Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-10-06
In Trial Of Mrs. Capo|a
Hoyt at SkoWhegan.
Evidence All |n.-ArgumentS This
Morning and Then Jury Decides.

Skowheglu. Me, oct. J.-(SpcciaD.-
TIE fourth day of the trial of the state
VS. Capola May Hoyt. who is charged
with procuring her hotel ut West New
Portland village to be burned that she
rtiEht dcfraud the insurance companies
of the face value of the policies upon
tho b,,ildinrs and contents, $4,000 open
"a al o.3D this morning. With each
succeeding day Of the hearing, the most
sensational ever heard in Skowhegan,
the interest taken by the spectators in
cr,.agcs ana the attendance is only Inn
ifrd by the seating capacity and avail
able standing room of the audience
,ha mber.
The first witness was Carlton H. Luce
Of West New Portland, who said that
he WAS in the hotel Il few days before
the fire and so far as he could see
everything was the same as it had been
before Cruss-examinCd he said that
after having he never heard the re-
Spundeut say that if she got clear sh"
would make il hot for them i'll New
Portland. He never saw her dressed in
mourning before two weeks ago.
Miss Annie Hrown. Il trained nurse
from HaycrhilI Mass. testified that
while attending the respondent in West
New Portland shc heard Otis a. Reed
tell Miss kirshHcr that if she married
Hastings II. Hcyt he would ruin them
both Once heard Reed say that he
hated IInyt
Ami" Fuller oC West New Portland
t,.%titi Il that on the night of Feb. Il.
l>:. sh.. WAS ut ;ui entertainment ill
th.u town. That the respondent never
sa.d that shr would give them hot
time III NV Portland as soon rs she
got her feet placed. This was alleged
nv tho State and testified to. yesterday,
nv Mrs. Al Hoyt.
Herbert Hastings IIoyt was the last
and the star witness of the forenoon
session. He is the young man who
married the respondent soon after the
arrest Of Reed. lie is Il years old and
his wife is %. He became engaged to
"Cuppy," the net name of his wife, last
February. When Reed left they We're
not on good terms. He knew that the
respondent went to Lewiston to see
Reed anJ was also aware Of the reason
why she went. Their marriage in
tcutions wc!c published. June Is. the
fire occurred June l. and they We're
married in SkUWhegan. June "a
ON REORGANIZATION he said that
lie ncv,r told anybody that he knew
that Miss Kirshncr was guilty but
that hc was going to protect her the
best he knew how. Said that he call
I'd ON Reed once in Jail and told him
to keep good courage, but did not tell
him that he would help him. In re-
gard to the trucking of the supplies
used on the repairs of the burned
hotel. his mt emory failed him and he
could tell but little.
Al the afternoon session. which
opened at o'clock. the respondent
was called to the stand. where for
three hours she answered the queS-
lions Of her attorney and the cross
xamination Of the prosecution. She
denied all of the allie gatioIs made, but
at times her memory proved very
trcnchcrous. Particularly was this 50
when she stated that two receipts,
which She held from a Pennington
furniture dealer. were in her trunk,
when size was in Boston. last June.
by the suggestion OF the court the
sheriff tclephonei to Pennington 70
the furniture dealer and the answer
was that the respondent was given the
receipts about TWO weeks ago. TINS
WAS pretty good evidence that she
could not have had them in her trunk
last Jure. She denied that Reed pass
cd the night with her in the Lewiston
hotel. June s. but that she stayed there
alone.
Two very "mushy'' letters. which Tn"
respondent claims to have written 10
Mir Hoyt Before their marriage. were
read to the jury. One was addressed
to MY own Darling" the other TO MY
Darling SN eetheart." They closed with
love and kisses to her darling boy. she
expressed great affection for Hoyt IT
then. and regretted that the train was
bearing her away from her dear one.
instead of to him. One was alleged
to have been written on the tram pc
tween Lewiston and Portland, the