Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-27

cident of the trial of Theodore S.
Whtmore, for the killing of his wife,
whose body was found submerged in
the Lampblack swamp near Harrison,
N. j., occurred today in the court of
oyer and terminer in Jersey City when
Frank ]. May, a special policeman of
the Pennsylvania Railroad, testified
that he saw the man who made the re-
mark: You are a cheap skate" to an
other man who refused to pay his re-
turn fare to New York at lao A. M.
on the night Mrs. Whtmore was killed.
A witness previously had testified that
he saw Whitmore in the crowd and
heard him make that remark.
els that the man." asked Attorney
Simpson Whitmore stood and then
walked briskly to within 10 feet of the
witness, remarking: Il will come
around to where you can see me-"
May also rose and surveyed Whit
more from head to foot.
81 never saw this man before in my
life," said May loudly and slowly.
Mrs. Susan Salter, the mother of
Mrs. Whitmore, testified just before
the adjournment that she saw her
daughter the last time on Christpas
eve. Whtinore, she said, came to Mrs.
Schmitter's house, where Mrs. Whit
more was stopping. on Christmas day
for 4 phonogra ph.
New York, May 26.-The remarkably
rapid progress made during the OPEN
ing day of the trial of Theodore +.
Whitmore fer the murder of his wife,
the victim Of the so-callcd Lampblack
swamp murder mystery, has led to the
belief that the end of the present week
will bring a verdict. The trial is before
the court Of oyer and Terminer in
Jersey City. Only As minutes was con-
su.ned in selecting a jury Monday and
after brief opening address the pros
ecuton, began the presentation of tes-
timony. Before adjournment Monday
night eight witnesses had told their
story, clearing the way for the more
material evidence which is to be pro-
diced by the state.
Chief interest in Tuesdays session
centcred in the anticipated appearance
on the witness stand Of George Dick
inson. The prosecution contends that
Whitmore was infatuated with Miss
Dickinson and that it was his hope to
Hite ItI SuCCtCu " IlIo NilC - pace.
Miss Dickinson already has told of her
friendship for Whitmore and of hav-
ing been with him at his Brooklyn
home the night after Mrs. Whitmore
disappeared 1t has been charged also
that Whitnore gave Miss Dickinson
some articles of jewelry which had
belonged to his wife. After the arrest
of Whtmore, Miss Dickinson went to
Boston. She was located there after
search of several days and came to
New Jersey to appear.
The first witness today was Walter
Mcdonnell, a waiter in a New York
restaurant. Mcdonnell said that for
two months before last Christmas he
had lived at the WhtmOre home in
Brooklyn and Whitmore was in the
habit of coming to the restaurant
where he was employed between
and $50 o'clock in the morning. On the
morning of Dec. 26, the day the body
of Mrs. Whitmore was found. Whit
more arrived at the restaurant at Ito
o'clock in the morning. Mcdonnell said
that Whitmore was generally in jo-
vial mood, but that morning he was
quiet, appeared to be i'll and ate moth
ing.
Joseph Quinn, tower man on the
Third Avenue Elevated Railway in
New York, testified that he saw
Whitnlore in Jersey City about 1910
o'clock in the morning of Dec. &c.
Whitmore was at the Pennsylvania
ferry, he said, but he did not know
whether he crossed over to New York.
Mrs. Bessie Schmitter. sister of the
murdered woman. who testified yester-
day, was recalled. She told about
Whitmore telling her that her sister
had gone to Schenectady to visit their
brother William Salter.
Mrs. Schmitter identified a telegram
which she said she received on the
evening of Dec. 20. 1t was signed
LENA" She also identified several let
tiers similarly signed. The prosecution
contends that the telegram and let
tiers were forged and were intended to
deceive Mrs. Schmitter as to the where
abouts of her sister. The witness said
one of the letters was in the handwrit-
ing Of Whitmore. She could not identi-
fy the handwriting in the others.
An attempt to introduce in evidence
a copy of statement made by Whit
more soon after his arrest was object