Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-29
FUCKERS DOOM.
Continued from Page One.)

defend you. From that time to this they
have la borel increasingly and tirelessly.
and ha, e expended a larger amount of
the publ ic money in your behalf than
was ever expended before in a capital
trial in THIS commonwealth.
after a careful and prolonged trial be-
fore an BE. impartial and fairminded
jury. you hva We been found guilty
1.-THE jury, after mature delibera ton.
decided that, you were the man who used
the knife AND committed the murder
Upon the question OF degree they ask
ed TIE court for further instructions.
AFTER full y understanding the law in
this respect they declared you guilty O.
murder In the first degree.
Subsequent ay. your counsel asked the
presiding just fees to set aside the YER
dict as not W; nrranted and as against thu.
weight Of the evidence. After full hear
ing the justi, ses were obliged to refuse
that motion.
"Since then the case has been reviewed
by the supreme judicial court, the high
est court in this commonwealth. and that
court mas found no error in the proceed
ings or at the trial.
cred and overr ulcd a second motion for
new trial.
Your conviction for the great crime
of murder in the first degree has been
sustained IS proper legal and just.
when this murder was first discovered
the public was greatly excited. Great
anxiety was manifested for the arrest
and conviction of the murderer, AMI
great sympathy for the family of the VIC
tim.
Mine long n lonths passed before yon
were put upon your trial. In the mean
time Mabel Page had been buried and
probably forgot en-. and sympathy turned.
somewhat from the dead to the living
"When you left the lifeless body of Ma
bel Page on the t'oor of the Page house
on that day you carried away with you
many mute and silent witnesses of your
guilt-enough. with the other evidence
in the case, to satisfy the jtry, u good
men and true. beyond Il rcasc nablc doubt
of Your guilt.
81 believe that many crimes are COM
m:tted because their perpetrators have
not understood the force and effect of
circumstantial evidence.
81 feel confident that many murlercrs
! would have BEEN deferred and prevented
from committing very grave crimes if
they had known what Chief Justice Shaw
and other great judges and lawyers have
often declared, that oircumstantial evil
dencc may we'll be fully as safe and sat
isfactory as proof of guilt as what is
called direct evidence.
1.-THE frequent declarations against such
evidence by men who hardly know what
such evidence is and who can know but
little about it from observation or expe-
rience, fear. lead men to commit crime
with the belief that if no witnesses are
present there can be no conviction.
IT am sorry, Tucker. for your family
ard pity You, that YOU have come TO
this tragic end. But 7 am compelled to
say that it is hard to imagine i mora
wanton, wicked and causeloss murder
than this Of virtuous and blameless
woman.
"You stand here now for sentence. and
1t becomes my painful duty. as a macs-
trate and minister of the law. to pass
that sentence.
"It is considered an. ordered by the
court tndl you, SHdllSS L.
he taken to the Jail in this county and
there kept in close custody until within
10 days prior to Sunday. tie 10th day Of
June next, when you shall be moved 20
the state prison in Boston. county of Suf-
folk. and there kept in close confinement
until the said 10th day OF said Juno. when.
within the week beginning on said last
day, you shall suffer death by the pas
sage Of electricity through your body.
"And this is the sentence required by
law"
fuckers face blanched and a film gath
cred in his eyes as he stood in the iron
cage while the court dwelt on the wan
tonness and cruelty of tho murder.
At the end of the judges remarks
however. a quick fash of relief nassed
over his face as If he was happy that the
ordeal of sentence was over. Tucker was
at once returned to Jail where he will b."
kent until the first day of June.
1t was noted during the proceedings
that fuckers senior counsel. James Fl.
Valley seemed to feel the situation moro
keenlv than the defendant. and there
were tears in his eyes ~ he asked tn"
court to postpone the day of execution
as long ~ POSSIBLE 50 that every possible
step might be taken to save the defend
ant.