Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-25
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
Crime for Which Charles |. Tucker
Now Stands Convicted.

Cambridge. Mas. Jan. 24-The murder
81 Miss Mah"l PaG" al Weston. Mass, Oh
Mar Il, 1904. Ton which Charles l..
Tucker was placed on Trial. attracted
wiGs' Inlhllc attention and interest be
cause of the unusual ana myS,ifSmg cir.
fnn*ianre& surrounding il. The woman.
who WAS II years oiu and who lived in 4
small country dwelling with her father. a
small. prosperous Boston merchant: he.
brother and a maid. long in The family.
MAS repeatedly stabbed with Il knif,..
wounds Icing found IN Miss Pages neck
breast and Lack. BlsinG his +Ha .rlinalio,i
upon tht appearance OF the wound in tho
h"ck. the only one visible. the medical
.Nat.iin"r reported at tirSt that Miss Page
mad committed suicide ana il was nct IN
i'll an undcrtaker mad discovered The 9th
tr wounds that il was established the wo
man had met death al thu hand o1 an as
~.tSSin.
Miss Pages body had been found by her
father. Edward Page. lying on The flooi
OF her bedroom. upon his return from a
visit. about > O'Clock on the afternoon Of
March II. Nearby was a note apparently
~ Miss PaEt 5 handwriting. saying thai
her brother Harold had been injured anC
that she was going to the hospital in BoS.
ton to see lin. The fact that her brother
had not. in fact. been injured END III,
proba hilitY that Miss Page had bocr false
the house. added much to the mystery 81
the murder. On the evening OF March Il
Tucker was brought to the Newton DO
lice station and examined ny the officers
on HE strength of report that he had
heen seen within a third of mile of tn.
paGe house about the time OF the murder.
I'd, having satisfied the police as to his
movements About a week later. rs a re-
s SUI OF a further further inquiry by, the detec
iNcS. the lines of which had been SuC
Sest"d ~ Attorney Herbert Parker.
Tucker was formally charged with the
crime. He was subsequently, arraigned
III The Waltham district court and WAS
held without bail on the charge OF murder
for the Mddlcsex grand jury. ~ which
body he was indicted.
The. governments case against Tucker
inclndel the charge that a Slip Of paper
containing tho address II l.. Morton.
tharlestoWn. Mass. found beside the
ing Of the defendant, that z stickpin
found in his pocket had IL en- stolen hv
h:m when h" went to the Page home and
killed the Page woman: tina: the broke,
pieces u blade found in hiS home We're
parts Of the knife with which lie hal
stabbed Miss Page and which he had first
move hloodS, aims and then broken it into
pieces in order to divert all suspicion NJ
direct evidence that Tucker committed
the crime WAS offered by the government:
I ucNer DID not have the opportunity IT,
Kill Miss Page and sought to eSta blish an
abb by many witnesses. To this defence.
was added a contention that the So-cdlled
I'dge PIN had been the property Of Tucker
Tor 1Wo years. that tn" knife found a his
house had beer used for hunting and that
II
he had been tiist questioned while he
was in q safe OF fear that the finding of
the knife might again lead to S1rspicion
Furthermore the defence through hand
writing e\p' rts contIadiCted the claim ar
the commonwealth experts that the Nor
ton note had been written by Tucker and
submitted that this Morton" note was in
fact written by Miss Page herself The
defendant explained the blood on hi>
clothing by saving that IT had come from
4 tleer crt. Throughout the trial nothing
was offered i'll explanation Of me note
which Miss Page had written az 10 he,
lrnther'S alleged illness
The Tucker trial was heGUn on Jan. ,
and j. DAYS were occupied in taking Off
"!al testimony. Two weeks were occu.
plrd by IN" prosecution. which placed -
witnesses on the stand. In a single week
10Y Inc defence - witnesses were called
. Counsel Tor the defence made the clos.
lnS argument t" the jury on Monday. On
the same day Attorney General Parl;n,
began his argument for the PROSECUTION
The judge then delivered the charge