Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-04-05

WINDOW and saw the dead body OF the
man lying against the door.
AT first 1t was supposed that it was .
case OF suicide, but when the officers ar.
rived and began an investigation IL al
once seemed apparent that Robbins wa:
murdered.
Robbins had been shot through the neck
with charge of bird shot, from his owr
weapon. His head and face had then beer
beaten to jelly, the butt OF his own CUR
being used for the purpose. SO powerful
had been these blows that the stock had
been split from the barrel OF the gun
His right arm was broken in number Of
places and the elbow was torn to pieces
while the body was frozen to the floor In
the blood OF the victim OF the brutal
crime
An investigation was begun and has
continued to the present. The coroner.
jury made careful inquiry into the case
and the verdict just made public is the re-
suit.
There seems to be sentiment in GER
tain parts of the county, at least, that il
IS better not to try any big criminal case
where there is the slightest question Of
doubt of guilt, because it is going to cost
a lot of money.
In the trial OF William T. Treworgy here
three years ago the coming July, this was
apparent. Men would say in talking ot
| the case:
"Sposin' they convict him, it'n have
cost the county $4,000 to try the case
that's lot of money. An s'posin' they
should get new trial, it would cost
10000 more, making $4,000. tell you il
is going to be pretty expensive for us tax
payers to try this case.'
| You may think that an exaggeration
1t is not. heard it, not once but dozen,
OF times while the trial was on. Within
the week in the town OF Bueksport it wa.
said to me that II was wicked to pile w
costs, as they were In the Treworgy case
unless there could be a conviction.
| Down on Deer Isle they are talking
about the Robbins murder. They are
| gathering in one another's house and
swapping gossip. The finger of suspicion
is pointed at one or more OF their fellow
neighbors. Just so long as the case Is al
lowed to stand with no more investigation
than has been made, just so long will this
man or men be an object OF suspicion
among the rest. He or they feel this sus-
picion, and, il innocent, would be willing,
aye glad, to stand the terrible ordeal OF a
trial on the charge OF murder, that their
names might be freed OF the imaginary
| faint which suspicion casts now upon
them.
There is but one way in which this stain
can be removed, and that is by fair and
full investigation. Not the investigation
by the cornor's jury or by the grand jury;
not by the county and State officers, but
by a jury Of twelve good men and true
who shall hear the case in all its phases
before making their decision as to inno-
cence or guilt.
You take anot form OF investigation
and it is unsatisfactory. The coroner,
Jury hears but one side Of a case; 1t hears
nothing at all favorable to the suspect, ano
nine times out OF ten it breads taking
the responsibility of saying not guilty
as much as it does saying guilty at Other
times. This is because it hears public
opinion and breads going against it.
II is for this reason that, though the
members Of a eoroner's jury made be
thoroughly convinced OF the guilt OF q
suspect, they render a verdict such as tina,
in the case under discussion that the de-
ceased came to death at the hands OF par
ties unknown to them.
A verdict OF this kind amounts to moth
ing. 1t Is scarcely worth the trouble OF
writing, for it says nothing which the
great public has not known from the start
1t is the knowledge of this feeling that
the cost to the country should be taken
into consideration, which exists in some
parts of Hancock county, which is max
ing people in other parts OF Maine ask the
question: sis the Robbins case to be
handled in the same dilatory manner as
was the Ware case?"
Here in Hancock county it is not be-
lieved that such is going to be the case.
County Attorney Wood, OF Bar Harbor,
and Attorney General Hamlin, of this
city, are both men of courage, and they
Will not ior III iHstaht hee''esS w iAAis
the case to trial, II they are convinced
that there is a good and sufficient reason.
They will never stop to think of the cost
80 long as they believe that justice de-
mands it. Neither of these gentlemen
will make statement in regard to what
course they propose taking before the
grand jury, and it is this as much as any
thing which leads to the belief that the
grand jury of the county will decide what
further step shall be taken.
semfnts.