The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1920-11-18
THE MURDER TRIAL OF JOHN A,
BURKE
Continued from Page One)
SUMMARY


Since the Reporter went to press
last Wednesday evening there has
been vast amount of evidence given
in the trial Of John A. Burke for the
alleged murder of Nelson w. BARLEY.
The first witness Thursday morning
was Rudolph LeClair. lie stated that
he had been at work in 1919 at the
Moose River house with Leo Duyal.
the man who said Wednesday that he
drove Nelson BARLEY to Crocker Pond
late on the afternoon of May IA. 1913.
He knew about Messrs Wentworth
and Wilson of WaterYille being in
Jackman at that time and went with
their party to Supply Pond. He
thought BARLEY and Duval left for
Crocker Pond about train time, but
was not exactly sure which train.
On cross examination LeClair said
that he had been in Skowhegan about
four weeks during the first Burke
trial. He had appeared before the
grand jury but not as a witness in
the trial lie was questioned at
length regarding other fishing trips
he ndU IIldue Will Dbl lltAs
Questioned again by County Attor-
ney Merrill this witness explained
that it was conversations he had had
with BARLEY and Duyal that made
him remember the Croker Pond trip
especially He was not allowed to
say what these conversations were,
objections by Mr.. Pattangall being
sustained.
Charles Mckay. proprietor of the
Croker pond camps about seven
miles from Jackman, again told about
seeing the blOWdowns in the Sugar
Berth woods that resulted from bad
storm a short time before Barley
death. as he had in the previous trial.
Then he was shown the register from
his camps and said that he remember
ed the trip made by BARLEY and Went
worth on May Is, 1919, and he also
remembered that BARLEY had been
! there the day before. May IA. He
had arrived there late in the after
noon He came frequently, but did
not register unless some one was with
him. Mckay was accustomed to
charge him only for his meals, max.
ing no charges for lodging. BARLEY
had supper at the camps May IA ant
then went out fishing in a canoe OF
the lake about $50. He did no
know when he came in from the lakt
or when he would be home to Jack
man,
This witness was subjected to al
unusually severe cross examination
by Mr.. Pattangall who went into thu
smallest details regarding the trip'
made by Mr.. BARLEY alone and b,
BARLEY and Wentworth and othel
trips. guests at the camps details o
management and many other circum
stances. He said that he had tolt
Piper about BARLEY being at hi'
camps May IA before the last trial
but had not asked what time he wa'
there. Nothing was said to him abou
this during the first trial, although
his register had been in the posses
sion of counsel for the state at tina
time.
Harry e. Newton who lived il
Jackman in 1919, but who for some
time has been the oblging clerk :
the New Skowhegan House here tool
the stand and told of how he hat
visited Burke after he had been sho
and got his story Of the affair. HI
repeated his statement that Burke hat
told him. while discussing the case
that he would give a million dollars
to see Nelson BARLEY coming thrl
that door, door to Burke's bedroom
but qualified it this time by explain
ing he understood from this Burke
wished to clear up the shooting IL
which he had been wounded withou
prosecuting BARLEY.
christopher Boyle of Eustis, WIFI
was employed as clerk in Bartley'
hotel in 1919, was shown the twt
notes and receipts which the state al
leges were not signed by BARLEY ant
again declared he did not believe then
to be Bartley's writing. On cross
examination he said Barley had a re
volver. either 80 or SO caliber, which
was kept in a drawer in the desk a
the hotel There was then some
$4,000 in the house. He remember
ed about BARLEY and Wentworth go
ing to Croker pond ON May 10 bu
did not know where BARLEY was OF
MAY IA He knew about some hay
being hauled down from the farm
to the hotel and said that Narciss'
Nedeau and George Brunnell did th'
work in the winter of 191S-19l9. Tit
witness also repeated his testimony
regarding helping to unload some Il
auor that had been brought to ih'
hotel by Partley and Burke.
Sheriff Moocrs WIS called to Tho
stand and testified that he had made
an extensive search for Nareissf
Ncdeau, but had been unable to find
him
William L. Toulouse of Wateryille
! employed since Feb. 2 1914 by the
j Kenncbcc Trust Co, stated he was
employed at one time as manager OF
J the Jackman branch being there a
wear ago. In his capacity as mana
ger he had occasion to observe Mel
son Bartley's signature often.
an my opinion they don't look like
Mr.. Bartley's handwriting was Tou-
louse's statement when shown the
questioned notes and receipt by Coun-
tv Attorney Merrill.
Upon cross examination Mr.. Tou-
louise stated he judged the genuine
ness OF the signatures in a general
way rather than by any of the letters
by comparison. Between $500 and
$500 were kept by BARLEY at the
Jackman bank. He never deposited
the money himself he had Mr.. Boyle
deposit every few days in amounts