Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-03-24

Loren B. Merrill of Paris Hill testified:
Occupation, mining for gems in summer,
cutting gems in winter Have been
working at this for about eighteen years.
Have you handled dynamite?
have.
How many years?
Eighteen years.
What brand do you use?
Atlas.
The method of preparing and firing
the dynamite was reviewed. Mr.. Merrill
said that he had dropped sticks of dyna-
mite into a ten-foot drill hole.
Were you one of the coroner's jury on
the Radcliffe inquest?
was.
Did you visit the scene of the explo-
sion?
did, on Friday, the day following the
explosion.
The situation at the scene was re-
viewed.
What was the diameter of the hole?
Twenty to twenty-five inches.
How deep?
Ten or twelve inches.
Were you there when the earth was
shoveled over?
l was.
Was it thoroughly done?
1t was.
Were there splinters Of wood in the
hole?
didn't see any.
Was the land in any direction free from
debrisP
More so northerly of the hole. q
Mr.. Merrill testified to finding tue
clasp which was in the case, which he
picked up near the hole in the ground.
Did you find any padlockP
No.
Did you search for oneP
Yes.
Did you see a sheet iron stove?
did.
How far from the hole in the ground?
l should say from twenty to twenty
five feet, southerly.
What was in the stove?
Excelsior, two sticks of thirty-three
pet cent dynamite, and some parts of
sticks.
Did you see any other dynamite there?
Yes, one or two parts of sticks, few
feet from the hole.
The iron bar which had been intro
duced in the case was identified by Mr..
Merrill as having been picked up by
him.
Did you hear Mr.. Everett say anything
about that?
Yes, he told us it was one he used in
making up small dynamite charges.
Did you pick up any shreds of flesh or
bone?
l did.
Where were they9
Northeast of the hole in the ground.
Pieces of felt and cloth were also pro-
duced, which he picked up in the same
locality.
Did Mr.. Everett relate his story to the
coroner's jury?
He did.
Mr.. Merrill related Everetts story of
the nights happenings, substantially as
given by other witnesses.
Did he state who it was he was follow
| ing?
he stated that he supposed it was Ed
Radcliffe.
Mr.. Merrill testified to seeing the
damper eagle lying on the ground few
feet south of the hole. 1t was not pick
ed up. He did not see knife near 1t.
The general facts of the coroner's in
quest were reviewed, without important
developments.
Did you hear Everett describe what
was in the dynamite house?
He said there was a stove, and shelf
that he worked the dynamite on.
Did he say how much dynamite there
was in the house that night?
He said six sticks, besides what was In
the stove.
Cross-examined, Mr.. Swasey went over
the scene around the hole in the ground.
Did you find any turf in the hole?
don't think did.
Did you find any leaves9
No.
Did you find anything in the hole e1-
cept what was under the turf?
No.
When you drop dynamite into drill
hole, how large drill hole did you use?
A o-inch-and-a-quarter hole.
Moses P. Stiles of Norway testified to
being at the mine Monday forenoon fol-
lowing the explosion. Mr. Everett
made statement regarding the occur
rences of Thursday night. Everett said
there had been things stolen from the
property, and he had followed a man
around the grounds the night before the
explosion.
Everett's story of the Thursday night
occurrence was then related.
| Did Everett say who 1t was that was
/ "a tfa
He said he knew it was Ed Radcliffe.
Col. Elliott c. Dill of Portland, who
| who was with Mr.. Stiles at the mine, told
substantially the same story that Mr..
Stiles had told of what Everett said.
Did Everett at any time refuse to
answer any of your questions?
Yes, he seemed at first very willing to
talk, and later said that he wasn't to say
| about thaf tho hnya wnuld