Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-08
THE FATAL SCUFElE.
Witnesses Tell Details in HeseI-
ton Homicide Case.
Testimony at Coroner's Inquest
POUNDS Out First Report.
Seven Witnesses Testify and Hearing
VIII Conclude, Today.

At o'clock the members of the
coroner's jury, summoned to hold an
inquest upon the remains of Albert l..
HeSelton, whose dead body was found
in the road on Glendon street at an
early hour on Sunday morning, assem-
bled at Plummer's undertaking rooms,
on Bridge street. on account of the
inability of j. F. Young to attend. w.
&. Halves was summoned to take his
place upon the jury. The other menu
bers We're those announced in the Jour
nal, yesterday morning.
Coroner Bean read the formal doCu-
ments summoning the jury together,
after having administered the neces-
sary oaths to qualify the jurors to en-
ter upon the discharge of their official
duties. W. L. McI'adden was chosen
foreman. The body of Heselton was
examined and the jury adjourned I'M
Ill O'Clock ut the municipal court
room in the City building.
Long before the appointed hour ar
rived for the proceedings to begin, a
large crowd of people gathered to hear
what might be said. The court room
was filled with curious spectators as
vas also the corridor leading thereto.
The people We're disappointed when the
officers Informed them that the inquest
would be held behind closed doors.
Very reluctantly they went away.
When the jury WAS ready to open
the proceedings, Lewis A. Burleigh,
Esq, asked the privilege of being pres
rnt at the hearing. A. NJ. Goddard,
Esq, appeared for the government,
County Attorney Leigh being unable
TO, be present owing to his duties at
the Court house. After some discus
sion as to the law and the precedents
governing the conduct of coroner's
juries, it was decided by Coroner Bean
that both lawyers would be allowed to
~ and ask such questions as met
4&4pproval of the coroner.
f&axen witnesses We're sworn and all
of sthefI retired to another room to be
called h oilesat a time.
DIR. Fl. sSturtevant was the first
witnesscalled He>described the con-
dition OF the body when he first saw
lit in the <undef takers basket on State
street about BIS o'clock on Sunday
morning. Heexamined the body to see
III any life remained and he soon dis
covered The man was surely dead.
Later on he saw the body at the I'M
dertaker's rooms and described it's con-
1ition at that time in about the same
language he used on Sunday, as pub
Iished IN Mondays Journal. He also
described the result of the autopsy
made on Sunday.
4 Did you consider his death to have
been caused by the knife wound you
have described" he was asked.
Il did
In reply to questions by Mr.. Burleigh,
DIR. Sturtevant said:
"The coverings of the heart were
perforated by the external wound. The
knife did not pass through the plural
cavity, but did pass into the pericar-
dunn. Blood was found in the plural
cavity. Cannot say what proportion,
passed into the plural cavity rather
than through the opening of the wound
The intercostal artery was severed
Mrs. Sarah Day was called and tes-
tilted:
Live on Valley street, near the
Changers home. Called there. Satur-
day night at 20 minutes to 8. There
was no trouble there of any kind while
| was there. l came home at 10 min
utes of .. When | went in James
| Granger. Jacob and his wife, Mary
were three and two men besides. Didn't
know either of them. Both strangers
Never saw them before. Saw one of them
here, today His name is Phelps. The
other man was quite large. He was
standing in the doorway of the front
room singing. James Granger was
near the side door and Jacob was in
the rocking chair in the kitchen.
went to the house to see Mary, Jake's
wife. about some sewing l was doing
for her. Didn't stay long, for l ex-
pected my son home.
| Never saw them drinking anything
hut there was some liquor setting in q
pint bottle on sideboard. 1t was red
in color. The bottle was about hall
full. Mary asked if | would have some
and | said no. | didn't dare to. for
didn't want my boy to smell my breath
| saw no glasses to drink out of, bu
there was cup there. | did not drinl
anything at all, but the others did
Mary had no appearance of having
been drinking. She was getting sup
per. Phelps appeared to have beer
drinking. Have known Jake for Ions
i time. but didn't know the old man ant
Mary only about year. Am not il
the habit of going to the house. Onl!
go when have an errand to do
Mrs. Day insisted that she did no
drink any liquor while in the house
David Mariner. who found the body
i was next called. He told the story sub
stantially as narrated with the addi
tional fact that the body lay on TIL
north side of the street, and parl!
Y curled up.
His body was up on the side hill,
! said the witness, while his legs ant
4 his head were on the road bed. Hi
arms We're curled up also. while hi
I face was flat on the ground. He wa
lying on his right side with his hea'
pointing toward State street. He hat
on n brown shirt, pants and stockings
His left wrist was cold-he was dead
/ Did not notice whether the clOthin:
was bloody. When he was lifted III