The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-01-01
Eaiiroad Case.
From the Waterville Mail.

From the Waterye MALL
Some excitement was produced in our village
one day last week. by report that Mr.. John
Davis was tearing up the track at the Lower
Deuot." Mr. Davis is a respectable young me-
cbanie. known from childhood in our village,
against whose good character nobody ever whis
pered; and it was only after deliberate enquiry
into the case, that there was method in what
had seemed like madness in the young man.
liz was found that instead of iniuring the track
he was only removing the platform, and with
careful reference to the boundaries of land he
owned on each side of the road. Remonstrance
and persuasion, with slight sprinkling OF
threats, produced no effect and in the course
of the forenoon Mr.. Davis seemed to have fin
lshed his job according to his plan Orders
came from Augusta for his arrest, but nobody
here thought it duty to NEEDLE with him; and
on the following day he was quietly taken to
that place on civil process, where he gave bonds
for his future appearance for trial, and return
ed home. He had acted under advice OF legal
counsel.
Further examination of circumstances, add
ed to what was before generally known has
awakened marked sympathy for Mr.. Davis and
his family, under the wrongs they claim to have
suffered from the Somerset & Kennebec Rail-
road. On whichever side rests the legal ag
erosion, it is well known that great suffering
has resulted to A family now consisting of a
widow and her four children, of whom the ac-
tor in the above case is one. AT the time the
road was laid out, Mr.. James Davis the hus-
band and father, owned a neat little house on
the banks of the river, consisting of cottage,
carpenters shop and barn. 1t was the saving
of years of labor, and constituted his ALL 1t
was necessary that this road should have pass
through this property, and it was so taken as
to cut out the she p and barn, leaving the max
ed house on one side and worthless strip of
land on the other Mr., Davis, in the face of his
known helplessness protested against this
tearing process, and offered to sell the proper
ty al price which the road declined. The ex-
treme excitement produced by this case upon
Mr.. Davis, added to previous infirmity led to
occasional periods of mental alteration, at
which times his rage against the authors of his
real or fancied wrongs mastered all prudence
and during one of them he was charged with
some attempt to destroy the property of the
road He was taken to Augusta, and while
there removal of his shop and barn was effect
ed by the officials OF the road. Mr. Davis
claimed that they also took his tools, stock and
fixtures, in violation of his legal rights, and for
which he had no just compensation. After
years of vexation, his mental in6rmities in
creasing, Mr.. Davis was found one morning
upon the ice under the railroad bridge, dead,
having, as was supposed, fallen through its
timbers and broken his neck.
1t would be strange indeed if, with the little
inheritance he left his widow and children
they did not inherit both his claim against and
his quarrel with the railroad company: and it
is in pursuance of this claim that Mr.. John
Davis has taken the aggressive steps mention
ed above.
We know nothing of the precise legal points
involved in this case, but we assure those d.
rectly responsible, that this community must
earnestly sympathize with the suffering fami-
ly. They believe that the agents of the road
should long ago have adjusted the matter in
dispute, before such terrible wreck was made
of the hopes of an otherwise happy house.
This prosperous road is now able to be even
more than just, and we cannot doubt that the
honorable men concerned in its management
will avail themselves of the present opportuni-
comfort where none has been known for many
long years i''~ W -