Daily Kennebec journal., 1918-08-29

day morning for their regular mon1n-
~ meeting with Governor Carl E.
Milliken and Councillors Gowell. Nor
ton, Nichols, Bunker, Farns"orth'
Fay and st. Clair :esent and Sec. OF
State. Frank W. Ball, and Messenger
GeorLe w. Leadbetter in attendance
The pending nominations were
confirmed and the warrants approved
az follows:
Weekly salaries. $13.3oo.52; High
way payroll, s12,s2017; general, $so'-
0s1 70; institutions, s39,675.33; month
L. salaries, s12,99l.93; 1917 balance
s7O8.I6; highway regular, $63,ooS'oo'
special military fund.- $4275.1o'
The Newbert Pardon Hearing
Former Senator Lindley NJ. Staples
OF Washington appeared IN behalI Oh
the petitioners for pardon for Mrs.
Sadie Newbert Of Thomaston. who is
serving a life sentence in the state
prison for the murder of her hus-
band on Now 15, 1909 by the admin
istration of strychnine in his food.
Senator Staples was her counsel at
the trial The matter was continued
for the introduction q further evil
Gence.
He stated that Mrs. Newbert was
really convicted on the sole testimony
of one witness, a Mrs. Nettie Grouse,
whose unreliability and untrutn1ul-
ness as a witness was then unknown
to the jury and by whom the prison.
er's case was prejudiced with the
Jury. Mrs Grouse is now in the Wo-
mans Reformatory at Skowhegan'
serving a sentence for arson
He stated that Mrs. Newberts rep
utation was good, that she was poor
and had an invalid husband, Tor
whose support she worked long and
hard that their relations were always
pleasant and loving and that ne was
peavish and often said he would end
his life because he was but a drag
uron his wife. He was addicted 10
tho use of cocaine and other drugs,
such as arsenic and strychnine. hav-
ing a bad heart trouble.
That the home was infested with
rats and Mrs. Newbert had often
houeht strvchnine with which to XIII
off the pests, That at the time of the
murder. she bought some at the store
! and this Mrs. Grouse also SAID that
she had bought some and gave 1t to
Mrs. Newbert.
Mr.. Staples referred to testimony at
the trial of Mrs. Grouse relative 10
! alleged immoral acts OF James
! Rokes and Mrs. Newbert in the room
in which the remains of her husband
we're lying and styled it ridiculous.
II haven't words at my command
said he, ito describe the atrocity and
general cussedness OF THIS MIS-
| Grouse. She swore falsely about be-
| ing at the Newbert home that night
and what she saw. She hersell
| bought Is grains of the poison and l
don't know but what she gave 1t to
| the man to use himself or perhaps
I administered it herself to him. l be-
lieve Mrs. Newbert was wrongly con-
victed. If released she will never be
burden to anyone. as kind people
are ready to give her home and she
i; able to support herself"
ber Of letters, speaking of Mrs. New
bert as a model prisoner and recon-
mending a pardon. including ones
from the then warden of the prison.
f. H. Waterhouse. Chaplain Allen
and others, and long list Of petit
! TONERS.
Former County Attorney Howard,
who prosecuted the case, wrote that
one Of the States witnesses (Mrs.
Crouse) was not of a high order, but
below the average.
Justice Spear, who presided at the
trial wrote that he should give her
the benefit of the doubt as to whether
or not Mrs. Grouse did not bring the
strychnine to Newbert and he COM
rnitted suicide.
Former Clerk of Courts G. B. But
ler wrote that he would hardly want
! to call by name the witness whose
reputation for reliability is very bad
and l still feel a grave doubt of her
(Mrs. Newbert's) guilt.
The Witnesses
Mrs. Matte NJ. Wentworth Of Rock
land testified that she knew all the
parties and had often employed Mrs.
! Newbert at her home. The latter
was industrious and a loving, faith
full and careful wife. doing every
thing for her husbands comfort and
still feeling deeply his death. She
had often heard Newbert complain at
his lot and say he was a burden on
his wife and would willingly end it
all. He used arsenic and strychnine
for heart trouble.
The evidence of Mrs. Grouse about
the acts of Mrs Newbert and Rokes
at the Newbert home the night of
| Newbert's death were absolutely
false because Rokes did not enter the
house and Mrs. Grouse come only to
the door and was not invited in. so
did not enter.
She had heard Mrs. Grouse advise
| Newbert to take more of the poison
Gus remedies to build him up. She
had once advised taking lead arsen-
ate. which he tried but had to stop
on account of its effects. She said
Mrs. Crouse's reputation was very
bad and she was now in confinement
for arson, having burned two houses,
after having failed to hire two boys
to do it.
She said she would give Mrs. New
bert home and had the means to do
it. If necessary. Mrs. Newbert was
able and could get all the work she
, piShed