Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-07-03
FLAYS NURSE
In States Closing IN
Skeels Trial

Attorney Gsnsral Asserts Ewidsnes
irristihiy Points 70 Murdsr-Ds-
PENDANT Untruthful in Statssnsnts
-Expscfnd Case Will Be Given 10
Jury This Afternoon
lawrence. Mass, July Court mt
well into the evening to allow At
tDrney General H. c. Actwiu to COM
plete his closing argument today IN
the trial Of Mrs. Bessie N. (Skesisl
Lundgren for the murder of Miss
Florence ". Gay. Mrs. Skeeis win
be given an opportunity 10 address,
the court tomorrow forenoon after
which the charge will be gwen. It;
Is expected that the case will go To.
the Jury early IN the afternoon.
Attorney General Artwiu said that
there WIS great deal Of circum-
srantial evidence in The case. but
that II all pointed to a single con-
cluslon. The evidence showed, he
said, that Miss Cay had died fruma
arsenic poisoning and that Mrs
Skeels' brother. for whose death she
Is under Indictment for murder in
New Jersey. who died of lead poison /
ing and that the defendant had in
ner possession both arsenic and lead
If the district attorney. knowing
these facts" ne exclaimed. had not
brought action against her. he should
have been inpeached" He defended
m CT tn u
that every care had been taken tot
nave the cause of death definitely
established. II had been shown. shei
SAID. that Mrs. Skeels had taken
many articles from the Gay home /!
Referring to her testimony that
there had been burglars at the house,
and that she had heard stories Of
ghosts. ne remarked:
She WAS the only ghost or burglar
al tn eGay home"
The attorney general declared that
the defendant mad made many taisei
statements or the stand and that asl
ii had been shown that she could mot
tell the truth. the jury ought 10 place
no creuence III anything she said.
The evidence lrresistibiy prints
to murder, ne SAID, adding tnat Mrs
Skeels alone had been shown To have /
the opportunity or desire 10 admin
lister poison to Miss Gay.
He said that Mrs. Edith NJ. Luce a /
relative of Miss Gay. finding her IN |
a serious condition, had tried to have
her taken to d hospital. Mrs SkeeiE. /
ne declared. had opposed TINS. He /
said il was significant that tae fatal i,
dose Of poison had been given TO /
Miss Gay after Mrs. Luce had teie-
phoned TO a hospital. that IL showed !
thai the defendant feared the patient
would be taken TO hospital and that
the physicians there would discover
that she was suffering from poison
He said that IL was not of great
Importance To establish whether the
defendant mad tried 10 kill herself
after her arrest although attempted
SulcIue would be an evidence Of
guilt Il was not necessary either, he
asserted. to show d definite motive
for the murder
Referring again to Mrs. Skeei's
brother, ne SAID that she mad given
hlm liquor against the doctors or
uers. he Salu Lnat II WOuiQ nave been
easy to administer sugar of lead in
liquor. The letters u her brothers.
wife read by counsel for the de
Tense To-Day. in winch she urged a
reconciliation between Mr. Wilkins
and mis- wife. the ATTORNEY general
characterized as cunning effort TO
assure herself If obtaining a large
part Of his estate
He charged the defense with try
ing To influence -hs jury bv having
the defenda1 cars d re court F@s
would nn1 dery that she was in. he
SAID. but declared that he. too. would
ne III If ne were charged with rnur-
der and had guilty conscience. He
appealed n the jury not to be infiu-
cnced by its sympati1ies