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Subject: [GM-L] Maria L. Crue Murder, Groton 1880 Part 10 of 12.
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 14:29:59 EST
Subject: Maria L. Crue Murder, Groton, Mass.
Part 10 of 12
The Trial
An Exhaustive Hearing and a Verdict of Murder in the First Degree.
On Tusday morning December 14, 1880, the trial began in the Supreme Court in
East Cambridge,
Mass., Justices Ames and Lord on the bench. The government was represented
by Attorney
General Marston and District Attorney, W. B. Stevens, while interests of the
prisoner were
carefully looked after by ex-District Attorney George Stevens and William H.
Bent.
After the impanelling of the jury, the testimony herinbefore mentioned was
introduced for
the prosecution. The case was then opened for the defense by Mr. Bent, who
stated that the
defense proposed to show that, whoever was guilty of the murder, the prisoner
at the bar
could not have been the man; that it would be shown that the dead woman was
morally loose,
and that the husband had had trouble with her on that account. Mr. Asa S.
Lawrence, one of
the selectmen of Groton, then took the stand, and testified that on the night
of the murder
he was at the Crue house. He was there about 11 o'clock and remained there
some time. He
saw no blood in the bedroom and observed no marks of a hand or a foot on the
floor. Levi
B. Tuttle, an undertaker, testified that he was at the house of the murdered
woman, and,
in making an examination preparatory to laying her out, discovered that there
was consider-
able warmth to the body. Samuel B. Marshall saw no marks of blood and, not
either of a shoe
or hand. He remained at the house about two hours. Had a talk with Henry
Hewins, who said
that the tramp arrested at Danielsonville, CT., was the man wanted. Miss
Emma Griffins
deposed that on one occasion subsequent to the murder she passed the night
with Jennie Carr,
who admitted to her that she (the Carr girl) was not to testify to anything
except to what
Henry Hewins told her. Miss Nellie Burgess was next sworn, and testified to
being aquainted
with Jennie Carr. Saw her after the murder, and was informed by Miss Carr
that she thought
the man who came to the door of the Crue house on the day of the murder had a
watch chain,
but afterwards said that she was not sure about his having on a watch chain,
that the man
shut the door with his foot. This witness testified further that she had
seen Mr. Crue at
Jennie Carr's house and had seen him kiss her. Miss Burgess had also heard
Crue make threats
against his wife. Upon one occasion he came home and found the harness out
of order and then
said that, if his wife took the horse out again, he would cut her throat.
The witness also
said that Crue had asked her not to say anything about what had taken place
in the neighbor-
hood.
Mr. John Blood next took the stand and testified that he was at the house on
the night of
the murder, and saw footprints on the outside of the house, as if made by
rubbers. The
footprints were 16 or 18 feet from the gate, and were in the direction of the
Junction. He
saw a man about one half a mile from his house going towards Groton. The man
was about 5
feet 10 inches in height, had dark brown hair and whiskers, and had on a dark
blue coat,
faded on the shoulders, and a soft, dark felt hat. He found the track of a
rubber over the
railroad bridge near Mrs. Sherburn's and also found the track of a rubber in
Graniteville.
Mrs. Jane Burgess testified that a man called at her house between 10 and 11
o'clock on the
day of the murder who wore a dark, faded overcoat and a felt hat. The man
went toward
Lowell.
Maria Moulton saw a man pass her house on the day of the murder about 12
o'clock, who was
short and thickset, and who was dressed in dark clothing, with a dark
wide-rimmed felt hat,
and had full whiskers. George N. Blodgett deposed that on the day of the
murder he met a
man going toward the Crue house, who wore a long black overcoat, kossuth hat,
and had dark
whiskers on the side. This was about 12 o'clock. Abbie Hamlin also
testified to seeing a
man pass her house at about the same time described by Mr. Blodgett, but
thought that
Abbott was fully a foot taller than the man she saw.
Several other witnesses were called for the purpose of testifying to the bad
moral character
of the murdered woman. One of these witnesses, Mr. Henry Jewett of
Lexington, testified
that Mrs. Crue was a woman of very loose morals, and that her husband was
very jealous of
her; that Crue had said he had lost control of his house because of the
familiarity of the
men who were in the habit of calling there and that he (the witness) had gone
there to
drive them away.
The prisoner was then placed upon the witness stand and made the following
statement:
"I was born in Norwich, Vermont, and am 42 years old. Am somewhat of a
dabbler in several
things. I worked at Ela's in Cambridgeport, the last time I worked, but
became nervous
because they did not raise my wages, and left their employ. Thought my uncle
in Nashua
would give me employment and so I left my boarding house and bought a through
ticket to
Nashua. At Lowell, I concluded to lay off one night. At Lowell I met a man
and invited
him in to a saloon to get a drink. We played several games of euchre and
drank considerable
beer. I told the man who was with me that I was broke and stopped with him
that night, altho
I had at that time about two dollars. The next day I went to Nashua, and had
breakfast
there. I then went in search of my uncle, John Dunbar, and was told he had
not worked there
for several years. Was told there was no work there. Then went to a
furniture shop, and
found no work there, but was told I could find work at Ayer. I set out to
walk there,
starting at 10:30 o'clock, expecting to get a ride part of the way. On the
road I was taken
into a sleigh, and carried as far as where the road leads to Dunstable. Then
got a ride as
far as East Pepperell. Walked from there to Groton, and went to a hotel.
Just as I was
coming out of the hotel, the children were coming from school. From there I
walked to Ayer
and arrived about 5:30 o'clock. Inquired for Mr. Dolloff's shop, and while
on the way to
that place met two men, who told me I could get a job there. I asked them
where I could get
a boarding place, and told me at the house of Mrs. Dernott. I went there and
in the evening
went to Mr. Dolloff, finding him in the shop. Had conversation with him
about employment,
and he finally concluded that he did not want anybody. I left very much
disappointed. Upon
leaving the shop I met a young man named Eaton on the street, and told him of
my dissapoint-
ment. He said I better go back to Mrs. Dernott - and I went back. The next
morning I went
to the depot, determined to walk to the first depot, as I did not have enough
money to pay
my way to Boston. I walked down the track half a mile, and then took the
highway which I
supposed led to the Littleton station. I met a woman on the road, to whom I
said "It is
hard walking." I then stopped at a well and drank some water, and had a
short conversation
with a man, and then took what I thought was the Fitchburg Railroad."
To be continued, Part 11 of 12.
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