Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-10
HUBBARD ON STAND 3
IN OWN DEFENCE
Continued From Page One)

prominent in the annals of Somerset
Bar through the mastery and finely
executed opening for the defense by
". Folsom Merrill, the youngest at
torney practicing before the Somer-
set Bar. Even Attorney Pat
tangall stared at him with admiration
as this 23year-old son of E. n. Mer:...
rill presented point after point to the
jury. The interest in the case did not
abate any from the day before. Hard
ly before breakfast the courthouse
was nearly crowded with spectatorf.
1t was soon evident that the defense
would try to prove that Mathews first
attacked the respondent, that it was
because of Hubbard's wife; Hubbard
did not plan murder, had no intention
Of it, and had made the statement
several. times after the shooting If
he had not grabbed me first he would
have been alive today"
Witnesses Called ga
Witnesses called for the defense
were: Edith Miilett, John Hubbard,
Mrs. John Hubbard. Nina Fowlie. Da-
Wis Ellis, Charles Williams, John
Casey. Lester Andrews. Ralph Stowell,
Jason Bickford, 1. H. Hersonn, Norman
Spiller. Oscar Van Ness, Edward
Vigue. L. B. Dolof. Harry Fowlie.
Oakland Jonathan w. Hunt, Mrs,
Martha Mason. All Of these witnesses
who had known Hubbard for many
years spoke in the highest terms q
his character and general reputation
and an unusually good citizen.
Wore Ma+hews' Rino
The outline Of the defence and later
corroborated by the witnesses was
that the night of the alleged crime
Hubbard had tried to get his wife
TO go home, had pleaded almost all
night, he saw a ring upon her finger.
asked her where she got it, and her
reply was that Mathews gave 1t to her.
He asked her where the ring that he
gave her was and she said her daugh-
ter was wearing it and her further
reply was, George. you know ! al
| ways liked diamond rings; that tho
Sunday of the shooting Hubbard went
into Mathews room where his wife was
and found in there his wife's shoes
| and stockings. dress skirt and her night
gown. Mathews came in later and be-
gan to drink. His wife began to drink
with him and Hubbard told her not
| TO. Mathews jumped up and saids
Yes. drink it." He then started for
| the bathroom. He came back and
| grabbed MIR. Hubbard. Mrs. Hubbard
| told them not to fight and Mathews
reached under the pillow of his bed
| and began to tumble for something
under it and Hubbard pulled the rea
volver from his hip pocket and shot
Mathews.
| Stenoerapher Testifies
Miss Mabel Coffin of Hartland tes-
titled that she was stenographer at
the inquest. On the stand Monday,
/ Mrs. Hubbard had denied that she was
in Mathews room until Mathews, Hub
bard and herself went in together. n
| reading the testimony of the inquest.
| Mrs. Hubbard was in the room before
her husband came in. Contrary to her
testimony of yesterday that Hubbard
started for Mathews first, the testf-
mony Of the inquest showed that she
had said both men jumped at each
other at the same time.
| Much testimony was presented in
regard to the revolver that Hubbard
had bought in Waterville on Sept 10
showing that Hubbard had bought it
at the request of his son in law, Mr..
| Fowlie, to scare away hen-thieves. ?
| In describing what took place preceding
the shooting, Hubbard testified: .
Il thought Mathews was under the
| influence OF liquor. He asked me "a
drink. He did not take liquor from the
bottle from which he had been drinking
| but from a tumbler. I thought he was
trying to drug me. I refused to drink
He then grabbed me by the coat over the
chest. I caught him by his collar and M
gave me another shove and then poked
him over in the corner by the bed. He
| tried to get up and then took his lef,
hand, reached under his pillow and FUN
bled for something. / thought he waA
getting a revolver to do me up and 4
| then pulled the revolver from my hlt
pocket and fired at Mathews"
He said he had no recollection Of hay.
ing fired more than one shot and remem.
| bered nothing about having said he
would have been satisfied II he could
have got his wife, too.
In regard to buying the revolver he said
on cross-examination by Attorney Gener.
al Pattangall that he had bought it iT
Waterville in September and carried Il
because he feared being held up and
| also he feared an attack from someone
in Hartland. In answer to Mr.. Pettanr
CALLS question in regard to putting car
tridges into his grip before he went 4
Hartland, Hubbard replied:
81 took the revolver and cartridges be
cause of what Mathews had done wheY
asked him to get my wife to com,
home
Hon. E. n. Merrill made the argument
for the defence and Mr.. Pattangall 70,
the State. taking about an hour each.
| 1t is expected that the case will 60 Il
the jury at about II o'clock Wednesday.