Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-03-27

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sent no evidence. He then proceeded to
address the jury in argument for the de-
PENDANT.
The evidence was closed at about half
past 10 Friday forenoon, and it was about
ii when Mr.. Wright began his argument
for the defence. From the nature of the
case his argument was largely negative,
and devoted to declaring the insutficiency
of the evidence to prove the guilt of
Chick beyond reasonable doubt. He
laid particular stress upon the short
time allowed to Chick, according to the
theory of the state, after the shooting of
Varney, to go into the woods, build a
fire, heat water, clean the black from his
face, change and arrange his clothing,
and thence proceed to Kezar Falls, a total
distance OF two miles and a quarter, ar
irving there, as the barber testified, in a
perfectly normal condition, not heated
and under no stress of excitement. The
time in which this is alleged to have been
done, he reiterated, was insufficient for
any man.
There is no doubt, said Mr.. Wright,
that David Varney came to his death on
the 9th of December, but that does not
prove that this respondent was guilty OF
the murder. That must be proved by
the state before you can find him guilty.
The respondent is entitled to the benefit
of any reasonable doubt that may arise
in the trial of the case, and the fact that
he has not gone upon the stand must not
be allowed to influence you in any degree
in your consideration of the case.
One by one Mr.. Wright took up the
acts and statements Of Chick before and
after his arrest, which had been intro
duced in evidence, and argued that they
were entirely natural, and not to be in
terpreted as evidences of guilt. The
identity of the money found on him with
that of David Varney he declared to be
entirely improved, and he vigorously de-
clared insufficient the Identification of
the gun and other articles by which it
was undertaken to connect Wesley Chick
with the crime. In conclusion he told
the jury that they were bound to protect
the rights of Wesley Chick as sacredly as
they would those of John d. Rockefeller
II he were presented before them, and
adjured them to judge between the state
and the respondent regardless of new
clothes, or old clothes, learning or litter
acy, poverty or wealth.
Mr.. Wright spoke an hour and forty
minutes, and his argument was much
complimented by all who heard it.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Wright's
argument, adjournment was made for
dinner, and in the afternoon the states
argument was made. If the court room
had been full at previous sessions, 1t was
packed now. Spectators as close as they
could stand filled every corner of the
room, and even extended beyond the
doors.
The argument for the state was made
by Judge Philbrook, the assistant at
torney general, who had been working
with County Attorney Barnes through
the trial, though the examination OF the
witnesses had been conducted entirely by
Mr.. Barnes. Logically and systemati-
cally he took up the several elements
necessary for the state to prove to estab-
lish the guilt of the accused, and dis.
posed of them one by one until he came
to the proof necessary from the circum-
stautial evidence in the case to fix the
guilt upon Wesley Chick. Then he
linked together, from the evidence that
had been presented, fact and fact, cir
cumstance and circumstance, admissions
and statements of the accused, before and
after arrest, until the chain was COM
plete.
The principal points of the large mass
of testimony introduced in the trial were
covered by Judge Philbrook in an hour
and half, in an argument logical, pow
erful and convincing.
Judge Spears instructions to the jury
regarding the "solemn, sacred and I'M
pleasant duty" as he termed it, which