Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-20
WAS Done by Carbo|ic
Acid eStifies Norris,
Was Reason Why He Ordered
Bottle Thrown Away.
The Story Of Death Of Royce Child
Again Told in Court.

The case of State VS.. Stephen Nar-
ris of Augusta, was taken up. Friday
afternoon, in the superior court. The
indictment charged Norris with being
an accessory after the fact in the kill
ing of the infant son of Mrs. Grace e.
Royce, who is now serving a 2G-year
sentence in the State prison at Thorn
aston. Walter NJ. Sanborn and
defendant.
County Attorney Joseph William
son opened for the State the
case by explaining to the jury.
what is meant by the term accessory
after the fact, stating that Norris and
Mrs. Royce We're alone with the child
in the house on the morning of July
IA. and that it was sometime during
that forenoon. that Mrs. Royce's in
FAINT son was murdered by administer
ing carbolic acid. He said there was
no doubt that Norris knew that Mrs.
Royce was in possession of the car
bolic acid He also asserted that
Norris covered up the scars with cot
ton, which were made on the baby's
neck by the carbolic acid so that the
marks left by the burning of the acid
would not be noticed
Clerk of Courts Charles w. Jones
read from the records to show that
Mrs. Royce had been convicted of
manslaughter.
Henry Royce, the husband of Grace
+. Royce, testified that he advertised
in the Kennebec Journal for a house
keepcrkeeper in about the last Of Dc
cember. 1910, and that Mrs. Royce re-
sponded to the advertisement. He said
that they We're married early in jan
uary, 1911. Witness testified that they
lived together until in the month of
April. 1911, and that she then left his
house and went to live with stephen
Norris, with whom she had been liH
ing before she married him
DIR. Charles J. Lincoln of Augusta,
testified that he was summoned to
attend at the confinement of Mrs
Royce on July 49, and said that when
he arrived at the Norris house the
child had been born. The child was
fully developed and weighed about 8
pounds. He testified that the next
morning he heard the child was dead
and that he and Mr. Bates. the IN
lertaker went to the Norris place.
Witness testified that upon eXamina
ton he found cotton upon the childs
neck, and when he removed the cot
ton he noticed the odor of carbolic
acid. and also the burns which had
been made by it. He said that the
body was then turned over to Coroner
Plummer and an autopsy was held
at the undertaking rooms.
Miss Oetavia H. Ferris. the oldest
daughter of Mrs. Royce, testified that
she arrived at the Norris home, the
day after the baby was born She said
that the baby was dead when she ar
rived there, and that Norris gave her
a carbolic acid bottle and told her to
throw it to the devil, as she cx-
pressed it.
Fred s. Rand, a public stenogra-
pher testified that he took the tes-
timony at the eoroner's hearing and
at the preliminary hearing before
Judge Maher. He also read parts of
the testimony of Norris at the munic-
ipal court from his records.
Albert w. Brooks testified that he
stopped in front of the Norris house.
on the day the child died, and talked
with Norris He said that they then
rode down the road together in his