The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1920-11-25

place and see the cave The State
says the trouble started back in May
The fact that there were any notes,
any rum deal. came Of John Burkes
own lips. Those notes carry, upon
their very surface. suspicious. The
State does not know why they were
forged It may be that the thought of
murder never came TO that man an'll
he found himself behind those trees
with hartley. We don't say to you
that Was the motive. We don Know
what was the motive. In hndlng tho
body, Mr. Piper told you OF that rock.
Il hadn't blaekened the grass d."
State does not claim that John Burke
put it there that Sunday. All the
State knows is. that rock Va therr.
And directly opposite from Il las the
cave in which was found the body OF
Nelson BARLEY.
Now ! take up the question Of tine
Mr. Bartley went into he h8ue and
got fiashlight Do yoa think thai he
would have taken this flashlieht over
/ 10 Burke to sign some notes some
/ how BARLEY got behind hat blow
! down and was shot. The defense saws
he was killed outside Of the blow
down, let lay there a considerable
time to bleed The State claims he
was killed and placed Immediately
/ into the cave He was bleeding free
ly after he was placed in the cave. All
I the doctors spoke OF rigor mortis.
Would he have bled enough in rigor
norris, when carried around into the
cave to leave the trail? The theory
is entirely inconsistent the State
claims, as to what man would do
under these conditions.
AT 20 minutes to Murtha met
Perley Crook at Holden light He
was there on his bicycle and at that
culyert. He went up to the spruce
tree and he said he heard the shot.
Why on earth should Perley Crook
lie? If Perley Crook stood alone. it
might be some doubt But there is
another witness. | don't believe that
there is one of you gentlemen on the
panel that has the slightest doubt as
to the truthfulness Of Leonard Hall
testimony.
John Burke said they went over to
his house. DO you remember what
those officers said? That before they
! told him where the body was found
he said he didn't have time to do 1t,
as he didn't leave the hotel until past
:. Nobody heard the quarrel in the
road Do YOU believe that man of
Nelson Bartley's type would fire and
run? lie would stay there until he
finished it. The bullet hole in his leg
went in at an angle of 80 degrees.
Perhaps you can explain how a man
would at my right shoot a bullet into
my right leg like that
Mr.. Sturgis dwelt at length upon
the liuuor deal-stating that it was a
pretty hazardous thing for a man 10
take $4,000 of the towns money ana
give it to a man to go to Canada ana
buy liquor. The attorney general re-
minded the jurors Of the discrepancy
in the alleged statements OF Bhrke
as to how the liquor was orongh'
over from Canada and did not beiieve
BARLEY would have put $4,000 worth Oh
liquor into the barn.
of the notes were a forgery there
was no rum in the barn. They argue
that if it is forgery that John burke
dragged his wife into it as a color
ger. Mrs. Burke is the wife OF John
Burke. She is surely faithful. | don
believe Flossie Burke helped him. /
think he drew her into it and she, as
a loving wife. has stood by MN. IL
has been done many time
John Burke was in financial trou-
BILE with the town of Jackman. 10
cover up his troubles among his
friends. those notes could be shown
that the money would be coming to
him. The idea of murder may not
have come into his mind. He told you
he didn't know how much short OF
the towns money he was dldn
know how much he got for the liquor
smuggling.
THAT is his defense-that the car
could not have been up to the Arm
strong bars. because ii was at Booth
man road I am going to honestly say
that Irma Williams has grown to non
estly believe that she saw car
down there. Has she alone of all
those people seen car You've got to
say Irma Williams was right and all
the rest were wrong to accept her
testimony