The Portland daily press., 1901-02-15
Atty Gen. Seiders Will
Follow Today.
Prisoner Displays No Anxiety
Whatever.


murder of Fannie Sprague and all the
circumstances which led up to and fol-
lowed the commission of the deed were
today reduced from the chaotic mass in
which they were submitted during the
past eight days in the supreme court, to
q regular sequence of events, by Attorney
Ye4ton, coun Gil for Edwin Ii. Knigh1,
the accused man.
The occasion was the address to the
Jury, and the clearness and precision with
which the whole tale was summarized
seems certain to aid that body In reach
ing decision,
Attorney Yeaton occupied nearly the
whole day for his argument. Point by
point, the fabric OF the states case was
attacked, the actions OF the defendant ac-
counted for, and in brief 1t was shown
that the defendant, lacking motivesand
opportunity could not have committed
the deed with which he is charged.
The deren ,s has now completed Its case
Tomorrow this state will make its argu-
ment, which is likely to occupy nearly
the whole day. There is probability
that the case may go to the jury late to-
morrow, although that is uncertain In
view OF the possible length Of Attorney
General Seiders' argument.
The prisoner has not bsen more cheer
full during the whole course of the trial
He app ears to be in the best of spirit and
there has scarcely been time when he
has displayed any anxiety over the pro-
ceedings.
Attorney Yeaton in addressing the
Jury, said that the day had long passed
when the emotions OF suoh body could
be swept away by any mere display OF
words.
After brief preface, Mr.. Yeaton began
his address by stating that 1t was not the
province of the defence to introduce
testimony which would incriminate
anyone. 1t was his duty to test the truth
OF the charge against Edwin IL. knight,
the prisoner before the bar
Motive is necessary to every action in
the lives OF sane men. For terrible
transaction, terrible motive m1st ex-
ist. The state has shown no one familiar
act that could give rise in the defendant
a motive adequats to any such crime as
this.
The actions o; Samuel Locke. his rela-
tions with the murdered woman and his
general reputation as testified to and
his better to the murdered woman were
gone over in detail by MIR. Yeaton tending
TO show a depravity in keeping with
the murder of Fannie Sprague.
The incidents that directly followed
the murder-the gathering of the excel
sior, the saturating of the body with oil
and the setting the mass atire-must
: have occupied at least half an hour, and
to accomplish the whole terrible transac-
tion must have taken an hour and a
half This time the accused man did
not have.
Portions OF the evidence of three wit
nesses MIR. Yeaton here read to cortobo-
rate the testimony OF the defendant,
that he returned to his house about
O'Clock on the morning of MAY /. The
jury were shown on the chart the exact
route MIR. knight followed through his
pasture, the repairs made were described
and the path he followed wnen he re-
turned home were gone over. The fire,
Mr.. Yeaton maintained, could have
burned but a short time as was eyi
denced by the fact that the clothing Of
the murdered woman was not entirely
consumed and from the further fac
that the blaze had not set fire to any OF
the surrounding walls.
The fire must have been started a
about s4b, MIR. Yeaton continued. and
1t was found at $50. The defendant
could not have had time to commit th'
deed. arrange the details and reach hi
home at the time he did,
MIR. Yeston challenged the state Il
show when the defendant had taken the
club used to accomplish the murder
where he had secreted 1t, and when h'
was seen TO carry it from the Goodwin
place where 1t was last left, to the scene
OF the crime
How easy for the man Locke,f for who's
actions on that terrible morning no liv
ing man has accounted, TO pick up thi