Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-29

VAS so drunk she could not stand
straight or stand still Also that
knight brought q quart Of whiskey
there with him and that he gave
drink of it to Mrs. Brown. He testi-
fed that he never struck Knight him
self.
Rufus had on u neat suit of clothes,
a collar and a tie and his shoes were
BACKED and his hair combed He was
vastly better dressed than the rest OF
the clan. He was very cool while ON
the stand and showed no sings of nerv-
BUSINESS. Much of his testimony as
well as that given by other witnesses
was unfit for publication.
Rufus Brown, ST.. father of Rufus,
Jr., was the fourth witness. He testi-
fed to seeing his son deal the fatal
blow that night and denied that he
ever told a different story 10 anyone.
He also testified that his daughter, En-
ma, was very drunk that night and
that she continually tried to pick
quarrel with her brother Rufus.
The first witness after dinner was Mrs.
Sarah NJ Brown. the wife or Rufus
Brown. She testified that she did not
know her age. Her mother had told her
but she had forgotten. She knew VIII
ham knight. The murdered man. but new
er bought any liquor from him. She tes-
uhed that the day OF the murder all OF
Inc people were drunk. including herself.
When asked how drunk she was, she re-
Piled that she was so drunk she did not
know what she was about. knight gave
her whiskey that afternoon. She admit
ted being on the bed with Knight in her
room when her husband came back with
the Jug. Hymie futile was with him.
Inr f.lt han
struck Knight over the head with the
handle of a pitchfork and ne fell to the
floor. He was carried out and placed in
the yard by her husband and Hymie She
then went 10 her fathers. Fred Went
worths. and spent the night.
Alden CorSon was the next witness. He
testified that Rufus came to the door.
rushed i'll. grabbed a gun and then went
out. Later the witness heard the gun
discharged. He got out OF bed and saw
Mrs. Sarah Brown leave her house and
Knight come to the door. go back into
the house and then reappear at the door.
When he came TO the door the second
time he saw Rufus come out of the dark
ness and strike him over the head. He
fell to the ground on his face and Rufus
jumped on him and struck him several
times
On cross-examination by Mr.. Gould he
could not remember whether his brothers
wife was drunk that day or not, and he
could not remember his testimony given
TIE u
he recognized Rufus as the assailant OF
Knight or whether he thought 1t was him,
as his voice sounded natural.
Fred A. Wentworth, the father of Ru-
fus' wife. testified that Rufus came to
his house that night after the murder and
told him that he had just killed Bill
knight. He didn't believe IL at first. but
Rufus insisted that 1t was so and he
finally accompanied Rufus to the yard,
where he saw a man lying OH the ground.
He bent down to see If he could recognize
the man. but his son-in-law would not al
low him to touch the body.
On Characterization he said tnat ne
thought Rufus was crazy ana tnat ne was
afraid of him. He testified that Rufus
was drunk but not as drunk as nc was
early in the day. He also said that Rufus
n bllsed his wife and was OF the opinion
that Rufus did not do all that he could
for her.
Mrs. F. A. Wentworth corroborated the
evidence of her husband.
The evidence was all in at 24o O'Clock.
Hon. S. W Gould then began his plea.
He compared Rufus to the hero or Kit
terry Point entitled THE Man with this
Hoe He told the court that he found a
great difference in the stories of the wit
nesses told him on the ground at Athens
and the stories told by the same wit
nesSes, today. in court. He said that he
believed Rufus came the nearest of any
of them to telling the truth, today.
County Attorney Young spoke very
briefly for the State. He said that he
hoped the court would impose a sentence
Continued on Page Two.)