Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1874-09-29
Perry, W. /. FRYE, Andrews
THE uANsLAUGHTER CASE.

State vs.. Iysander L. Buttcrheld.
Indeed Tor manslaughtcr.
The respondent is charged with having
inflicted wounds upon the head Of Henry
c. Hammond with hoe,on DC, Ober llth,
1873. from the effects OF which he died
March I4th 1874.
The respondent was arralgned and
plead not guilty.
George l.. BISbee Esq, Go. Attorney
with Alvah Black. Esq, rs advisory conn-
sci. lor the : ate.
IA. Strout, Esq, and VIM. X. Kun
ball, Esq, for the respondent.
The following jurors were drawn and
sworn:
Rudolph Greenwood.
Luther i. Holt.
George liurnlam.
Jacob I.uddcn.
George G.. Abbott.
Edgar II. Powers,
Saml j. Mari.
Dana W. Cooling.
Henry Abbott.
David Frost.
Joseph H. Davis.
lchabud VI. Thomas.
Mr.. Thomas was appointed Foreman.
Upon motion of the counsel for the de-
fence. aud previous TO the opening Of the
case the Jury visited the placc-which Is
about two miles FROM the Court House
where the alleged crime was committed.
Upon the return of the jury the County
Attorney opened the case for the State.
The facts Ia the case are that on the
llth day OF October last the prisoner at
the Bar struck Henry &. Hammond n
mortal blow with u hoe from the effects OF
which he died on The l4th OF March, 1874.
The penalty for the crime OF which the
prisony at the Bar Is charged with, Is
not more than ten years imprisonment or
more than one thousand dollars fine. The
question for YOU To determine is, did the
prisoner ut the Bar Kill Henry {. Ham
momd? IL is understood that the counsel
for the defence admits the striking OF the
| blow. but that Il was done In self defence.
| The Co. ATTY. cited the law applying to
/ the case. The circumstances OF the case
whice the Govt. expects TO prove are that
! the accused and deceased both lived In
/ Paris in the same school district. The
/ deceased was a young man about y yeaiN
| old. aud lived AT his fathers house and
was peaceablc citizen. lie WAS return
ing homo from Paris Hi alone In his gig
and when at VIM. Ellis he fell in with
/ Edwin Il. Stcarns, and As they reached
The corner were having loud talk, then
their roads divergcd. Hammond taking
one in the Ill rcciion OF his home aud StearnS
the other. Buttcrilcld was in his garden
between the two roads and when they
were opposite he addressed remark TO
one OF the pa. ties which led TO hard talk
between Buicrcld and Hammond, in
course Of which Hammond's vcracty
WAS questioned by Bultcriicld. when Ham
mond rode down 10 his BROTHER Georges
house and requested him to come up aud
| settle the matter They w.nt back and
when in l.ont of Butteriicld's barn Henry
cot ont OF his ~ and threw blanket
over his colt and stood ih the road with
bis reins in the lett hand and whip in the
right hand. Geo, @e s.o0d behind The zig
filling his pipe. No one WAS in sight
when they arrived. but immediately 'hey
heard the voice OF Mrs. But,eriield cying
out. 'Saudcr, come out. he has come back
and brought hacker with hm;' that very
soon after that voice was heard, Butter
field came out of the barn with 4 hoe Ia
his hand toward them. l he gig stood in
the Travelled road ami Henry stood on the
edge OF the road with the reins in his
hand. Bultcriield came rapidly 10 where
Henry stood and said 10 Hammond, go
home. YOU are drunk" Henry replied.
YOU licr Butteriield repeated the
charge and Henry with an oath again
told him he lied, BItterfield thea drew
his hoe and struck blow with all his
strength and fclled Henry o the ground
apparently dead; he then aimed second
blow at the prost. ate body Of llen.y which
George sprang 10 intercept, when Butter
field changed the direction at George. and
which struck him with such violence that
the handle of tile hoe was broken. When
Peleg Hammond took Henry's horse TO
90 for tue doctor the reius OF the fotse
were under Ilenry's body and he had to
be lifted to get the relns on.
For some two or three eeks he laid at
his fathers house i'm a very doubtful con-
dition whether he would live or not; after |
that he recovered so far as to be out and
do some small chores. and I've did oversee |
some work, but during the whole time he
suffered with head aches. loss of memory.
great sleepiness. sc. After n time he
grew worse, was confined TO his bed, and |
finally died OH the nth of March. After |
death an autopsy was made by Drs. |
Brown of Paris, Co don OF Portland, and |
Irish of Buckfield, in presence OF ply
sicians selected by the ffi' ud' Of the |
respondent. Three abcesSes were found |
in the brain which were evidently caused |
by wound upon the skull.
That there was hard feeling between |
Buttertield and Hammond Is true. but the |
question for the Jury to decide is whether
Butterficld struck the blow that killed |
Hammond or not, and if so il he had |
justitiabe cause for so doing.
The following witnesses for the State
were called:
George II. Hammond.
Peleg b. Hammond.
Peleg Hammond.