Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-11
kEYES ACQUITTED
Continued from Page One.)

With q voice filled with strong
emotion and while tears continually
coursed down his cheeks. Judge Stearns
began his plea by going over the en-
tire life of the man at the bar. His
early married life and nard struggles to
gain a livelihood for his young wife and
children. 1t is a sad story in itself and
when it was patheticaily described by
Judge Stearns it was doubly so.
Practically everyone in he court room
The respondent, himself with head
buried In his arms on the table IN
front of him. sobbed continually and
from outward appearances he suffered
agonies untold.
Toward the close of the plea Reyes
recovered himself somewhat and sat
with bowed head.
Judge Stearns spoke Of the incident
OF Reyes finding the receipted board
bill from the managers of the Columbia
Hotel in Portland as the first time in
his life when he realized that she was
really unfaithful to him. Every other
| incident which has come up in the tria.
| which showed of her evidently unfaith-
| full actions was picked to pieces by
Judge Stearns. Say" said Judge
Stearns, that this man Is not guilty
of the crime for which God placed his
mark on the brow OF Cain" He did not
mean by this that the shot which killed
Isabelle Reyes was not FREQ by the re-
spondent, but he did mean with all his
heart that the man was not aware of
what he was doing.
| in regard to the testimony given by Mr..
| and Mrs. Everett Sawyer. He repeat
| edly called Sawyer that creature"
and most severely did ne criticize the
testimony Of Sawyer when he told Of
Keyes drinking the quart Of whisl1cy
and not showing any effect from it.
Their testimony was torn to shreds and
| apparently scattered to the four winds
| Of heaven If the words of the Judge are
to be taken.
He asked the jury, man for man, il
a man contemplating murder would
tell another that he would cheerfully
kill his wife as 1t is alleged Reyes did
according to the testimony of Sawyer.
He pictured the introducing of the
famous letter, alleged as found on the
floor of the operating room at the
hospital, as one of the particularly
strong points for the defense. 1T
shows" Numbered the Judge, that
Elmer l.. Reyes was not in his right
mind" why the State admitted the
letter Is indeed a mystery to me-
| After going over the case from be-
ginning to end he concluded with an
lappcal, the like Of which has never been
heard here before. to the jury not to
convict an irresponsible man who had
been driven from a loving husband to
raving maniac by the actions of his
unfaithful wife. Judge Stearns was
warmly congratulated on all sides at
the conclusion of his plea.
The plea for the State was made by
Attorney General Hamlin and it was an
exceedingly able plea. He insisted tina.
the testimony of many of the witnesses
for the State as well as many Of those
for the defense showed only too plain
ly that when Elmer Reyes fired the
shot which took human life he was in
possession of all of his faculties and
that he was perfectly aware of the step
| which he was taking. That he meant
to kill his wife ana then himself was
his entire purpose. Gen. Hamlin
|
of being nagged to death by the re-
spondent and she realized that her on
ly hope lay in living apart from him.
Reyes realizing that She had been
: driven too far and fearful lest she
, should end 1t all by divorce decided to
end 1t all by death.
Certainly he was aware of what he
5 was DOING" said the attorney general.
''he made his devilish plans. carried
]. them out as well as he could and now
should be punished"
Tho attorney general went over the
. case rs thoroughly as did Judge
Stearns and he at tunes became
: eloquent. He brought out clearly the
! important points and in closing he
argued to the jury that it was their
" sole duty to convict the respondent OF
murder in the first degree.
1t would he impossible 10 describe the
charge to the jury given by Judge
7 Savage. SO clearly that they could not
fail to understand, he defined the diff
ferent degrees of murder. He defined
probable cause and every other point
to be passed upon by the twelve men,
| Every possible thing which they nigh,
have to consider was explained and
when the twelve men who had patient
ly listened to the long list of witnesses
jury room by the deputy they were
well equipped to bring in their verdict.