Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-05-04

| beiIdSl, NC, May o.-N -NopeCldlj.-
Nearly every seat in the Waldo county
court house was filled today long be-
fore the appointed time, $50 A. NJ. by
people from all the countryside, who
came to hear the trial Of Ira S. Grady
| of Unity for the murder of Harriet
French Thomas The morning of the
second day was devoted to the open
| ing, swearing of the States witnesses
| and the examination of portion of
| them.
| Assistant Attorney General Barns of
Norway opened the case by briefly re-
| latng the story of the tragedy of the
night of Feb. 21.
The following witnesses for the State
We're sworn: Edgar l.. Harding, Jo-
seph Deerow, Officer ]. A. G. Beach,
officer Shute, Officer Packard, officer
Baker, Sumner Maddocks. City Mar
shall Hammons, Drs. Small. Vickery,
Kilgore and Wilson. Miss Minnie
French. A. d. Hayes.
| Edgar L. Harding testified that he
worked in the hardware store of J. w.
IJones, Main street. Saw Grady at
| 1870 A. NJ. Feb. II in the store, where
he called and ordered hardware, black
smiths supplies, to be shipped that
day to Unity Saw him at intervals
| the rest of the day. At 80 Grady
| called on his way to the train for
| Unity, collecting a few packages which
| he had purchased that morning. He
| called again shortly after the 800 train
had left saying he had missed the train
Left his packages and asked me to
take charge of his pocletbock for him.
| asked him il he knew how much
| there was in it, and he said about 500
After he had taken 81 out for his own
| use | placed the bill book containing
| the money in a private drawer which |
have in the safe. l did not notice any
| thing unusual in his manner, either at
| 10 or 3 o'clock.
Joseph Dccrow of Brooks testified he
left the Star theatre in Phoenix Row al
| $50 =. NJ, Feb. II, and started Gown
| the teft side of Main street. accom-
parted by Robert Henry Morse, of the
| schooner George A. I\linck of Boston.
| Encountered Bennett. who came up the
| street hurriedly, meeting him near the
| city feed stable. Bennett stopped long
| enough to tell him to get a physician,
| and went in direction of Dunbar's stable
| hurryipg.
Officer J. A. G. Beach. night watch in
the business section. testified that he
| met Decrow about 10 o'clock with Capt.
| Morse. He went to the Thomas house
| and found Il woman sitting in a rocking
| chair in the kitchen, unconscious, groan-
ing and moving her right arm to the
left breast. Stayed about two minutes,
| went ont n Summon medical aid and Of
ficers Witness found several people
there on his return. including DR.. Small
| Minnie French, Elmer French. Anne Sui
| hvan, Fred Gray. Was in a hurry when
| he was in the Thomas house first and
did not notice any signs of scuff'e. First
| saw Grady at 12.3O that night in the
| lookup. Was present when Officer Ba-
ker uues toned Grady as to what had
| happened on Cross street When told
| that Hat French was dead a, the
| HOSPITAL, Grady answered. rs that s0?''
| Grady WAS intoxicated, but appeared to
| understand and when asked what the
trouble was at Thomass answered.
| MAY have been little jealousiy."
| Beach on croSs-eXamination. said he
did not notice blood on the floor of the
| Thomas house.
called by Reachs whistle to the Thomas
house. Found Mrs. Thomas sitting in
the chair. asked her who did it, but got
| no answer The first man to come ac-
| cording to the witness was Bennett,
who came iurryng along as witness
| was standing in the shed door guarding
| the house. Witness about 1915 or 1880
| went to the Commercial House and in
| Room No on the second floor found
Grady or the bed. partly dressed and
apparently drunk and asleep. The three
officers took Grady to the lookup Wit
ness searched Grady's overcoat. found
| iackknife in the left-hand outside coat
pocket, On small blade saw what was
either tobacco or blood. Witness about
lo A. NJ. helped to arrest Bennett Ben
nett himself opened the dor, in his
night clothes He was not intoxicated.
Took him to the cooler. Shute on cross
examination described the knife he had
found, as having a white handle no
blood stains were found on the handle
or back of knife. Couldn't testify that
the stairs he saw on small biade OF
knife were blood. Looked like it. Wit
ness traced footprints TO BehEe't ;
house. The tracks were made by q
person wearing felts and rubbers' snch
as Bennett wore when he went to the
lookup that night.
| William Baker. reserve officer and spe-
cial police, testified that he was present
at the arrest about 1915. Feb. Il, OF
Grady at the Commercial House Baker
on cross-examination testified that ne
examined Grady's hands. clothing wash
bowl and pitcher. the white bedspread
handkerchief, and the room in general
looking for traces of blood, but found
not the slightest trace, nor on the knife
| Said Grady was pretty full" and or
| fered resistance. Did not talk about