Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-06-24
New Policy OF
Dry Enforcement !!
Starts in Angus
CALM AS
PROSECUTOR DELvES
into HIS PAST LIFE


minutes Of denial of all state charges
and an hour and a half Of cross ex-
animation in which the accusation
was not touched upon, filled William
D. Shepherds day Of days when he
testified today in his trial for murder.
AS he stepped from the witness
stand after a cross examination
which left a crowded courtroom
gasping at both its brevity and trend.
the defense announced that's, alr'
and the prosecution echoed estate
rests"
Five minutes more and the first ar
gument to the jury was under way.
1t was demand for the death PEN
atty for Shepherd for the "coldly
calculated, brutal and atrocious mur-
der" Of his millionaire foster son,
William Nelson McClintock.
Detail by detail Shepherd was led
by his chief counsel William s..
Stewart. through denial Of each of
the twenty-five counts in his indict-
ment for the youths murder.
In turn he denied he ever had CIV
en- the youth poison. death dealing
germs, or had slain him.
Replying in a calm, firm voice,
! Shepherd completed his denial of all
that the state alleges by stating that
prior to the investigation Of Billy Nc
Clintock's death he never had seen
Charles Faiman, his chief accuser.
nor John p. Marchand, q Faiman as
sociate, nor ever had written q letter
to Faiman's National University Of
Sciences concerning a course in bac-
teriology.
Year by year on through his life
Shepherd was forced to account for
his time when Robert E. Grove,
states attorney, undertook cross ex-
animation. Shepherd never was a
successful business man, until he and
his wife went to live with Mrs. EN-
ma Nelson McClintock, nothersof the
youth he is, charged with Staying.
working with or under close rela-
tives. went his testimony.
Today, at the age Of ~, he has 1T
! tie to show for his 1ife's work, he ad-
, mitted under Interrogation Of Mr..
, Grove.
| After visit to Mrs. McClintock
here in 1909. he and Mrs. Shepherd
became fixtures in. the widows house,
hold, Shepherd admitted, and since
1912 never had paid for the livelihood
obtained from Mrs. McClintock and,
after her death, thes boy. Billy.
MY time was taken up. whatever
she wanted me to do, whatever it
might be" he said in describing his
| duties.
At the end of his cross exan,ina-
ton. Prosecutor Grove gained from
/ the witness that he knew Billy Nc
Clintock had ordered the McClin-
| took Shepherd home sold, and that
he had written to young woman
that he was broke and the future
| looked doubtful"
| With that the state concluded its
questioning. Shepherd raised his
eyebrows in establishment as the
| prosecutor said That's ALL"
| The prosecutor apparently was
| content to rest his case upon the
testimony Of the state witnesses who
had told in minute detail of dealings
with Shepherd. -
Faiman indicated that Shepherd as
an accomplice. told the jury that he
received a letter from Shepherd ask
| ing about a course in bacteriology
| for use in criminal law, that he COVE
Shepherd three tubes of bacilli.
learned when Shepherd wanted the
letter back that the germs were
wanted for the Staying of Billy Nc
Clintock and then taught Shepherd
how to use the germs in killing the
youth before his marriage to Miss
Isabelle Pope could nullify a will Bill
had drawn in Shepherds favor. For
that he was promised, he said, $780,
900 from the McClintock estate.
| Marchand testified he visited Shep-
herd in an effort to sell him the
course, and that he had seenthelet-
| ter.
Before closing it's case with Shop
herds testimony, the defense called
five witnesses, including the Rev. A.
| c. Naumann, pastor of st. Paurs Lu-
theran church, of which the Shep-
herds are members.