-
ditions existing The state then rested
It's case
Attorney Higgins made the opening
plea for the defence. He impressed upon
the jury the great.responsibility that rest
ed upon them. The defence, he said,
would prove beyond reasonable doubt
that the defendant could not have COM
mitted the deed. He had no opportuni-
ty nor any motive. Mr.. Higgins said
that the accused man is a man OF high
standing in the community Of South Ber-
wick, and before the trial finished the
accused man would tell the history OF his
life from childhood.
lie told OF the circumstances under
which he started out on the morning Of
May LIST at about 7.45, described the
amount of work he did, and the routine
described. The defence would prove that
defendant was outside OF the bounds Of
his farm, Ills trip to Shapleigh was ar
ranged In advance. bus 1t was necessary
before he went 70 repair the fence.
IL is the contention OF the defence that
the knife upon which the lood stain
were found was not in the possession of
the defendant for some days, before and
until several days after the commission
or the crime.
The defence would also show that
Samuel Locke, time after time. tried to
induce the Sprsgue woman TO occupy the
camp with him, and that he, and not the
defendant, was aotuated to desperation
by motives OF jealousy. Witnesses whose
WORD was beyond question would snow
that after the finding of the Spragus
womans body, Freddie, her little son.
never once, in all the questioning as to
who was there, mentioned tina name OF
Edwin Ii. knight, but did assert that
MIR. Locke was there. Witnesses will
HIS actions at the time, he told four
different stories.
Defence would show that since the
prosecution OF Locke's daughter for hav'
ing In her possession articles stolsn from
house In Edwin knights charge, a
feeling of revenge was engendered for the
defendant, and that never was the name
Oh EuWRu Auiknt tOnneCtcu WIN thu
murder until when, the finger OF sus-
picioD pointed at him, Locke mentioned
the name of the defendant,
Attorney Higgins, walking over to the
oross-cart, said the defence would &C.
count for and bring witnesses TO prove
the oak bars were broken out to facilitate
the loading OF ties at the Goodwin place,
and that on his departure from there
Edwin Knight carried nothing In his
hands. The absolute Willingness on the
part OF the defendant to surrender TO the
government anything he had that would
assist Its case, were not In keeping with
the actions OF murderer.
The footprints which led from the rear
of the Florence Knight barn the defence
would show beyond question wsre not
made by Edwin knight, but marked
the way taken by none other than Fannie
Sprague.
It was not the province of the defence
In mint mt Aha entity Ona ha aatd hint