Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-09-26

Belfast, Me, Sept 25.-(SpeciaD.-
The jury in the case of Nathan Clark
OF Llncolnville. charged with the burn
ing of Tranquility Grange, hall, was un-
able to agree and so reported this after
noon and was discharged. Clark was
released on $1,000 bail 1t is runlored
that the Jury stood nine for convit ton
and three for acquittal.
Belfast, Me, Sept. (SpccialJ.- IL
day Thursday and until II O'Clock to-
day the supreme judicial court has been
hearing evidence in the case OF the
state vs. Nathan E. Clark of Lincoln
vile, charged with setting fire to Tran
guilty Grange hall on May 25 1905. a
long line of witnesses. friends and
neighbOrs of the respondent We're sum
moned by the State and took the $ and
yesterday, the State taking up the en-
tire day until about p. NJ. The pith
Of the evidence was that Clark went to
the ire clad only in his underClotiing
and q great coat, minus shoes. shirt
and hat; that Il billy alleged to nave
been left in the Clark hOuS" some
/: years ago by Mrs. Edna Duuton of
Jamaica Plain, Mass. when she vacat-
ed the house was found in the pasture
near the burnt building; that Il short
bag with copper Shavings adhering to
it and saturated with kerosene and a
bottle smelling of Kerosene We're found
in the trail leaGing from the hall to-
wards Clark'S house: that Clark made
damaging talk after the fire. stating
to one witness that he expected he
would have to go to ThOmastOn as he
couldn't prove where he was on the
right of May %; that respondent was
seen in the hay loft Of his fathers sta
bic on the night that the blOodhounds
from the ThOmastOn State prison We're
pat upon the trail; that he tried to
cvaic State Detective Leader Of Lewis
ton. who was engaged by the Grange
to work out the case, making an APP
pointment with Clark only to have 1T
broken by the latter; and other evil
dence, all circumstantial showing that
Clark was the man who did the deed.
The State rested about p. NJ. and
the defence was placed before the Jury
for the defence, stated that only for the
consolation of the good mother Of tho
respondent and the reputation of the
family of his client. did he refrain from
asking to have the case dismissed 1t
was fallacy, he said. to faSten the
crime of arson on an innocent boy and
for the sake of him and in justice to
the Il men who had heard the one side
he would present his client on the stand
and also his witnesses 50 that both
sides of the case might be heard. ihe
first to take the stand was the re-
spondent Nathan F.. Clark He made %
general denial of all the charges
cgainst him, denied having ever seen
the Chilly" knew nothing of the shorts
bag, or bottle smelling of Kerosene. He
explained his going to the fire in q par
tally dressed condition by telling The
jury that he was awakened out OF a
sound sleep came down stairs in his
underclotheS in which he was sleeping
and when his brother-in-la law suggested
that he go to the fire he asked him to
wait until he could dress. but the
hrother-in law told him not to bother
but to slip on the OVerCOat hanging
near at hand and come on. He account
ed Cor his time from early in the morn
ing up to the time when he was call
ed to 60 to the fire. which alibi was
s,lpportcd by his witnesses, Mr.. and