Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-23
Evidence in the Tucker
Murder Trial Finished.
Arguments to Be Heard, Today.
and Then the Verdict.
Defence introduced Another Pin
Tucker Declines to Testify.

against and in behalf of Charles L..
Tucker has been submitted to the jury.
The prosecution has produced all 1t
had to offer to support the charge that
he killed Miss Mabel Page at Weston.
! March II. The defence has answered
to the best of their ability the several
accusations. At 1240 p. NJ, Saturday.
the case was closed. Monday morning.
James Fl. Valley will plead for the priS-
oner and will probably argue nearly all
day. Attorney General Parker will
| probably address the jury, Tuesday
morning, for three hours. Judge Shell
don will deliver the charge and all will
then be in the hands of the II men Sc
| lectad to decide the issue.
To the last moment of the trial. Sat
| urday, the prosecution and the defence
| contested by witnesses. the ownership
of the Canadian shield stiCkpin. The
government endeavored to dscredit by
d photograph. the evidence of the de-
| fence that Charles l.. Tucker had worn
such a pin in his cap. The defendants
| counsel StroVe to impress more firmly
upon the jury the claim that the man
| accused of the murder of Miss Mabel
Page owned the pin which Miss Amy
|
tilted as having been taken from the
room in which the body of her late ms
tress was found.
To contradict the testimony OF the
members of the prisoners family ana
many of his friends that he did nave
hin like the one which the prosecution
insists Was stolen from MISS faec
| room, the government put i'll il photo-
~ o.
meut of a negative taken of Il group of
the Riverside liesaving corps.
Tucker appeared in the group ana III
his cap was a large pin. Nllllam r.
Tnode, the prosecution photographer.
made an enlargement OF the inquire ol
Tucker from the negative 1nc result
was a photograph large enough to us
close the proportions Of the pm Inc
prosecution exhibited the big pictures
to the jury and asked them 10 compare
the pin on fuckers cap with the ca
madam shield pin which Miss Robe'ts
insists she had seen in Miss Hase
| room the forenoon of the homni0e.
The defence replied by putting Mrs.
Thicker the prisoners mother. ana MS
brother, Walter. on the srtnd. rom
declared that the pin shown in the ph"-
tograph enlargement was a clasp pm
with an enameled Spanish insignia, ana
WAS not the stickpin of which they had
previously testified Walter F. fucker
IN Friday. spoke of this large Spanish
min owned by the defendant.
So the last thing the jury heard, ana
is to hear in the shape of evidence WIS
the latest ard last claims of each sldF re-
carding the pin the ownership OF "hich
is in controversy. BY the tena'lty WIFI
which the prosecution chung to IT'S "SSer-
ton about the identity of the pin. ana the
vigorous assault maintained to the laSl
by the defence. this feature OF fhe case
must necessarily have been greatly I'M
pressed upon the l. men who are to say
whether it is of much or little Importance
Saturdays testimony, aside from the
closing attempts to substantiate the re-
spective views concerning the pin. was.
bv the prosecution and the defence. q
closing of little gaps in the case. the APP
nIication of the finishing touches to the
structure each has been building for the
last three weeks.
The defence. in the last hour of its di-
rect evidence. put on a few witnesses To
show that the fields were clear between
Cutters Corner and the Page house on
tn, day of the murder. giving an uninter
rupted view
Charles L. Tucker did not testify. He
sat in the cage watching. as Stoically, as
impassively as unconcernedly. as on the
first day of the trial, the final efforts OF
his counsel in his behalf
He refraned from going on the stand
of his own accord. At the last minute
he chose not 10 present his cause in his
own words to the l. men under whose
gaze he has sat for three weeks. the men
who twice a day have stood before him
answering to thernames called by the
clerk.
At the last minute the question was
submitted to him. after practically all tho
testimony for the defence had been otter
ed and he answered NO
With eager expectation every one who
l has attended the trial and hundreds oi
thousands who have read the proceed
; lings have awaited the hour when the slen-
: der. youthful appearing man who has s;,'
SO sill in the cage would answer to the
: order. Charles l.. Tucker. take the
+ stand
When the trial opened this step was
contemplated by the prisoner and hi-
f counsel especially as it had been expect
! opening that the prosecution case wouio
measure up to an unanticipated mark. As
q the trial proceeded. however. the neceS-
Sity and occasion for the testimony of the
. defendant appeared to his attorneys less
! urgent.
Tucker himself was indifferent at first
As the davs went by he developed a de
sire to go upon the witness stard. ard
throughout the last week he seemed de
termined to let the l. men hear what he
. had to say in asserting his innocence The
time for the decision as to whether the
prisoner would consent to lay bare any
J thing in his life about which he might be
| asked came, Friday evening
That evening his attorneys talked over
! the situat ton and his senior counsel
James II. Valley. spent an hour at the
r East Cambridge Jail discussing this i'm
portant question with Tucker.
> RELIC OF BARBARISM.
Spirituaists So Denounce Punishment