Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-24

I RAILROAD employees who knew Spencer
when he worked for the railroad All
testified that they had never eonsid-
cred Spencer peculiar or noticed any
j thing eccentric about him. Andrew f..
Abbott, a freight train master. told
of one instance when Spencer and an
| other brakeman on a freight train
had had some trouble and the matter
was brought TO Abbotts attention. ABB
bolt ccnsured Spencer for his con-
duet at the time. Eugene l.. Ball, an
engineer, said that he had never
| thought Spencer queer, although once
Spencer and Balls fireman had had a
quarrel in a locomotive cab. Spencer
at the time drew a revolver but put
IT out of sight upon the witness COM
| nand Spencer, the witness said. al
| ways carried a revolver in holster
Bah said that Spencer was u good shot
and witness had seen him frequently
| hit animals when aiming from the
! moving locomotive.
| Harry j. Stone, q night guard at the
! Hampden county jail. testified that
| about 4t5 A. NJ, on May Is, 1910, lie
| investigated a noise in the cell room
ana found Spencer pacing UP and down
his cell with his eyes closed and cry
ing. Stone spoke to Spencer. but re-
ceived no reply. The guard told Spen-
Ger thGt he must keep quiet but the
prisoner said that he could not, that
one guard was always walking past
his cell and another guard was always
"peeking" at him. He complained ttI&t
he was watched too much. Finally, ac-
cording to the witness. Spencer pulled
all his bedding on to the floor, craWled
or top of it and began to cry out:
where is she? Where is my mother
WIZ doesn't she come? Where did
put il? | will go crazy if l can't find
it" The witness called the turnkey
and by orders of that officer straps
known as "mufflers' were put on
Spencers wrists so that he could do
himself no harm, and he was taken to
another part of the Jail.
The next witness was Turnkey Ma
thaniel B. Wade, who has seat in
the cage at the prisoners side. He
described the incident testified to by
Stone. The turnkey sent fer the coun-
ty physician, c. 7. Hooker, who eX-
amined Spencer, found his pulse nor
NAL and his physical condition appar-
emily normal. The doctor then told
Spencer that he could have his choice,
either go into the dungeon for 10 days
on bread and water diet or else go
back to his cell and behave. Spencer,
the turnkey said, decided that he
would go back to his cell and behave.
DR. Hooker was next called. AS the
physician took the stand. Spencer
showed signs of anger and began to
o
ed by his wife ana the turnkey. DR..
Hooker told of his call TO the jail to
examine Spencer and said that at the
conclusion of his examination he said
to the prisoner. Spencer, you are
taking"
At this point Speneer's rage burst
out. He stood up and called to the
witness; You are the one that tried
to poison me. You are the one that
tried to put poison in my cup l WASH
taking then, was l? l won't sit down
He tried 10 poison me. He put poison
in my cup and in my salt and pep
per shaker Another man saw him do
ii. Falling, was %
by this time Turnkey Wade, assist
cd by Deputy Sheriff Leyden. who had
jumped into the cage, had overpower-
ed Spencer. who had made fierce
Struggle with them. The prisoner APP
peared quite exhausted and as the Of
ficers relaxed theic hold ON him he be-
gan TO swear at them and the witness.
You don't need to hold me. I'm all
right" he said. The seuffie lasted near
~ five minutes, and at length Spen-
Ger lay on the bench in the cage,
moaning grinding his teeth and cry
ing. His hair was ruffied and he had
received a slight abrasion of the skin
on his forehead.
Continuing his testimony DR.. Hooker
said that he gave Spencer his choice
of staying in the dungeon or return
ing to his cell and behaving properly
and he said that Spencer replied:
IN behave myself, doctor"
Throughout the physicians testimony.
Spencer was greatly agitated and
angrily commanded his wife to leave
my hand alone"
DR.. Hooker denied that he had tried
to poison the prisoner and said that
on one or two occasions he had pre-
scribed medicine for Spencers head
ache.
Sheriff E. z. Clark testified, that as
a rule Spencer was not an unruly pris-
oner.
The last witness of the morning SEES
sion was Chas l.. Simons, the Spring
field man who found the locket that
eventually led to Spencers arrest.
This afternoon Capt, John II. BOYLE
of the Springfield police was briefly
recalled and testified that two wit
nesses who had said on the stand that
they had noted several peculiar acts of
Spencer had previously told him that
they had observed only one or two
such acts.
A convict from the state prison was
the next witness. He was Horace NJ.
ST. John, alias Edwin Il. Bell. who is
serving a term of several years for
assault with intent to kill. He said
that he feigned insanity after begin
ming his term in prison and was sent
to the State Insane hospital at Bridge
water for is months. While there he
knew Spencer. One day when Spencer
was singing in a rehearsal for d play
to be given by inmates, st. John re