Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-17

Monday was very busy and produc-
tive day in the trial of Mrs. Alice f.
Cooper, who is charged with the muir
der of Charles d. Northy, Jr. The
cross redirect and re-croSS eXamina-
ticn of Mrs. Cooper, the accused
woman, was completed yesterday, and
the other Witnesses summoned by the
defence to give testimony as to their
direct knowledge of facts connected
with the alleged crime. were put on the
stand and their examination cOmplet-
ed. The latter part of the afternOn ses-
sion was consumed in the direct exam
inatiun of DR.. Gerrish Of Portland, the
chief medical expert witness for the
defence. Beside DR.. Gcrrish, whose oc-
cupancy of the stand il is safe to as
sumo, will be longer than the others.
there have been summoned DrS. Gid
dingS, Gordon, Davies and Johnson.
Prof. Knight of the University of
Mainn has also been called to testify
for the defence, he appearing in his
professional capacity as Il chemist, and
i, is assumed that his testimony will
de2l with the alleged singeing of hair
and gunpowder burns in Northy's $
scalp.
1t did not appear that the State
gained much ground yesterday, save
in one instance during the cross-eXam-
ination Of Mrs. Henry Cooper. This
witness said that she inspired the
writing of the postal card to Charles
Notify. mentioned in the report of the
trial in Mondays journal. Mrs. Coop
er testified that the purpose for which
4 Ia. written bV
Alice cooper was to appraise young
Northy of the hour upon which he was
expected to call to take supper with
Mrs. Henry Cooper's family. This pos
tai said simply: Meet me at O'Clock"
tial a.
The attorney general asked the wit
ness to state as definitely as possible
the time that this postal was written
ana she answered that to the best of
her recoilcciun it was about one month
before young Northy died. Northy died
oct. 10. Il few hours after being shot
in the home Of Mrs. Alice Cooper and
the postal card, which Mrs. Alice
Cooper admits was written by her, is
dated "Oct. 5''-iust five days previous
to the tragedy.
The value of this testimony was ma
terially leSSened. however. when in
short season Of redirect examination
Mir. Heath refreshed the memory Of the
witness and she admitted that it was
q week after the closing Of the crO-
uuet tournament that Northy was in
vited to supper and as that affair was
held the last Of September, the date on
al rDpl yynlIlI
cIosel, with the date upon which young
Northy was n guest at the Cooper'a to
suuuer. 1t was also brought out that
the post card was one of the "sOuve-
mir variety and ii bore AN uncan-
cclled postage stamp and there was no
postmark upon it. although in her tes
timony. Mrs. Alice Cooper swore that
she mailed it ut the little postOtficP in
Henry CoOper's store at Windsor four
corners.
Ms. Cooper'S story of the struggle
which terminated fatally for her young
admirer was very clear and did not
vary in any important point from that
given in direct examination. The jury
appeared to be very much impressed,
too. by her convincing manner. The
attorney generals method of cross-eX-
animation could not appropriately be
described as being "severe." but al
though quiet and unostentatious. it
was searching and thorough and many
new, although apparently not very inn
portant points We're brought out. The
value Of these new points can only be
determined by the final verdict Of the
IL men, good and true, who will try
the issue between the State and the
prisoner at the bar, as is their sworn
duty.
From the present indications it may
be considered safe and conservative to
opine that the trial will be concluded
by the first of next week. and if the
testimony of the defendants medical