Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-30
LANES HEARING
At Cornish on Charge of Muir
der of Miss Olive Broad.
Wife's Young Sister Breaks Down
Under Cross Examination.
Evidence Of Other Witnesses As Given
During the Day.

Cornish. Me-, May 29.-The prelimi-
Lane. arrested 10 days ago, OH a war
rant charging him with the murder of
Miss Olive II. Broad, between the rail-
road station and Cornish village, Aug.
20 last. began Before Trial Justice w.
b. Randall, today. About As witnesses
were present, as the defence intends if
| possible to prove an alibi, that Lane
may not be held until the September
| term of the superior court. The defend
| ing attorney says he intends to bring
out in croSs-eXamination the name of
! Cornish man who has been suspected in
connection with the murder.
County Attorney George e. Emery
| occupied an hour in opening for the
State. He traced the case from the be-
| ginning, related the finding of the coro-
ner's jury that murder had been COM
mitted and said evidence would be in
troducad to show Lane was the prob
able murderer. He then reviewed the
evidence to be presented and called %
witnesses.
| Mrs. Ann Webb, in whose house Miss
Broad lived. testified she saw her leave
| the house on the morning of August
| 20 at 8 \. NJ. for Conway Center.
| Miss May Cole of Conway Center, said
Miss Broad arrived at her home at II
| A. M, Aug. 20, and she last saw her on
the train bound to her home in Cornish.
Clinton Cole father of Miss May Cole,
testified to changing a s. bill, giving
| Miss Broad 81 in change and the re-
mainder in bills. The car fare to Cor
nish is IS cents.
Mrs Flora Miles saw woman, whom
she later identified as Miss Broad
about 4.12 p. NJ, the same day, on the
road from the railroad station and a
few rods below the wood road in which
the dead body was found. She de-
scribed the location and said she did
not see anybody else in that vicinity.
At the noon adjournment only one
witnesses had been cross examined by
the defending attorney, whose intention
it is to examine only those witnesses
testify in relation to Lane.
the first witness, this afternoon, was
Joseph Fl. Benton. He was at the rail-
road station at 4.06 =. NJ, when the
train arrived from Conwaye Center.
He heard about Is minutes later the
report of two pistol shots.
! Lewis Cook. who found the body, tes-
titled that on the morning of Aug. Il
he talked with Il young man who gave
mis- name as Lane and wanted to hire
Il house Cook referred him to the
owner Deputy Sheriff James c. Aver,
Cook and his wife then went through
the wood road to their home and found
Miss Broads body. Cooks wife cor
rohorated this testimony.
Deputy Sheriff Aver told of the find
ing of the body, of the articles found,
and about seeing Lane the night of
Aug. 21.
| Doctors w. H. Smith and Samuel G.
Sawyer related the incidents in con-
ncction with the autopsy performed by
them.
| Henry Small testified that at 3 o'clock
on the afternoon of the murder he was
in the woods outside the county fair
lgrounds cooling off a race horse. Two
linen, one of whom he thinks WAS Lane.
ldrovc into the woods. Direct and
cross examination did not change his
Testimony. He said: Il think, but
would not swear, Lane was one of the
lmcn."
Gertrude Sanborn, aged 10 years, Il
sister of Lanes wife, after telling a
general story was diffidcnt about an
lSWcring questions and finally broke
down and cried. 1t was on her evidence
land that of her sister. principally, that
Lane was arrested. She told of Lane s
going to Cornish on the morning of
the murder and returning ut night, of
the burning of pair of trousers by
Lane and of some trouble with her
father.
At this point Justice Randall ordered
the girls mother removed to part of
the room where she would have no OPP
portunity to assist her daughter in an
lswcrng questions. He cautioned the
large audience that if any one was
lcaught interfering with witnesses he
would be dealt with
Edna Sanborn, the other sister, aged
IA years. said Lane returned the night
of the murder and her father let him
into the house.
Evidence was introduced to show
that Lane had access to a 22-calibrc
revolver. State Detective A. =. Bas-