Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-05-07
No. Augusta! IS! Al Boy a|tlswis-
ton on Murder Charge.
Pleads lkai 6dlly but Offers
No Real Defence IN Case.


Lewiston, Me-, May 6-Probable
cause for holding Perley r. Sawyer of
North Augusta without bail for the
September term of the supreme court
on the charge of murder was found,
after d short hearing. today. He plead
ed not guilty, but no defence was Of
fered. He was charged with the death
of Albert p. Monahan of Maiden,
Mass. who died after drinking poison
ed whiskey. it was alleged. John Stev-
ems was held under $1,000 Londs as a.
material Witness
TO the charge of numbering Mona
han. Sawyer pleaded not guilty 10 days
ago and he has since been held with
cut bail He has stoutly maintained
from the start that he is innocent
john Stevens, aged 80, who was held
as a material witness in default of
$1,000 bonds, was chief witness for the
State, Tuesday. He told Judge Brann
the story of Monahan's last hours in
Lewiston and of his sudden illness and
death in room on the top floor of a
lodging house at the rear of Longs
place on Lisbon street.
Stevens told the court that Sawyer
produced the whiskey which Monahan
drank, and that MonaEan and Saw
yer both noticed that the stuff looked
peculiar Monahan drank three or four
swallows, but SAWYER only touched the
whiskey to his lips and spit.
About a dozen witnesses were called
for the hearing. which began in the
forenoon and continued until II, when
the court ordered recess until P.
NJ. DR.. Cram and his assistant at the
Bowdoin Medical School, were among
those summoned.
Seated within the rail several
Of sawyer's relatives and friends. in
GLIDING two sisters. iirs. Lottie Dud-
ley ard Mrs. Lura White. both Of Au-
gusta. The court room was crowded.
DIR. William l.. Haskell. medical cx-
amincr for Andrcsccggin county, said
that lie and DIR. stevens performed the
autopsy, removing tho stomach and
part Of the intestines. There were no
injuries to the head to cause death.
The organs were given to the coroner
to be sent to Brunswick,
DR.. H.. f. f. Stevens said he found
no evidence of external violence upon
the body of Monahan.
Dr.. Marshall T. Cram, professor of
chemistry at Bowdoin College, said he
received three receptacles from the
ooroner. One contained a liquid, an
other the stomach and the third the
small intestines. The liquid showed
2.14 grains of cyanide of potassium.
The stomach contained an undigested
meal and showed the presence OF hy-
drocyanic acid which would be caus-
ed by the cyanide of potassium. The in
testines showed no sign of either of
the poisons.
When questioned regarding the rap
idity with which cyanide of potassium
would dissolve the professor said it
would depend upon the strength of the
alcohol He showed Mr. Morey a SAM
pie of whiskey in which he had placed
tie cyanide and shaken the bottle for
Is minutes, yet the drug had not dis
solved.
No defence was offered by Sawyer
and the court found probable cause.
holding the respondent for the Sep
tember term of court, without bail.
John Stevens was held as witness
in $1,000 bonds.
The coroner's jury, late Monday, re-
turned verdict that Monahan met his
, death by poison administered by the
i hand of Sawyer.