The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1920-11-11
TWH MURDER TRIAL OF JOHN A.
BURKE
continued from Page One)

ares in the Burke murder tr''' sii'e
sa.a Reporter went TO press Wednes-
amy evening OF last week goes back
70 the tim non
sRets. Ernest Gilman and a. "
sriKss. the Two men INST ac1eplsa on
The EaneI were excused and the Jury
vas completed Thursday morning as
follows: ~.
K Il. LIZ. aged 50, farmer, Rip
lev phurston Hutchins. q, farmer,
North New Portland. Harry Johnson
Al hrmer Pittsfield; Fred McCollor,
"a earnville; G. W. Estes, 3d. farm
or Palmyra; Fred Cummings so
~savsr, Hartland, Harold Hurd, ~
gArner, Athens; Wallace jacobs o.
garmsr, Pittsneld; B. W. kldder, o.
AAosmaker. Norrdgewock George N
aartssrS. SO. farmer, Pittsfeld; VIC
tor L. Hartford, 40, farmer, smith
aid, @ssrge w, Brown, A. farmer
madison. Wallace Jacobs was ap-
Roin,sA foreman.
FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES PROB
ABLE
Ike epening for the State by Coun-
" Attorney Mti I'LL N'1"P''N
ans and one-half hours and included
careful survey OF the case according
10 the evidence obtained for the prose-
xstteH. His claim in concluding
statement was that Burke committed
thu assd because he was having IMAM
0nl afniculties with BARLEY when
svextually led to Burke forging Bart
LAYS signature to notes and recelpts
wwxrssating $4,000 in value. BEFORE
sroeeeding to the particular facts ana
circumstances. Mr.. Merrill said he felt
IL Am duty to make a few remarks
regarding criminal cases in general
"Sens OF you have never before hau
such experience, serving on the jury
0rixin OF judgment by jury was trac-
I'D BY the county attorney, he
fBxrks) comes before you indicted
su, The law presumes him to be in
moeeRt" he said In further reference
no ne working OF the law. "He comes
Before you presumed to be innocent,
xatil the State proves him guilty
Unreasonable doubt" was defined by
Mr. Merrill. He referred to Burke
and BARLEY departing together In the
hearing OF a shot fired at 9:l0 by
John Bulmer. and later the appear
znes OF Burke with bullet wound IN
Ais right leg, which he said had been
inflicted by BARLEY
Then Attorney Merrill went on TO
describe the suspicious aroused by the
Mysterious and continued disappear
zncs OF BARLEY, the search that was
made for him and the dramatic dis
oovsrv OF the body by brother. Burke
Mr. Merrill said, had held the position
af YAK collector as we'll as deputy
sheriff. and had become involved in a
deal with BARLEY concerning some
LIQUOR which they intended to buy In
Canada and smuggle into the United
States.
Barke did take $4,000 of the towns
money, Mr.. Merrill claimed, and with
it purchased 240 cases of whiskey
which was eventually stored in barn
and later sold, according to state
nent made by BARLEY to Burke.
This was the beginning of the trou-
BILE between the two men. the county
attorney said. Time after time
Burke had tried to get from BARLEY
the money he had advanced and
eventually the hotel man grudgingly
gave him two notes. one for $1,000. one
for $1,000 and a receipt for $100'
which nearly squared them.
Although these notes were due In
August. BARLEY failed to pay. Finally
Burke insisted upon an immediate
settlement The notes which Burke
SAYS were given him by BARLEY Will
he used in evidence in this case later
on. That they are forgeries Is the
contention of the State, and his de-
sire to collect them furnished a pow
erful motive for the murder the
prosecution argues.
"All the State asks of you twelve
men is to render verdict fearlessly
understandingly," said the county at
tornsy in closing.
A ten-minute recess was called.
HENRY CROWELL FIRST WITNESS
Henry Crowell of Skowhegan, who
will be remembered as having taken
part in the previous trial. was the
first witness called to the stand He
is a surveyor and described the maps
used in the case.
Mr.. Crowell was on the stand a
large part of the Afternoon and when
his testimony was completed Philip
Blair, proprietor of the Murtha House
1t Jackman was called. 1t was from
him that the 80 called death car was
was borrowed on the night OF the
tragedy. lie testified that proprie-
tor BARLEY of the Moose River House
borrowed from him Ford automo-
bile on the night OF Oct. ID.
DEATH CAR EQUIPMENT
The machine was equipped with de-
tachable rims and two spare tires
strapped onto the drivers side OF the
body. 1t was between 7 and 1880
o'clock, Blair recalled that he called
at his house. He loaned the car to
BARLEY and his chauffeur drove 1t
over to the Moose River House. When
Blair saw his car again 1t was the
next morning.
David Matthew, Philip Blair's
chauffeur at the time of the murder,
substantiated his employers. testi-
mony by describing his movements
OH the night of Oct. Is, which in
cIuded his taking the automobile from
the Murtha House to the Moose River
House and leaving 1t there in the
driveway, facing the barn. The next
morning, when Matthew found the car
it was in front of Joe Gagnons place
on the Canada road. The witness
said that when he started to crank