Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-09-09
Point on Which keyes
Murder Trial Hangs.
Much Expert Testimony on In
sanity, Friday, at Bangor.
Both Sides Close and the Case Will
60 TO The Jury, This Afternoon.


the conclusion of the testimony of DR..
Addison s. Thayer in the Keyes murder
trial Friday afternoon, Judge Stearns,
senior counsel for the defence, an
| hOunced that the State rested its case.
| County Attorney Patten at once an
nounced that the rebuttal testimony
for the prosecution was ell ready and
II. Everett Sawyer. brother-in-law to
| Keyes was the first witness placed on
the stand He was closely questioned
| ty the County Attorney and on the re-
direct by Judge Stearns he was slight
~ ratified. Judge Stearns showed the
witness no mercy ana this part of the
trial was perhaps the most interesting
Of today's sessions.
| The other witnesses who were used to
rebut the testimony Of the defence's
medical experts. Drs. Sanger and Hunt
| Of Bangor, and DR.. A. S. Thaycr of
Portland. We're DR.. Bigelow T. Sanborn
Of Augusta, and DR.. r. II. S. Vaughan
of Bangor.
That Elmer Keyes was insane pre-
vious to and at the time when it is al
|
| what the defence was endeavoring 10
provo TO the jury at the trial. Friday.
| The greater part Of the whole day was
| taken up with the testimony of the
medical and insanity experts. Several of
| Them stated positively that to the best
OF their beliefs he was insane at the
time and that even ut the present time
he is suffering from acute paresis. 1t
| was a long and a tiresome day in the
| court room out nevertheless the inter
| est i'm The case remained high. The
| court room was crowded throughout
with the usual large number of women
IN attendance. 1t can easily be seen
that the case is gradually drawing to a
close and 1t was predicted that perhaps
the case would go to the jury sometime
Saturday. although II is possible that
the evidence will not pn all in and that
| the fight will be continued until some
time Monday.
| Fridays sessions were not like those
% Thursday inasmuch as the piteous
scenes were lacking and nat few tears
were she'd. neither was there any SEN
sationll testimony brought to light.
Dr. f.. Il. Sanger Of Bangor, was
|
the opening Of court. this morning. and
he WIS questioned at length regarding
loconoter ataxia. it's symptoms and the
effect which ii had upon its victim. 1t
Was Ills belief that Elmer l.. Keyes
had suffered from it for several days
previous to the Sunday of the murder
and that II was this disease which
hrou.;h: on the insanity from which he
| 4. q -
time when he fired the fatal shot. This
was the chief testimony gained from
Dr. Sanger on the direct examination.
| on the redirect examination DIR.
Sanger was severely questioned by At
turncy General Hamlin. Mr.. Hamlin
tried hard to gain from the witness the
number ~ u, nnotor Itaxia patients
whom hc has treated since being in
practice In this city and if all of them
were aItorward insane. The doctor
stated that he had probably had so pa
tirnts afflicted with this disease and
that the greater part Of them were af-
tcrv ard committed to the insane hos
pitaI During the testimony of DR..
Sanger there occurred several lively
THIS between Judge Stearns and the at
torncys for the State. These little is
sues broke the monotony of the expert
testimony and Kcycs manifested some
little interest in these incidents.
The second witness ~ Friday. was
Dr. Walter L. Hunt of Bangor. aged
81 years. nr. Hunt was the hospital
physician AZ the time when Keycs was
brought 10 the hospital suffering from
the self-innicted wounds. DIR. Hunt
| stated to the court on the direct exam
inatiun that the first time he saw
Kcves was when H. was called to at
tend one Of the children several years
ago. The next time he saw Keyes was
when he attended him on the morning
after the tragedy. Had a little talk
with him AZ that time and was Obliged
to keep from telling him why he was
i'm the hospital. although Keyes repeat
cdly asked him to tell.
Dr. Hunt described the condition of
the patient and then told Of his next
visit 10 him. the day before his re-
mnval 10 the insane hospital The OBJ
icct Of his visit at this time was to see
| if he was able to stand the journey to
Augusta lie found him in a much i'm
nroved condition. The third and last
time that he examined Keyes was sew
eral days ago when In company with
DR. Sanger they visited him in the
Jail.
At this time DR.. Hunt stated that he
found that he had every symptom OF
locomotor ataxia. His gait was more
lie a shuttle than walk. his eyes were
dilated and his tongue was tremor
His eyes were not affected by strong
light In response to a question put by
Judge Stearns the witness said that IL
his opinion the man was suffering from
paresis. This is about all that wa'
brought out on the direct examination
and he was turned over to the rapid
fire questions Of the attorney general
Mr. Hamlin put the questions thicl
and fast and especially were they sharl
u Continued on Page Two)