Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-12-03

grasped her hand. Her brothers
looked on intently but did not
change expressions.
Mrs. Gibson was the subject of
much of the latter part of Cases
address. He finally suggested that
the states star witness be suspected
of the crime as logically as the de-
PENDANTS.
Although Robert Fl. McCarter,
who preceded Case, said: I'VE are
not here to accuse anyone of this
crime" he pointed out that sus-
picion could attach to the church
sexton, James Mills, husband of the
slain woman, as readily as to the
| rector'S widow and her brothers.
Tomorrow, one month after it be-
gan, the case will be given to Som
| erset county jury. a
| More than four hours of summing
up by the defense brought the trial
to within a few hours of its close.
| The remaining details are the states
| summing up and the judges charge
| to the jury.
| Tomorrow alexander Simpson will
| sum up for the state in a speech OF
| approximately two hours. Justice
Charles w. Parker will require be-
tween 40 minutes and one hour to
, explain the law to the jury.
The jury was wide awake today
as McCarter and Case spoke. Simp-
| son charged yesterday some of them
with doing.
Case declared in his address that
J he was speaking to the world as well
! as to the jury. I'VE want the world
! convinced of their innocence" he
said of the sister and brothers, who
are also under Indictment on charges
of killing the Rev. Edward w. Hall
slain with Mrs. Mills. He referred
too, to Henry Carpenter. cousin OF
the defendants, held in the Jail here
on the same charges faced by the
trio now on trial. He has not been
tried and predictions are being made
that in the event of acquittal for his
I, cousins tomorrow he will not be
brought to trial.
Mr.. Case went into detail as he
discussed the crime, devoting much
/ of the earlier portion Of his address
| to a denunciation of the methods en-
| ployed by the prosecution.
| The lawyer said that the defend
| ants had no burden to solve the mys-
i terry or even to prove that they did
not commit the crime. They have.
| however, he said, demonstrated that
they could not have been present
The state was criticized for what
he called it's failure to produce as a
witness Raymond Schneider, who
with Pearl BANNER, discovered the
bodies. II believed SCHNEIDER rified
the bodies" said Case, in explaining
his theory as to calling cards of the
minister's, found scattered near the
cards fell from Mr.. Halls pocketbook
"and remained where they fell'.
The states contention that Willie
Stevens fingerprint appears on one
of the cards was denounced at length
Case called 1t "phony". Mr.. Carter 5
description yesterday was fraud.
The lawyer declared that the activ-
tiles of the Daily Mirror, New York
tabloid newspaper, have indicated
that it would be prosecutor, grand
jury, judge and jury. Frank Caprio,
a detective who was placed on the
stand as a witness by the state and
then repudiated was denounced, as
was Mrs. Jane Gibson.
Mrs. Gibson, he said. has given two
new versions of her original story,
one produced at a preliminary hear
ing and a revised account reserved
for the trial. A "disordered mind"
was also suggested in characterize
ton of Mrs Gibson. citing repetition
of many words in her testimony.
The special prosecutor, in the opin-
ion of the defense attorney, would
have been disqualified for fouling if
the trial had been conducted under
the rules of the boxing ring. He re-
peatedly struck below the belt. Case
charged. An ATTEMPT to force the
widow to look at the garments worn
by her husband, and his companion
when they were slain was an allega-
ton made of unfair methods.
Case explained and illustrated
theory that the minister and choir
singer were shot to death as they
sat under a crab apple tree near De
Russey's Lane. There were no in
dications of a struggle as the state
contends, he said. and he summoned
Timothy n. Pfeiffer of defense coun-
sci to serve as model as he showed
the range of the fatal bullets.
Closing his long address. Case
picked up the Stevens family Bible,
brought to court to show that the
birth and baptism of William Car
bender Stevens was recorded there
with those of the other children by
their mother.
This book contains the lineage
that that man tried to blacken, ne
said, pointing to Simpson, who had
questioned William Stevens parent
age in cross examination of Henry
Stevens.
McCarter closing today an address
/ brought over from yesterday. INSIST
ed that the prosecution of the case
is in reality persecution and re-
peated that James Mills, sexton OF
the church, was in better position to
know of letters between his wife ana
the rector than was Mrs. Hall. The
senior defense counse also stressed
that Mrs. Hall, charged by the state.
with Inadequate spreading of an
alarm for her husband when he fall
ed to return home, was busy seeking
him Friday while Mills, whose wire
had also disappeared the night De-
fore, was inactive.
AS to Mrs. Gibson's story of hav-
| ing seen Mrs. Hall and her brothers
! at the time Of the Staying, Case SAID
it might be the imaginings of nina
| weakened by disease, and that she
might have come really to believe the
story herself. Another possibility. he
said. was that her story was the
product of a guilty mind" The
| third theory he advanced was that
| the story might have been entirely
false that as her name and pictures
appeared in the newspapers she be-
came intrigued and added to the
story bit by bit.
| The psychological makeup of the
! states star witness was discussed in
detail by Mr.. Case. Her testimony
I indicated, he asserted. that her mind
was not normal. He suggested that,
since some doctor was quoted as hav-
| ing said she was a sufferer from can
/ Ger she might have used opium and