The Somerset reporter., 1907-12-26
Murder is Charged.


On Charge of Attempting to Procure
the Murder Of Relatives.
DIR. j. B. Twadelle, Madison ply
sician, was arraigned before Judge o.
r. Bachelor, In the municipal court
here, Friday afternoon, on the
charge of attempting the murder of
Fred Knight Of Norridgewock, a
brother of his wife, and Knights IA
Their. The warrant was sworn out by
Mr.. Knight and served by Sheriff
Clyde Smith OF this town. DR.. Twad :
dele plead not guilty, being repre-
sented by Judge Augustine Simmons
of North Arson.
1t seems from evidence brought out
at the hearing by the state that DR..
Twsddelle is alleged to have attempt
ed during the past six months to hire
either Charles Skillings or Walter
Lachance of North Arson, for the
sum Of ESQ, to put Knight and his
father out of the way, making the
offers to the men separately at differ
ent times. 1t is alleged that they re =
fused promptly and that, when Mr.
knight heard of the affair, he took
legal action.
Skillings' testimony was that Dr.
Twaddelle purchased a bottle of
"knock drops" and gave the
mixture to the witness to be admin
istered TO Fred Knight. According
to the witness, DIR. Twaddelle planned
to have Skillings finish knight with
club after the KNOCK out Drops
had taken effect and to make the
death OF the intended victim more
certain, the witness said the doctor
told him he might use rife if he
thought that better than club
Skillings said that the doctor fur
nished him with rifle and cartrid ges
to be used for this purpose. Twad :
dele was to have paid he witness
$50 for carrying out the plan.
The testimony of Lachance was
similar to that of SkiIlings. Fred
Knight, the alleged intended victim
of the plot, testified that the story OF
DR.. Twaddelle's plan against him was
communicated to hi n by Skillings
and Lachance and that he thereupon
employed Obed F. Stackpole, a de-
tective, who is one of the deputy
sheriffs of the Sturgis commission, to
investigate the matter.
DR.. Twaddelle is about 81 years old
and has been twice married. He has
daughter and his second wife is
living. He practiced medicine in
North Arson about 20 years and then
went to Norridgewock and later to
Madison. He is very well known in
this section of the state on account OF
having been in practice 80 long.
1t is alleged that DR.. Twaddelle's
health is not very good and that
while he is all right mentally in ordi-
nary affairs, he has periods OF de-
preston or dependency. 1t is also
alleged that he has been brooding a
great deal over business relations
with his brother in law and that
there has been some disagreement
over property of nominal value
held by Mr. knight and which DR..
Twaddelle evidently thought belong
ed to him. This proper Y is alleged
to have been the motive for the act
charged in the warrant.
The defense did not introduce any
witnesses, the respondents counsel
declaring that he would rely upon the
improbabilitY of the testimony of the
states witnesses for the acquittal of
his client. If the stories of these
witnesses were correct, he said, it
was evident that his client was in
sane. After the state had finished,
Judge Bachelor reserved his deci-
sion until Saturday morning at the
request Of DR.. Twaddelle's counsel
in order that the respondent and the
attorneys might have consultation,
Mr.. Simmons expressing the belief
that in this way an understanding
would be arrived at. No motive for
DR.. Twaddelle's alleged enmity to
wards Mr.. Knight and the latter's
father was brought ut in the evi
dence.
SATURDAY MORNING.
DR.. J. B. Twaddelle passed the
whole of the forenoon of Saturday in
the municipal court room. He was
there to await the judges decision,
the hearing having been postponed
for this purpose from the previous
evening His wife was expected
from her farm home in Norridgewock,
but she did not arrive until nearly
noon, 30 the hearing was put off until
O'Clock that afternoon. Then there
was another wait before all the par
ties interested could be gotten to-
gether.
Judge Bachelor said that he found
probable cause and that he would
hold the respondent for the grand
Jury for the December term of the
supreme court for Somerset county
which convened here Tuesday, in the
sum of $1,000.
Hon. Augustine Simmons of North
Arson appeared for the respondent
and offered his wife, Mrs. Twaddelle,
as a surety Judge Bachelor de-
that Mrs. Twaddelle owned one half
of farm in Norridgewock, which
was worth $500. For the other sure
ty he stated that an attempt would
be made to have the doctors brother,
DR.. J. A. Twaddelle, whom, he said,
was wealthy physician in Bethel, in
court Monday. Mrs. Twadelle did
not want her husband to remain in
Jail until Monday, so arrangements
were made with one of the local dep
uty sheriffs, j. Almar Goodrich, who
is also the proprietor of Hotel Oxford,
to act as keeper until the matter OF
bail is fixed.
The badly burned body of Mrs
John E. Rines, an aged and wealthy
widow, was found in the snow just
outside OF her home at Concord, y.
H., early Sunday, by a man who daily