Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-04-13
READY FOR JURY.
Continued from Page One.)

He also testified to having seen James
Rokes at her home
Charles C. Mcdonald. a druggist. tes-
titled that he sold Mrs. Newbert 10
grains of strychninc on Nov. IA, the
day before her husbands death: also
on cross examination that two years
ago Mrs Newbert instructed him not
to sell her husband any poison for fear
he would take it.
DR.. G. l.. Crockett. while testifying
about the circumstances of the ex-
huming of the body. the autopsy. etc,
was asked If rigor mortis was a nat
aral condition to find in a body two
weeks after death and his reply was
trat when it appeared eight days after
i"ath it was due to some unusual
lg,nt. and the only agent lie knew
rat would do it was strychnine. While
eirg cEaraincd on the second exhuma-
Icn Of the body he was asked the di-
oct question if he had found evidences
# >trychnine poisoning. He replied
Yes. that there was a distinct intiam-
'naticn in the lower part of the spinal
cord and that strychnine was spinal
irr't1nt."
Asked in REORGANIZATION il he had
not issued a certificate that death was
duo to melancholia, he testified that he
lad done so rs matter Of form with
the distinct understanding that the
case should be referred to Coroner
Judkins.
On re- direct examination he was
asked what his opinion was as to the
cause of Newbert's death. His an
swer was: "A poisonous dose OF
Strychnine or one of its salts
The last witness for the State, DIR.
Marshall P Cram, assistant professor
of chemistry at Bowdoin College. tes-
titled that in an analysis of 1.76 pounds
of liver, taken from the body of the
dead man. he found LA grain of pure
strychnine, also evidence of strychnine
in the residue resulting from the
analysis. He stated that if the body
had been soaking in water as was
shown to be the case in this instance
it would have a tendency to lessen the
amount of strychnine that would be
found after such long period had
elapsed.
Counsel for the defence asked il
strychnine evidences would not be
obliterated inside of two months. but
the witness knew of a case where such
evidence had been found in 3OS DAYS
after interment' EslMN
Senator Staples opened for the de-
fence. He said the defence would
prove that Fremont Ncwbert had been
trying to kill himself for three years.
that he repeatedly had stated that his
life was 4 burden to him as well as To
his family and that he even had select
ed his pail bearers four weeks before
his death. Mrs. Newbert had begged
a local druggist not to sell him anv.
thing poisonous. he said There was
no denial the prisoner had bought
strychnine. Senator Staples explaining
mat 1t was obtained for the purpose
of killing rats with which the house
was overrun. Eight witnesses were
sworn.
DIR. Fl. B. Eaton, Rockland phvsi-
clan, told OF giving Newbert siv
strychnine tablets of 1-60 grains each
for heart trouble a month previous to
his death. Charles Hartman. in whose
home they were given after Newbert
had suffered an attack of the ma,adv
testified that NewSert on several oc-
casions had said he was tired of living
and wished he might die Ner.ber.
had said TO him on one occasion. II