Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-02

told about her husbands life insur-
ance and some Liberty bonds.
Small said one could have seen
men on the kimball porch but could
not have distinguished them, from
the Bean house.
Sometime in December Sheriff
Small said he went to Portland to see
Mrs. Bean at her sisters. The sec
ond visit was in George Wheeler's
office at Portland. They telephoning
her to come she arrived at 10 o'clock
and she stayed until dark about five
hours. do you remember Of her
telling she didn't have a friend at
Haines LandirS?'
NO."
do you remember telling her her
friends had shielded her long en-
ough?
mo"
"Was the repoint in her story when
Mr.. Holman accused her Of lying?'
II think So"
"Have you the paper?" asked the
Judge when Pattangall started to
quote a paper. Il. Ethel Beam" which
he asked Small if he recalled.
1T was written out to be a confess
sion that Ethel Bean killed her hus-
band, said Sheriff Small. Was the
writer of the paper which Small SAID
Holman wanted Mrs. Bean to sign.
Il think first he said he was going
to have her arrested anyway. II she
did sign the paper he wouldn't ar
rest her that day, he said later
"She said she would sign that pa
per before justice of the peace if
a
her sisters marriage" replied Sheriff
Small "She said she didn't kill her
husband"
will you give the reason why YOU
did not have her sign the confess
sion?"
Zone reason why We didn't have
her sign il was she didn't want it to
interfere with her sisters wedding:
and another. she wouldn't sign it un-
til after her sisters wedding and we
didn't know when the wedding was
going to be-"
sheriff Small said he didn't re-
member hearing County Attorney
Holman refer to Otis conduct with
women and Mrs. Bean say she didn't
want to hear anything about it as
Otis had led good clean life
she said she would sign that paper
the alleged confcsSion) before JUS
tice of the peace if they wouldn't ar
rest her until Gftcr her sisters mar
riasc." was the elcctrifying reply Of
Sheriff w. Burton Small when askcd
by Attorney William r. Pattansall,
chief counsel for the defense. if Ethel
II. Bean. now on trial charged with the
murder of her husband. Otis \. Eean.
October c. was approached by County
Attorney Holman with paper pur-
porting to be a confession that Ethel
Bean fired the three shots which ended
her guide husbands life.
What was the reason why YOU did
not have her sign the paper" asked
pattangan.
she wouldn't sign it until after her
sisters wedding and we didn't know
when that WAS going to be- were the
even. mcanful words which the tall.
pleasant faced Franklin county shcr-
if used in placing a climax in the
Bean trial. the like of which never be-
fore has been reached.
Sheriff w. Burton Small and County
Attorney Carrier c. Holman called in
Portland three times to see Mrs. Bean
after the murder and after she went
there to be with her sister. Once they
is ,kcd with her in her sisters home.
The second time they met her in the
Office of Chcrle; Wheeler after having
'phoned her to come there. AT that
time the little Haints Landing widow
underwent five hours Ct closest ques-
tioning, as brought out in the tcsti-
mony of Sheriff Small.
1t was during tnn FIVE hours grill
irg. which lasted from about l in the
afternoon until dark that Mrs. Bean
said she would sign the paper. which
was said to have been handed her by
County Attorney Holman and to con-
tain a confession