Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-10-03
LETTER EROM PARIS HILL.
DESCRIPTIVE JUDICIAL CouRr-A
LoG-DRIvING CAsE--TRIAL FOR MAN
SLAUGHTER.

the highest in the State and we belleve at
greater altitude than any other Of its size in
New England. 1t is on the top of noun
tain, but among mountains of grander size,
so that it is modesily content with the name
of Paris Hill. The scenery on the west is
magnificent; below you runs the Little An
droscoggin through broad valley, the Grand
Trunk Railway winding along its course; be-
yond rise lofty hills and still beyond tower
the!White Mountains, iwith Mt. Washington
grandly looming up in the centre of the group
and forming a majestic bsck-ground against
the blue SKY. On very clear days the Tip
Top House can be seen. 1t is about thirty
miles to the base of the mountains in an air
line. To the left of these are the Pleasant
Mountains with a large hotel upon the side
near the summit. They are in Maine and
quite favoritc resort. This quiet little vii
lage itself, attracts many families from Port
land and other parts of the country, who
come here to enjoy its pure air and delight
full scenery. The Grand Trunk Railway does
not have station in the village. but a coach
runs in connection with the trains to South
Paris, thriving village three miles off.
THIS is the capital o. Oxford County, where
Oxford Bears are supposed to come from.
Tue Supreme Judicial Court adjourned here
last Friday night after very busy session Of
ten days. Several cases OF local interest
were disposed of. An action for damages
against the Robinson Manufacturing Co, at
Oxford village, a corporation owned lrinci-
pally by the agent, Mr.. Robinson, an English
man by birth, aud man of great energy and
business ability, was decided by the ju-
ryEin favor of the plaintiff, a Mr. Holden,
who cut some timber around Thompson Pond.
on whose outlet the Robinson dam and mills
are situated, and demanded of Mr.. Robinson
the privilege of running these logs through
| his dam down to the Little Androscoggin river,
l-3 of mile below. 1t was proved beyond
question, that within the memory ofman there
had always been dam there, and that no
logs had ever been run down through it or
over it, yet the jury with the prejudice usual
against powerful corporations, brought in a
verdict for the plaintiff, whose principal { fort
was to show that this outlet OF Thompson
pond was naturally iioatable stream, capa-
BILE of floating lumber and boats except 10
dry seasons. In this they failed in reference
to that part OF it below the dam at least, and
the defence proved that even if the logs had
gone over the dam they could not have been
got down stream without costing at least four
times as much as Mr.. Holden had to pay to
have them hauled around. The defence
claimed that to build a sluice through the
dam would involve great expense and endan-
ger the safety of the mills and of the whole
valley below, creating probably second Mill
River disaster. The plaintiff was represented
by A. AfStrout, Esq, of Portland, young
lawyer of great ability and success with juries.
The defendants had three able lawyers, Gen.
Frye of Lewiston, Gen. Perry of Oxford, and
a lawyer from Portland. The defence took
exceptions to the rulings of the court (Judge
Danforih) aud intend to carry the case up.
The last three days of court were spent in
trying Lysander T. Butterfield on a charge of
manslaughter for the killing of Henry A.
Hammond, both residents Of the town of Paris,
and created great local excitement. The cir
cumstances of the case are briefly, that on the
llth of Oct 1873, Henry Hammond and his
brother George came to the residence of But
terfeld with the intention no doubt of giving
the latter thrashing, i'll feeling having ex-
listed for some time; that Butterfeld was
called out of the barn by his wife and went TO
gap in the front fence near where the Ham
monds were stanling, holding a hoe with
which he had been cleaning out the tie.up in
his left hand. An angry and very blasphe-
nous alteration ensued during which Butter
| field struck Henry terrible blow with the
back part of the hoe blade, crushing through
his temple As Henry fell Butterfleld struck
the brother George as quick as he could raise
aud strike, SHINING his arm and side and
breaking the hoe handle Henry lay uncon-
scious and without any sign Of life for several
MINUTES, was taken home to his fathers house
where he was attended by DR.. Brown, a high
ly respected physician Of Paris, and nursed
by the young LADY who became his wife the
following December. He gradually recovered
so as to be around some and attend to bust
ness, but never got strong and well as before
the injury. About the last of February the
doctor was called again, the patient grew rap
idly worse and about the middle Of March be-
came entirely unconscious and parayzed, and
finally died. A post-mortem was held Gem
posed of dozen or more physicians, and the
skull was found broken and depressed and
the brain sottencd under the wound; that
after cutting off three slices of the brain three
assesses were found in Its center; that in the
opinion at least of the three physicians who
testified, Drs. Brown, Gordon of Portland
and - of Buckfield, death was causedsby
the blow struck by Butterfeld. Mr.. Strout
of Portland was also counsel in this case and
made very telling and eloquent argument of
four hours length to the jury in favor Of the
accused. He was assisted by Mr.. KimbaN Of
Paris, formerly the Clerk of Courts. The
prosecution was ably conducted by Messrs.
Bisbee and Black of Paris, the former the