Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-02
THE STATE RESTS
Its Case in Terrio Murder
Trial at Skowhegan.
Day Almost Wholly Given Up to Shell
and Primer Expert.
Mr.. Morey Opens for Defenee-Some
Sensations Expected.


The whole of the forenoon and a
part of the afternoon, today, in the
/ Terrio case has been devoted to the
examination of Oh. Whittier, the
States expert OH shells and markings
made on primers. The witness ex-
planned in full all the experiments he
had made in the case, how he obtained
the results. exhibited photograp hs of
the rifle primers and their markings
on Shells The question of corrosion
ran through it all and since the for
mer trial DIR. Whittier has been max
ing experiments very similar to those
made by Professor Knight of the Uni
verSity of Maine. the expert along
these lines for the defence.
DIR. Whittier was full of his subject
and fired with the enthusiasm of the
scientist, SO that his answers were
usually very complete. He also added
illustrations and explanations to make
the points under discussion more clear
to everyone When the direct eXami-
nation had been completed he was
subjected to redirect by General
Seiders and then to q cross from Mr..
McGillicuddy.
The jury showed signs of WEAKNESS
during this testimony for the first time
during the trial Much of it was of a
very technical nature and hard for the
layman to follow closely. Then the
I more important parts were threshed
over and over to get all the good there
was in them until even those who had
eaten their dinner in the court room to
hold their seats began to wish for a
| change.
The new part OF Dir. Whittier's tes-
timony was in regard to corrosion and
ITO the effect of swapping the hammer
on shell more than once.
| His corrosion experiments We're tried
lin August, September and November
kShells were exposed to the weather for
Ia month. commencing along in the
middle Of August and then after the
snow came during the past month were
tried in that. In one instance a guinea
| pig was used to get the effect of a life
less human body. In these experiments
! he did not find any marked corrosion
on any of the shells and could still
| distinguish the marks al the end. Mr.
McGillicuddy questioned him closely
as to the exact conditions to which the
| shells had been subjected.
| The witness made exhaustive tests
| to decide whether it is possible to de-
| termine whether the hammer has beer
snapped twice on shell and decided
that this is possible on account of three
| results--the indcntation will be deeper
| under more blows, the appearance OF
! the surface of the primer will be
changed, and, the firing pin not strik-
| ing twice in exactly the same place
| the difference in the marks can he dis
| tingu:shed. The witness stated that
according to these deductions the
hammer had not been snapped twice
| OH the crushed shell.
| All this testimony was very care
| fully followed by the expert for thl
defence and will doubtless be deniea
! i'll part or wholly later on. as is Gus
| tomary with evidence of this sort.
The State closed at 40, in the after
noon with George LaBlanche, the prize
| fighter. commonly called The Marine.
| He with several other witnesses o
minor importance followed DR.. Whittier
| but the evidence WAS al in carly
enough to allow Mr.. Morcy to open TO
the defense before adjournment for thu
night The respondents witnesses viii
be sworr, Wednesday morning. and thu
taking OF testimony commenced Il
| once 80 that that side of the case vii
| probably be we'll under way by noon.
While rot SO very much that is abso
| lutely new was outlined in Mr.. Mercy:
! opening it is rather expected that ther'
| may be some sensational evidence in
troduced before this side has closed it;
case. The fact that the defense vii
claim that blood was found on the q
rifle that belonged to Murray. whiit
now. was not wholly unexpected as il
had been limited at in the States evi.
dence A good many fancy that Tho
defense has drawn some good new
cards since the former trial and thai
the playing OF them will be rather in.
| teresting.
| Terrio has evidently been encour-
aged by the points in his favor that
have been developed from time to time
Continued on page 81