Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-10-18
County Attorney Opens Case.

County Attorney Williamson bega
his opening for the state at 1l15 A
NJ. He said that the State would In
troduce evidence To show that the in
fant son of the respondent was kille,
by poisoning, and that poisoning un
less accidental was premeditated ane
must be manslaughter instead of muir
der. The two points which the Stat
would prove WAS that the death of tn
child occurred by the deliberate ae
of another and that the responder
was the person who administered tn
poison.
The State would show that on 0e1
l. 1910. the respondent, Mrs Grace
Royce, now the wife of Henry ROYCE
was a widow by the name OF Ferris
She had at that time four childre
and mad been for some time house
keeper for Stephen Norris Mr.. Royce
NOV. y, placed an advertisement II
the paper for a housekeeper. as tn
rsult % fthat advertisement she me
MIR. Rovce few days later and jar
IL Royce and Mrs. Ferris We're mar
riad and began to live in Augusta
Royce and his wife separated some
time in April but with the lntentlol
of living together at some future tlmf
Mrs. Royce went buck to keep bouS
for MIR. Norris and pn the evening
July Is was delivered of a male chile
for whose murder she now stands in
djeted The child was healthy and
little above the normal as to muscuia
The doctor and nurs.
left Mrs Royce and the child in ex
Tho Mrs An
derson. was the last person who SAL
the baby alive, outside of Mr.. Norrl'
and Mrs. Royce and her children. Th'
nurse left about \. Nj. on the morn
ing of July IA, and the baby die
about noon of that day.
The county attorney referred to the
bottle and said that when Norris re
turned to the home from visit L
the Brooks" camp, shortly after
noon. the babv WAS dead. He said tina
Mrs. Anderson, when called back Il
the home after the death of the infant
noticed the smell of carbolic acid very
upon the baby and also no
ticed burns upon the mouth and ont
hand
DIR. Lincoln was notified by tele,
phone of the child's death and accom-
panied by Mr. Bates, an undertaken
arrived at the Norris place about
o o'clock. The doctor in his eXamind1ei,
of the child noticed the odor anu
smell of carbelic acid about the ciiii1
and that cotton batting was place"
about the child's neck and tlioae'
When he removed the batting ne 9""
burns upon the throat and NECK.
DIR. Harris, the county medical en-
aminer, with DR. Lincoln, hiaue an
autopsy in which they found tle IN
terror of the mouth, the quiet ana tue
front wall of the stomach OF Tue III
FAINT badly burned The stomach was
sent away for examination ana Ger
tain amount of carbolie acio WAS
found in the interior of the stomach
County Attorney Williamson alluded
briefly to the action OF the coroner
inquest and the grand jury. He de-
clafed that the State would snow that
the respondent had both motive ana
Ioaans for killing the child. and that
the child never left her side from the
time il was born until it's death.
The first witness called by the State
was Civil Engineer Henry f. Hill of
Augusta. who explained i'll detail
plans showing portions of the Norris
house and the adjoining premises.
The witness described the location of
articles of furniture in the bedroom
1t the Norris place. Various photo
graphs of the Norris house and rooms