Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-02-16
NOW THE VERDICT.
Continued from page ~

educated 10 the question of the muir
der Mr.. Seiders said that TINS testi-
9 mony revealed much for the only maj
who educated him if educated ne nao
been. was his uncle, Edwin II. knSht'
. the defendant.
Recess was taken until cioch'
TO the. question of the value oI an "a
merits chemical analysis of stain 10 ue-
rermine whether it was human pioou' W.
Seiders devoted considerable time. lie
maintained that the opinion Oh rroi' -
geil that the stains on me k,,iLe ,,n, aaa anu
trousers were made by human ooou, was
III tb,a utmost value in completing the
rrain uf discriminating events Winch tne
.Stata had charged AGAINST the ueIcIiustii'
,rI.,., ,yas no doubt in the speaker $ mind
hIi that the spots on the kniie anu ~
IN nocket were of human blood. Mr.
Sriders pointed out TO the jurors the
,'arnbas nlaced on the trousers the de
fandnnt wore on the day of the murder,
n,' Jrnfarred 10 the divergence of the tes-
,imonv of Mrs. Knight at the coroner
i,,rv and that given in this court as 10
when the repairing was done w ny dlu
not Edwin II. Knight answer at the cor
oner's jury and state that he dld not
have with him the knife which probably
assisted in completing TINS terrlpe crliie,
IN his visit to the pasture and thus clear
himself? Mr.. Locke. whom the defence
sought to charge with this crime. tolu
The truth. Mr.. Seiders continued. anu
suspicion rolled from him and cleared
1t was possible that the testimony Of all
three Witnesses as TO the kife was cor
rect and Vet there Were many opportull-
ties for Edwin II. Knight 70 get the m
strument after ii had been washed ana
return il without detection.
Tracing on the chart, Mr. Selders toi-
lowed the route taken by the defendant
through mis- pasture on May l. recounteG
the repairs the latter testified he had
made and allowed 25 or "A minutes as am am
pie time for its accomplishment By act
ual measurement Knight travelled 10
miles and Mr. Seiders allowed that ne
walked a about the rate OF ) miles an
hour for all of which about an hour was
The time the speaker thought reason
able limit for the defendant to complete
tbr work and retlrn home. The attorney
general figured from the testimony 81
lime they passed the defendants house
ana deduced from these that il was 81.
when Edwin Knight was first seen TO r.
turn from the pasture. Mr.. Soldiers argu
ing from his figuring. found an incOnsist-
ency in the testimony of Witness Wright
that he said Fannie Sprague was going
10 the spring at about $50.
II was not the desire Of the State tC
cover up one single thing. Mr. Seiders
said in the character of the SpraSut
woman. Whatever her character. il wa>
no Justification TO this prisoner for ron
Eing her of that priceless thing, life.
As long as ! live, continued Nr. SelI'
.crs Il shall always believe that thi:
crime was committed for the sake Of ,.It
self-preSerVation of this man. Man Is
the natural protector of woman, and al
no time is -,rOtection more expected. more
looked for more sought by woman thar
when she is in the condition in whici
Fannie Spraguc was in at the time OF
her death
What was the object of Knights visi
TO Locke If il was not to induce him {,
stay in the +. j. Knight place 50 that
Fannie Sprague might have a home? Re
ferrng 10 the evidence Of little Freddie
Spraguc, Mr.. Seders said that the teSti-
rnony of the child while his attention was
liked was far more truthful than that
given by some witnesses in this trial.
There was not to Mr.. Seiders mind 4
single piece of evidence to connect with
this crime S. S. Locke. the man whom tn,
defence holds guilty. The attempt haL
failed.
There is no evidence known that point
to any other man or in any other direc-
ton than to this respondent"
It was not impossible for SO many
things to point in one direction and there
be absence of guilt.
Mr.. Seders defined the meaning of tbs
terms reasonable doubt" The extreml
range in the causes which may give rise
10 motive as to make it impossible to de-
termine positively if the motive wa
commensurate to the crime.
Court here suspended until $50 o'cloCf
Saturday.