Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-18

portant cause. wish to have you
follow the evidence which was pre-
scented to the Judiciary COMMITTEES in
this cause. hold no brief for the
Austin w. Jones Company or these
two splendid young men who took a
farm up in Veaxie, lhre miles from
my city, and developed it, and built
upon it. and bred up these seventy
head OF cattle. II held a brief for
them, I would not be here. Gentle
men, I appeal to you as proceed in
this cause, to your sense of reason,
because the great sculptor who made
the statute of justice made it blind
that it might not see its suit0rS, but
could only bear. I appeal to no pre-
JUDGES. Isappeal to no sympathies,
but I appeal to the Senators who are
honored, and who honor the great
people who sent them here as COM
ponent part of the peoples tribunal
of justice in this u-important cause.
Situated above the city of Bangor
is an insane hospital. want to be
fair and extremely fair, Mr.. President
and honorable members of the Sen
ate The Judiciary Committee gave
to them second hearing and brought
into the House the men who are in
charge of this insane institution
above my city, and say 1t in all fair
ness, that when we heard them tcs-
tify there is no man on that commit
tee but must have felt that it was not
only negligence. but gross negligence,
that brought about the destruction of
crfvv all 10 af ~
citizens of a whole town. And I ask
ed question of the head of that in
stitution, IL within few years an
other man was not turned loose on
the body polite Of the state of Maine,
but just few miles above my city
who took jack knife and cut q
young girl all to pieces? and he said
"The report SO discloses."
am the man who placed him in
your State prison here. I hold no
brief for anybody, but I want the
gentlemen of this Senate to drink in
this evidence that am going to read
to you, which caused the majority of
the Judiciary Committee to say that
in equity and in fairness and in jus
tice to the community in which we
bursed for the loss which he sustain
ed by the negligence, and I charac-
terize it forever through the fingers
of the reporters who are going to put
1T in: the books as being gross negli-
gence. and whether it is or is not.
leave for you to say, as read to you
the evidence on which we acted fall
ing hot from the lips of the witnesses
who testified. and I challenge any
man to say that what I read to YOU
is not the truth and all the truth and
nothing but the truth. That is the
reason gentlemen. why I purpose to
proceed in the same method in deal
ing with this tribunal of justice of
the people that l would proceed be-
fore court of last resort.
Let me read for you the testimony
OF the Sheriff. of Penobscot county a
splendid gentleman. The sheriff 'tes-
titled that he had served one term as
sheriff of the countN of Penboscot and
was on his second term. At the time
Stanchfield-that is the name of the
man who did these injuries-first
called at the Jail office-honorab
members of the Senate, please listen
TO every word I read-Fernandez was
alone. Stanchfield stated that he had
come to deliver himself up: that he
knew the sheriff and federal officers
mad been after him and that he was
NOT Wiling to go to Atlanta: that
Stanchieid believed that he had been
n traitor to his country and that Of
fcers and detectives had been follow
ing him.
j Fho second time Stanchfield appear-
"a at the jail office he told practically
the same story. and the sheriff real
lzed that this man was crazy and
should be sent TO the insane asylum
what L now particularly and espe-
I ciaiiy call to the attention of every
honorable senator who listens to me
is this. that ! am going to demon
strate to you beyond the power of any
man to refute it, here or anywhere
else, that there was not a single civil
ian who saw this man who did not
know that he was stark crazy. and
then l am going to prove to you that
the men in authority at the insane
asylum turned him loose upon the COM
munlty with an insane mother. who
had been in an insane asylum her.
self. as his guardian. See if I prove
it to you.
The sheriff thereupon called I'D Pc
ter Davis first selectman of the town
of Veazic, told him about Stanchfield
and his deiusions and asked if the Sc
lectmen would like to have him COM
mltted. Davis said that they would
The sheriff then made arrangements
with DR.. Milliken to have him on hand
at the jail the next day when Stancb-
field called. The next day when
stanehfield called, DR.. Millifen exam
med him and pronounced him danger
Tously insane. And he was not an
expert on mental diseases, who ought
to have known that he was danger
ously insane. And Stanchfield was
taken to the Insane hospital by John
Farrar, the turnkey. This was Sum
day. February 10. The sheriff testified
that in his opinion Stanchfield was
dangerously insane. That is the tes-
timony of sheriff that every single
member of the judiciary committee
listened to. He also testified that
about midnight on May 10 he was
called to Veazie-Iisten to this, hon
orable members of the Senate-to in
yestfgate the shooting of Greenleaf
girl and the burning of the Jones and
Prouty buildings; that he investigated
the whole affair and that all the evil
dence pointed to StanchfieId as the man