Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-16
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fession, the witness testified that the
prisoner exclaimed: Send me TO Sebe
ria or anywhere you see fit for life,
but do not send me TO the electric
chair" At the words Spencer seemed
TO lose his self-controI. He sprang al
most out of the cage and shouted:
Why don't you tell the truth?" Turn
key Waite and other officers sprang
towards him and put him back into
the prisoners cage. Spencer was COM
pletely unnerved He trembled from
head to foot and cried and muttered
to himself. A moment later in tone
Of voice that was apparently that of
anger rather than fear. the accused
man again shouted Why don't You
tell the TRUTH"
Upon his return to the court room,
the defendant appeared still to be
greatly agitated and was III a
troubled frame of mind during the re-
mainder of the days session. Up TO
the time of his outbreak, Spencer had
been quieter and more at ease than
on the previous day.
The Commonwealth rested with the
testimony of the state detective ard
the defence opened its case. Lawyer
c. I. Young. who delivered the open
ing address to the jury, said that the
defence would be that of insanity. The
attorney talked in loud tone of voice
and this had an unnerving effect ap-
parently on the prisoner, He appear
ed as though il was impossible for him
to keep stlll and at times wept and
muttered to himself. At the conciu-
sion of his attorneys address, Spen-
Ger asked Mr. Young not TO talk SO
loud the next time he spoke
Attorney reviewed the ancestry of
the prisoner, going be ok as far as the
great grandparents on both sides. At
torney General Swift objected TO this
evidence. but it was allowed by the
court Mr.. Young said that on both
sides of Spencer's ancestry there had
been mental arrangements.
The alleged brutality of Spencer
father, Wilbur L. L. Spencer, was
dwelt upon by the attorney. He said
that the elder Spencer had an ungov-
ernable temper which had resulted In
the defendant receiving many beatings
while a young boy living in Lebanon
Conn. At one time. according to MI
Young, Speneers father took him into
some woods near their home and
showing him a revolver, told him TO be
quiet and say nothing. Then the faith
er gave his son = terrible whipping
On another occasion the attorney said
the defendant was tied TO a tree in the
center of a dense woods by his faith
er. who left him there. The defendant
was found two aoars later and re-
leased.
When at the age Of II. the attorney
said, Spencer was seized with fit OF
melancholia and attempted 10 commit
suicide by taking poison. In this he
was unsuccessful. Two years later
Mr. Young continued. Spencer enlisted
in the navy but ives discharged aftel
his first voyage because of disability.
The attorney for the defence desired
to produce a summary of the repor
of the superintendent of the Bridge
water Insane Asylum, where Spence
was sent for observation, but this wal
objected to by Attorney General Swift
| The attorney generals objection wa
sustained by the presiding justice.
| In closing his ADDRESS, Mr.. Youni
said that the alie9ists We're expects
to show that an insane person nigh
be insane on only one or two point
of mentality.
The prosecution was successful, to
day. in placing before the jury the CON
fession secured by the police fror
Spencer in which he admitted that
was he who robbed the home of Mrs
Sarah ]. Dow on the night of Marc
81, 1910, and shot and killed Mis-
Martha e. Blackstone The confessio
was secured in the form OF testimon
by Capt John II. Eoyle of the Spring
field Detective bureau Its relation t
the numbering of Miss Blackstone wa
objected to by counsel for the defenc
on the ground that it was not the FIRE
act OF the defendant, and that objec
ton was sustained.
Captain Boyle sad that the allege
confession by Spence was made on tn
day after his arrest, Spencer sayin
that "his conscience troubled him.
The captain said that Spencer talke
freely regarding his career, KNOWN
that what he said was to be use
against him
Captain Boyle said that Spencer state
that in his early youth his father strue
him over the head with the butt of
whip. leaving him lying unconscious an
bleeding He claimed that ever sinc
that injury he had had tendency t,