Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-27
INTEREST LAGS
In Famous Tar and Feathers
Case Of Marion, Mass
People Now Impatient to Hear What
the Jury Will Say.
Minor Witnesses Tell What They
Know About Case.


terest Jagged. today ana the spectators
who were present seem now impatient
for the verdict. A violent rain storm,
which began, last night. continued, to-
day, and had its effect in reducing the
attendance especially as far as women
We're concerned.
The examination of Deputy Sheriff
George A. Wheeler begun. yesterday.
was resumed the first thing, this morn
ing. He told of IA visit TO the sand
pit where the alleged tar and feather
ing OF James Mcdonald took place and
gave distances and relative positions
of various localities. He said the
found Il we'll defined track through the
woods the day after the alleged assault
upon Mcdonald and along it were scat
tered Il quantity Of feathers. Some
feathers We're produced. Witness said
that he did not gather and said that he
could not state that he had ever before
seen those displayed in court.
Deputy Hurley identified photo
graphs Of the sand pit ana they We're
admitted as evidence.
On The day after the arrest of Nc
Donald. witness saw Mrs. Potter III
New Bedford. He saw her again a
week later and she gave him the I'M
sierclothing which has been introduced
IN the case in connection with the
statement that it WAS torn from her by
masked men on the night of the as
sault upon Mcdonald.
The cross-eXamnation of Mr. Hmr-
ley by Mr.. Cummings. was very sharp.
The lawyer laid great stress upon the
fact that the newspaper man who was
with the deputy when the feathers and
other articles had been found had not
been produced in court. He asked the
witness who the man was. Deputy
Hurley said that he did not know his
name. that ne had made inquiry but
never was able to find out.
Further questions by Mr.. Cummings
were along a line taking as indicat
ing IL wish to show bias on the part of
the deputy. To the query whether
Deputy Hurley had spent any money
ont OF his own pocket in investiga ting
the case the deputy replied that he had
but il was with the understanding that
ne would he reimbursed by the prose-
oution. When Lawyer Cummings
asked if he had not offered reward
out of his own pocket for the return
of Simmons. the government witness
who was missing when the case was
called. last Monday, the district at'or-
ney entered an objection.
There was n sharp passage of words
| between the opposing lawyers. in
course of which the district attorney
stated that he had directed the deputy
| TO use all possible means to find the
missing man: 10 spend money if Deces-
4. =. l... t.ai.. ,httt al
for any expenditure that was made.
penuty Sheriff George +. HerSey of
Whitman. described the condition of
McDonald's body as seen some time af-
Ter the treatment alleged to have beer
given him by some of the residents or
Maricn seven of whom are defendants
il, this case. On the Monday following
JcDonlads experience with Deputy
Wheeler. witness saw Mcdonald at
the hotel in Wareham. There was a
strong odor of tar noticeable. Later
with Deputy Wheeler witness eXamin-
| cd the upper part of McDonald's body.
DiscnlorationS were apparent ana
breaks in the skin were seen as If
some substance had been removed
from the surface. The broken and
iiscolored places were most noticeable
about the wrist the shoulders and the
back above the hips.
The investigation of the case against
the Marion residents was conducted
mainly by Deputy James W. Hurley,
who was called as a witness at this
pont. Mr.. Hurley took up the case.
Aug. !. On that day he visited the
sand pit, searching for Mcdonald Not
finding him there he went up town and
located the man at about 4.30 o'clock.
He arrested Mcdonald on charge of
assault and took him to Whitman and
,oci,ed him ,,p. He noticed Il strong
odor of tar about the man.
on th. visit 20 the sand pit Deputy
Hurley noticed a spot covering about
five or six square feet on which were
feathers and tar matted together. He
was accompanied by a New Bedford
newspaper man and they found
brush a necktie and a piece of cloth
which looked as if it had been torn
from IN undershirt. The deputy
sheriff. wrapped the brush in piece
of clo.n and then rolled the necktie
Around H.
This evidence explains the condition
OF the piece of undershirt presented in
the court. yesterday. dDout WHICH 'h'he
was some controversy
Sidney W. Potter. Charles Potters
brother. testified that he met Andrews.
one of the defendants, on the road be-
tween Marion and Wareham, about SD
in the evening of Aug. s. They talked
about three-quarters of an hour and
then Andrews continued on his way
home. away from Marion.
When ss-examined by Mr.. French.
Potter had considered the difficulty in
accurately fixing the time of the meet
ing, He insisted, however. that it was
not earlier than $50 nor later than
$50 when he met Andrews and that the
conversation continued for fully A.
minutes. During the cross-examin-
alton it was brought out that when
Andrews left fremont. where he lived
AT the time. to drive to Marion, he
was accompanied by Mr. Lowell. |
Lowell was still with him when he