Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-03
Brown on Stand

That it was the plan Of the defense
of the two negroes, Cecil Victor
Brown and Henry H. Spellman to put
only one of these defendants on the
stand was indicated by the fact that
Spellman was first called and when
objection was made to his testifying
in the absence of his counsel, Mr. Ed
wards. Brown. the other defendant
was called. Spellman was not a wit
ness, the defense closing with the
testimony Of Brown. The negro de-
MED all the discriminating allegations
made against him by the States wit
nesses. He was asked specifically
about the most important charges and
he denied each one categorically and
dsclaimed all knowledge of the MUIR
der Of DR.. Mohr on the night of Aug.
81, 1915. He denied he shot the doc
tor. denied that Mrs. Mohr promised
to give him $4,000 to do the job. de-
MED that Mrs. Mohr bought him a
motorcycle: denied that he said in
Mrs Mohrs presence at police head
quarters that she hired him to slap
her husband.
Browns Defense
Browns defense was an alibi. He
asserted that on the night DR.. Mohr
was shot. he rode his motorcycle down
toward Rocky Point and then to Riv-
erside. The latter place is about half
way between this city and the scene
of the shooting.
The witness in ross-examination
was able to give no reason why he
took the ride other than Just riding"
nor could he name a single person he
talked to that evening except the three
or four state witnesses who saw him
at Riverside. He declared he was at
Mrs Mohr's house with George Heals
on the night of Aug. 81, the night
Heals claims the murder plot was
Matched. He characterized as untrue
also the story Of Heals that Brown
said Mrs. Mohr had given him poison
to drop in the doctors coffee or that
he ever threatened to fix the doctor
on his way to Newport"
He asserted that he did not make
any confession to the police or news
paper reporters. making fun Of Chief
Robbins and laughing at him. al
though he did not know it while we
were showing him where we threw
our guns in the lake. declared Brown
in testifying in this portion of his al
legged confession to the police. The
announcement that Mrs. Bessie Spell
man and Gertrude Daley. wife and
sister respectively. OF Henry Spellman
were arrested this noon, charged with
perjury in connection with their evil
dence in support of the prisoners
alibi reached the jury at the after
got Police Capt. George A. Monahan
to admit on the witness stand.
Witnesses in RebuttaI
Capt Monahan and Court Clerk Rob.
ert Root were called in rebuttal by the
state after Brown left the stand. The
court will announce in the morning a
ruling on the question Of whether to
permit Capt. Monahan to say if Mrs
Mohr made some remarks when Brown
as the state alleges, accused her at
police headquarters on the morning OF
Sept. Of hiring him to kill the doc
tor.
About dozen more witnesses will
be put on the stand in rebuttal tomor-
row morning, but they will be dispos-
ed Of, 1t is expected, within an hour
and a half. and the court will ask the
attorneys to proceed Immediately with
their final arguments. Counsel for the
Negroes will address the jury first
then Mr.. Fitzgerald for the accused
widow and finally Attorney General
Rice for the prosecution. after which
Judge Stearns will charge the jury or
the law of the case. a.
Women Witnesses Arraianed
Mrs. Gertrude May Daley and Mrs
Bessie Spellman, both colored. were
arraigned at a special session of the
sixth district court tonight on charges
of perjury in connection with their
testimony at the Mohr murder tria
earlier in the day. Both women plead.
ed not guilty and bail was fixed a,
$1,000 in each case for their appear.
ance for trial on Feb. Is. Surety was
furnished