The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1921-04-21
MURDER TRIAL SUDDENLY ENDED AMT
DR|ESK|S PLEADS GUILTY MANSLAUGHTER'
Gets Maximum Sentence of Six Years and
Minimum of Three Years. Story of the Trial

The murder trial of Sylvester Dries
kis, whom it was alleged killed Chas.
w. Carroll, also James J. Higgins, on
February 22nd last was begun Thurs
day afternoon. A jury was empan-
elled in fairly short order as follows:
Charles Kennison, Fairfield, pie plate
factory employee; l. H. Clifford. Arson,
farmer; w. b. Cook, Hartland, dec
orator; c. w. Homestead, Palmyra,
farmer; o. c. Buzzell Athens; Clyde
E. Tibbetts, Canaan; Olin c. Valliere,
Skowhegan, painter; Leland Jewell,
Canaan George Cote, Fairfield: M. II.
Martin ST Adams farmer; Allen Var
ney Skowhegan; Percy c. Wthee.
Norridgewock, sawmill operative. c.
w. Homestead was appointed foreman.
Other jurors called were not accepted
for reasons as follows Ellingford
Messer challenged by defense; Lester
F. Nye, Fairfield. challenged by State;
Guy Dunphy, Joseph Dostie and Wal
ter E. Shores, excused; II. H. Perkins
of Madison, laborer, was accepted
on the panel but later was challenged
and excused. Edwin c. Trip was ex-
cused because of i'll health. Oscar
Bosworth. George l.. Parker, M S.
Osborn, Charles S. Smith. Henry
Gouse, DR.. I. L. Salley, Herman Per-
kins, all excused. Everett A. Berry,
an Embden farmer, was challenged by
the State and Eugene Smith was also
challenged Edwin c. Trip. of Scion,
was excused because of ill health
The States case was opened by
County Attorney James H. Thorne,
who with the Attorney General Rams
ford Shaw. handled the case for the
State with former Attorney General
William r. Pattangall and w. H.
HAYES, Esq. representing the re-
spondent. In his opening County At
torney Thorne covered carefully con-
ditiohs st Bald Mountain and the prem
ises of the Hollingsworth e. Whitney
Company where the alleged crime was
committed. He claimed that Higgins
was coming down the ladder with his
hands hold of the same as he was hit
and tat he died Immediately after
Mr. Tt sfne described In detail the OPP
erat on3 and carrier that was used in
handling the pulp wood. He said that
a complaint on the morning of the
luuIutl i'll dDOhl eight u ilOth w io It.
ceved by Wilbur Cover, the foreman,
Dreskis telling him that Higgins was
loading the car too fast; after COM
municating with Higgins and his fell
low employees. he went to another
part of the premises and about nine
O'Clock heard a noise and saw a crowd
of men around Higgins. He believed
he was killed. The County Attorney
mentioned the various incidents fol-
lowing Higgins death and called sx-
teen witnesses as follows: DR.. w. G.
Sawyer, Medical Examiner; Wilbur
Cover Mike OConnor, Murdoch Nc
Cloud. Alexander Mcdonald, John
Duncan, DR.. Hopkins, Neil McPher-
son, Fred Ireland, Deputy Sheriff
Thomas Tuscan, Deputy Sheriff G. A.
Clark, Undertaken J. P. Murray, S.
Mooers, Judge f. w. Sawyer, Louis La
Chance and Miss Mary Carroll, of Wo
burn, Mass, sister of the dead man.
STATES TESTIMONY OPENS
Dr. w. G. Sawyer of Madison, one
of the County medical examiners and
for 81 years a practicing physician
was the first witness. He testified
that he went to Bald Mountain the day
following the death of Higgins and
performed an autopsy which showed
a small scratch on the face from which
a few drops of blood had trickled out
There was a small dscoloration be-
low the left nipple. He thought the
body must have been lying down when
the wound was bleeding on the face
because of the direction of the blood
stains. On examination of the heart
he found discoloration the apex and
distinctive appearance Of bruise
The stomach itself was practically
empty. All other internal organs were
normal. On opening the heart, clot-
ted blood was found in the apex OF
both ventricles in very small amounts.
There was discoloration on the arm
and leg which the doctor thought
might have been caused by friction
in trying to revive the man after death
had ensued. He thought the blow over
the heart was caused by an instrument
Ike the pickeroon and said that
blow over the region of the heart
would cause paralysis, which caused
death. Under cross examination Dr.
Sawyer said that falling pulp wood
might have caused discolorations on
the left arm and left leg, having re-
ferred to the dscolarations in his di-
rect testimony as probably having
been caused by friction in attempting
to revive the dead man.
BOSS COVER TESTIFIES
Wilbur Cover. 3S years old and a
woodsman was the next witness. He
is foreman for the Hollingsworth Com
pany at their operations near Bald
Mountain Pond. He described the To-
cation of the camps and carrier where
the tragedy occurred. He said ac-
cording to rules no men we're in the
car when the wood WIS coming down
from the carrier into the cars where
it is piled in to ship=shape fashion by
/ two men in each car He test fled that
on the morning of the 22nd Drieskis
came to him and said that the men
ON the carrier were sending too much
wood in the cars and that if they didn't
LOT nm the men would leave on Friday.
He accordingly went to Higgins, who
was head man on the carrier and
and told him not to run the wood too
fast and Higgins in turn inquired who