Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-11-21

- jNAa III iiiN ieetS iiiOiid NdStr
"Wednesday afternoon, heard from the
lips of Levi Hackett, the story of the
murder of his daughter Matte at
Readdeld, Aug. II, 1865, the story
which he has previously told before
the grand jury and upon which the
State relies in no small measure in
making out its case.
When Mr.. Hackett described the
finding of the fatal moose around Mat
ties neck and his frantic efforts to
remove it he lost his composure and
was obliged to pause a moment or two
before he could proceed. He was SUBJ
jected to a severe crosse examination
by Attorney McGillicuddy of the de-
fence, for the apparent purpose of
bringing out testimony to the effect
that his first belief was that the deed
had been done by tramps. This the
witness admitted but still insisted
that he heard only one voice from
the direction whore Mattie's body was
found and that was the voice of
woman, not his daughter, saying:
you dirty, nasty thing.''
He described in detail the appear
ance at the barn of Alfred Johnson,
the young man just out of Auburn
Jail. whom he thought at the time of
the tragedy to have been OBTAINING
him at the barn while other tramps
We're down the road. He admitted that
! Johnson followed him around the barn
during the greater part of the time
that they were there and kept him
engaged in conversation.
1t was learned in the cross-eXamf-
nation Of Mr.. Hacllett that the ia
NOUS death cord figuring in the case,
which the father had taken from Mat
ties neck, was irretrievably lost
County Attorney Williamson said that
II had been given to Boston detec
tive. seven years ago, and that there
was no possibility of recovering it.
Another important witness of the
day was Mrs Sarah Swan, who testi-
fed that. in 1903, two years before the
tragedy. Elsie Hobbs, who was then
keeping company with Bert Raymond,
had said to her: IF Matte Hackett
ever crosses my path, I'll kill her
| Ethelyn Hackett of Boston. an old
ert sister of Matte, took the stand
during the forenoon and testified as to
Bert Raymond attempting to hug her
| and being surprised by his wife at
the top of Nickers&n hill. Miss Hack
| EFT is a trim looking brunette, now
about % years of age, and at present
employed as head waitress at the
English tea rooms in Boston. Mrs.
Rose Milliken and Mrs. Annie MILL
ken. who lived in the Sedgley house
at Readfeld Corner with the Ray
monds, testified to Elsies coming in
! after II o'clock on the night of the
murder, supported by Bert and his
brother Nathan, and in tears George
NJ. Lane and Former Deputy Sheriff
Fred l. Brown testified as To foot
/ prints in the Nickerson eornfield, APP
parently made by a woman's shoe,
while other witnesses testified to see
| ing a mysterious person, clad in a
long outer garment, and apparently a
| woman, Fastening rapidly along the
road from the Hacllett place to Read
field Corner
Thirteen witnesses in all were eX
amined during the day and the State
plete its testimony by Thursday night.
Carroll Hopkins. one of the witnesses
for the State, is critically ill with
rheumatic fever at his home at Read
field, but his testimony is very much
desired in the case. 1t was arranged,
Wednesday night, to have counsel and
a stenographer go out to Readfield
and take his deposition, leaving here
as early as s A. M, and returning in
time for the opening of court at $50
A. NJ, Thursday. Carroll Hopkins is
said to have been former admirer
of Matte Hackett and it is thought
that his deposition will have an i'm
portant bearing upon the States case,
Mrs. Raymond bears the ordeal of
her trial remarkably well. She has
closest attention and frequently, when
a witness is testifying, suggests some
question for her junior counsel, Mr.
Morey, to put to the witness and
smiles whenever a telling point is
made in cross-examination of the