Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-10

day prior to Northy's shooting, Mrs.
Cooper rushed from her home into Au-
gusta, purchased the fatal revolver and
then rushed back to her home. The de-
feEce expected to show, Mr.. Heath
said, that instead of doing so, she
made a liesurely trip, visited several
stores in quest of articles of clothing,
etc, and even visited two hardware
stores examining revolverS. Mr.. Heath
dwelt upon the fallacy of person who
prcmeditated murder purchasing a re-
volver IN a prominent store in full
view of the public and in the face and
eyes of a city police officer in full
uniform.
OF the examination of Mrs. Cooper
by PinkertOn Detective Martin and
Deputy Sheriff Willis Pinkham, Mr..
Heath said that the methods pursued
were inquisitorial and that although
the manner in which her statement
was obtained was grossly unfair, the
very admission of the statement
through the States witnesses, had
proven one of the strongest points
brought out in the favor of the de-
fierce. Mr.. Heath said: Even though
this woman made that statement when
she was i'll and over-wrought by the
excitement of the death CT Northy, she
did not falter or attempt to withhold
her answers to the questions put, and
today she would not, and will not, take
back one of those anSwers-for they
are true. The truth of these answers
will be proven when the defendant
herself is given an opportunity to tes-
tify and when her husband is given
chance to tell what he knows. Edwin
]. Cooper will be the first witness for
the defence"
Mr.. Heath characterized the testi-
| mony Of Shepherd Eldredge as being
unfair ana not over-truthful. and said
| that he would prove the untruthfulness
| of some of the testimony given by FL
dredge when he put on a young man"
(meaning Mr.. Hadlock of his otEice), to
| tell Of the interview between Mr.. Heath
and Mr.. Eldredge at the time of the
preliminary hearing before Judge An
| drews.
Mr.. Heath made frequent reference
J to Detective Martin and his method
OF examination of Mrs. Cooper when
her statement was taken and when the
subsequent investigation of the case
| was made; Investigations which led to
| the arrest and Incarceration of Mrs.
| Cooper.
BY the introduction Of his own eX-
| pert testimony. Mr. Heath said, he
| ould show the jury the difference in
| opinion of experts upon the relative
| stages Of singed and curled hair, and
| he criticised the ability of the medical
| witnesses of the government in chang
| ing their testimony regarding the hair
| about the wound in Northy's head.
He charged the States witnesses with
| suppressing the facts of the singeing
and curling up of the hair, and assert
ed that In the evidence put in by the
defence, the true story of the singed
hairs would be submitted for the con-
sideration of the jury and for COM
parison with the governments version.
| The testimony of the witnesses
would be short, Mr.. Heath promised.
and said that Mrs. Coopers occupancy
Of the witness stand would be of short
duration.
| Concluding Mr.. Heath said: Per
hans Mrs. Cooper has been guilty of
folly and weaknesses, but that is past
l y
haen weak. it has been from the weak
ness of woman. We men cannot Judge
IN. weakness of women by rule, and
the stories that have been told have
been wickedIy and villainously magni-
fed You will find after you have
: hoard her testimony corroborated
that the contentious of the State are
not sustained. The burden of the
nroof is upon the government TO es-
tabIish murder beyond all reasonable
Doubt When all the truth IL spoken
% II shall be now, you Will then un-
derstand that Charlie Northy had
every reason to commit suicide. and
Il is reasonable that he should commit
suicide. and that he did commit sui
eide This will be shown i'll our evil
dence.
"J hone that in few days this tedl-
ous and tiresome case Will come TO a
close and we shall be able to return
j =, onr homes and make up the money
loss that has been sustained. Then
can go back to my everyday life, and
r can make up my own money losses
and return to my home. Whatever
we have lost, or lose hereafter. we
hova done as a part Of the duty that
Wa owe to society and our fellowmen
and as instruments in the hands OF
Cod To find the truth. and to assist
~ tho greatest work known to Ameri-
can principles, the administration OF
instice. and for an unknown woman
unknown to you and unknown to me
MT who is an American citizen"
ar Heath concluded his address a.
o.oIock. and as no recess had beer
-, court adjourned until 9.3'