Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-06-06

one corresponding to that OF Miss Page
and not like the one shown at the trial
apparently that of an Amazon. or. as
it looked to me, like that of male.
would not at Cnce say that the govern
mcnt's theory that such knife made
the cuts as described i'll the autopsy
report. was absolutely impossibIe''
Continuing, DR.. Harris says:
Il am prepared to say that the tcs-
timuny given on the stand was mater
tally at variance with the statements
made before, and just after the testi-
mony in the lower court il Waltham,
when the matter was fresh in mind.
varied from what was tod before the
traverse jury long after, so the experts
materially varied from the truth if the
evidence at the last trial was the truth
1t was necessary to invent something
to explain certain features, which. if
true, would have weakened the peoples
case, so it was invented. Until Dr.
Meade went upon the stand, ] had nov
er heard of the azygos vein. 1t was not
mentioned at the meetings of the mudi-
cal experts"
Mir. Valley then began to read further
-'t''INiiti4tS VI II. AIeil 10 III WI lIlt
latter criticises the handwriting ex-
perts at the trial, but this brought
about another long controversy with
Mr. Parker. Finally the Governor told
Mr.. Valley to continue DR.. Harris
stated that before the trial he rcmon-
strated with Mr.. Parker, then attorney
general, in regard to employing one of
the experts. claiming that the man was
notorious. Mr.. Parker. according to Or
Harris said that he was afraid the 9th
ar side would employ him. "Wherc was
The necessity of putting this pcrjurcr
on the stand to have him swear against
the life of the defendant"
Il accuse the state police of seek
ing
Here Gov. Guild broke in with "who
accuscs?" and Mr.. Parker followed with
n protest against the introduction of
the matter, and said: IF The learned
counsel wants to take issue with me on
my conduct let him take it openly
where | can meet it, and not by this
cowardIy innucndo."
Mr.. Valley claimed that the statement
of DR.. Harris came to him unsouSht
and he continued to read from it, In
one paragraph it accused DR.. Meade
of perjury md declared the whole tcs-
timony in regard to the azygos vein.
was manufactured to fit the case.
The Governor asked Mr.. Valley if he
RELAXED the gravity Of the charges Cor
which he was making himself respon-
sible, and Mr.. Valley said that he had
not made charges but that they were
made by witnesses for the Common
wealth.
The Governor said that he had rot
stopped his reading the letters and
statements. but was only leaving the
question of the propriety of reading
them t. him.
Mr.. Valley then took up the cya1nra-
ton Of DR. Harris, and the latter admit
ted that the affidavit was written at
his (Harris) dictation and that he
signed it. Mr. Valley tried 10 obtain
further admission from DIR. HHrr;& thai
he received harsh treatment hc"a"a" Of
the publica ton last month Of some %
the above testimony, but Dr. Harris
could not remember. nor could he re-
member interviews with newspaper
men regarding the mater.
Mr.. Nancy read from a paper which
in answer to a question by the COVER
nor. he said was an affidavit referring.
to the wounds.
The paper began with the words 81.
Francis A. Harris" and it summed un
apparently all DR.. Harris conclusion as
To the wounds as already given in other
afIidavits and letters. but after the pa
at once that he had said that the pap"r
was an affidavit. Mr.. Parker remarked
that Mr.. Valley could not be depended
upon and Mr.. Valley replied that he
was not sorry that he had attacked
him Uarkcr).
Mr.. Valley in response to Il question
from the governor for enlightenment
Us to the paper, said that the statement
was dictated Ivy DIR. Harris ami after
wards typcwrittcn but that when Ii"
tNancy) went to Or. Harris for his
signature. the doctor said that he had
changed his testimony. ct was sim
ply Il rough draft
Il offer it simply as an expression Of
Dr. Harris opinion that he had not ties;
tifi.'1 properly at the trial
Ii response 20 questions asked by Nh
VGhry. Or. Harris told Of changing TIN
opinion expressed at the trial, That
fuckers knife could have caused all
tn" wounds on Miss Pages body. pr
Harris admitted that last month he
mad" a statement in which he said that
he was of the opinion that neither Il
chest wound nor 4 back wound such
as found on the body could have hC"n
caused by fuckers knife.
In his testimony today DR.. Harris
said Of the Tucker knife. 4 single edged
weapon: as far as the character Of
the knife is concerned. this wound in
III" IN K throws no light. because il Il
double edged knife could not go
through there the knife exhibited could
not. and if Il doubled edged knit"
could go through the intcrcostal space
If course the knife exhibited could. 1t
is purely an academic discussion. If the
wound was accurately and exactly de
scribrd as passing between the trans
verse process in that space. [ cannot
conceive it possible thing. but it
throws no light whatever on the char
actor of the knife. because the wound
was there and WAS made by some knife.
ana if made in the only place | can