Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-04-29
ON THE RACK.
Case of David F. Murdock in
Circuit Court.
Trial of One Of PortIand's Most
Prominent Men.
Accused by Federal Authoritiee c
Serious Charge.

MulCOck lor receiving StOlen stamps
was begun in the United States CIR
cult Court this morning. No objection
District Attorney Dyer pushed the case
| along at rapid rate.
The chief interests this forenoon lay
| in the evidence given by Hattie Lin
coin, a former boOkkecper for Mr.. MUIR
| dock, ard by Edward Mcneil. who de-
| iivered the stamps to Mr.. Murdoch.
| Miss Lincoln gave her evidence with
evident regret, and when she first went
on the stand showed unmistakable in
| dications OF embarrassment and emo
| ton. Her evidence was not sensational
and related entirely to seeing q bunch
of stamps on Mr.. Murdock's desk and
| to her efforts to dispose of several
| small lots cf stamps
Mr.. Mcneil told his story without
| hesitating. He admitted his dealings
| with O'Rourke and Huddcll but claim
| ed that he did not receive one cent
commission for handling the stamps.
| lie claimed to be merely the agent for
| the burglars who lie said asked him to
deliver the stamps to MIR. Murdoch and
TO collect the pay for them. Judge Fos-
| ter was unable to change his testimony
| in the cross examination.
| Fred .. Mariner, Il stockholder in the
| MurGock * Freeman Company testi-
fed that one day he heard Mr.. Muir
dock say over th. telephone that he had
no more stamps end would have no
more until another break was made.
Long before the United States Cir
cult Court opened this morning every
| seat in the court room had been taken
! :lnd every available bit of standing
| room was occupied by a spectator The
great interest centered III the eXpecta-
ton that David F. Murdock was to be
| tried OH the charge of receiving stamps
| which had been stolen from the post
| Office at Southwest Harbor and for the
| stealing of which Willia:.l Huddell had
| been found guilty by u jury yesterday
Among the spectator were many Of
| the witnesses in the previous case. Mr.
| Murdock arrived in the court room
shortly before 10 o'clock. lie was ac-
| companied by Mrs. MurdOck and their
daughter and by his counsel, Judge
Foster and NJ. p. Frank, Esq.
| A large number of witnesses had
been subpoenaed by the government
and the defence. George c. Frye, Fred
! A. Turner. Congress street druggists.
were subpoeneacd by both parties.
J shortly after the court came in. Dis
trict Attorney Dyer moved the ar
raignment of David F. Murdock. but
before proceeding with the arraisn-
ment he said to the court that several
material witnesses for the government
, had failed to appear for some reason
not known to him and that he proposed
to look into the matter before cOHtin-
uing the trial.
Mr. Murdock, who had been sitting
with his wife and daughter in the seats
| reserved for the witnesses, was direct
ed to stand in the rear Of the court
room while the Indictment was read.
Judge Foster his counsel, announced
that the reading of the indictment was
waived and Mr.. Murdock pleaded not
guilty.
/ On request of his counsel. the re-
spondent. Mr.. Murdock, was given
chair just outside the bar.
After a delay Of several minutes Mr..
Dyer said that he was ready to proceed
and moved that the jury be impaneled.
Judge Foster said that he would take
the jury as it stood which simplified
this part of the proceedings and saved
| considerable time.
| The jury as selected at the opening
of court, last Tuesday, was impaneled
without objection from the government
or State.
| The following Is the jury: Albert b.
Cummings, Portland. foreman: Frank
+: Lang. Auburn: Alfred w. Miller.
Auburn; Fred r. Bowker. Brunswick:
! John o. Rogers, Brunswick: Charles
w. Grant. Calais; Edwin A. Cole, Cor
inth; Fred W. Hinkley, Corinth; Levi
10. Lane. Dover: Winthrop w. Tuttle.
/ Limerick: Byron s. Anderson. Liner
ick: and William B. Irish. Portland.
District Attorney Dyer in opening
for the government said that the gov
ernment would show conclusively that
.Ir. Murdock had received all or some
| Of the .tamps as set forth in the in
dictncnt.
| The government woall show that on
the 31st day of July the post office At
Southwest Harnor hal been robbed by
William Uuddell and that Mr. Muir
docl, had received the stamps from the
agen, of Huddell knowing them to be
stolen
The first witness called by the gov
ernment was Miss Hattie Lincoln.
former bookkeeper for the respondent.
She took the stand hesita:ntly. show
| ing signs Of notion. and while on the
stan1 evlded looking at Mr.. Wnrd""k.
She said that she lived at West Fa.-
mouth. She knew Mr.. Murdoch and
had been in his employ for 10 or II
years.
Since the first of January, 1903. his
office was on Franklin street. Part of
that time witness mad been in the en-
rloy of Murdock & Freeman. Miss
Lincoln was speaking very low and
was asked by the court to speak louder.
Witness went to work for Murdock
& Freeman in June. 1903. Mr.. MUIR
dock occupied the small office. She
saw a number Of stamps in denomina-
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