Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-28
HERBERT WOODBURY.
HELD FOR GRAND JURY,
# Indictment Is Returned Attorney Good
win Will Ask For Change Of Venue
THE Prisoner Is Philosophical.

Foxcroft, Me, Feb. 27.-Herbcrt
Woodbury. was today held without bail
for the September term of the Piscat-
aqIis county grand jury on the charge
Of numbering his wife, Phoebe Maude
Henderson Woodbury., whose body
was found hanging to the door knob
of an upper room of the Exchange no.
tel III this town, Feb. IS, after dis
appearance of three months. Judge
Smith of the Dover municipal court
gave this decision late today at the
conclusion of the preliminary hearing
on the charge against Woodbury.
Woodbury., who has not been in good
health for the past few months, took
Judge Smiths decision philosophical
ly and there was no demonstration
among the spectators who crowded
the ccart room. The prisoner was I'M
mediately moved to the Dover Jail.
Attorney Goodwin for the defence
ann 5unced after the rendering of
Judge Smiths decision to hold Wood
bury that should his client be indicted
before the Piscataqus county grand
jury he should ask that the trial take
place in some other county. where
there would not be so much likelihood
CT prejudice against the prisoner.
The hearing of the charges against
Woodbury. commenced last Tuesday,
and the State rested today at J2.40
o'clock, after Detective Richard L.
Leader CT Lew iston and L. A. Richards
OF Ellsworth had testified. The ar
garments Of Attorney Goodwin for the
defence and of County Attorney Bur-
CESS took up over an hour apiece. At
torrcy Goodwin urged for the dis
charge of Woodbury. On the ground
of insufficient evidence, while County
Attorney Burgess called particular at
tcntiOn to the evidence Of physicians
to the effect that while in their opin-
ion death was caused by strangulation,
it could not have been caused by
hanging from the door knob where
the body was found. MIR. Burgess also
said that jealousy was the cause of
the alleged crime.
The charge against Woodbury. was
attended by many unusual circum-
stances. Mrs. Woodbury., who was his
third wife, disappeared last Novem-
Der. and it was understood that she
had left her husband after q quarrel.
At the time the couple were running
the Exchange hotel, but after Mrs.
Woodbury'S disappearance the house
vas closed up and as the weeks went
by without any word being received
from Mrs. Woodbury. some of her rel
atives began to fear foul play and on
the 18th of this month, accompanied
by officers. they made a search of the
deserted Exchange hotel In one of
the upper rooms. tho door of which
had to bc forced open, the body of
Mrs. Woodbury. was found hanging to
the door knob.
So far as was brought out at the
preliminary hearing which closed to-
day there was no evidence of Il Strug-
gle in the room and the womaE's cloth
ing had not been dira rranged Wood
bury, who after the finding of lis
WifeS body was detained as a witness,
claimed that his wife must have COM
mitted suicide and an autopsy was held
to determine, if possible, the exact
cause of death.
Coroner II. A. Holt and an assistant
physician said as result of their
autopsy. that, to their best judgement
the woman did not meet her death by
hanging, but was choked to death in
some other way. They said they found
the wind pipe in its normal condition
and said this condition bore out their
theory. as the wind pipe would resume
its normal condition upon the release
of the pressure upon it. whereas II
death had been caused by hanging they
believed that the constant pressure
| upon the windpipe would have kept
closed.
Woodbury. was thereupon formally
arrested on the charge of murder and
was given his preliminary hearing,
which resulted in Judge Smiths deci-
sion TODAY TO hold him for the action