Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-05-04
A Water street Episode.

A little inc ident took place Water street ia
this city on Thursday last, which shows one phase
of human deprayity, and what desperate means
are sometimes resorted to to evade and resist the
law. One James Morang and his wife have for
several wears been tenants in one Of the Sprague
houses and have kept very disreputable place,
selling liquor, one of their weaknesses being to
drink their own liquor. Some time ago, Mr..
Nourse, the cashier of the Sprague company,
learning the manner of their doing business, aud
how thev conducted them selves. deemed 1t for the
best interests of all concerned to have them yacate,
thereupou he had served upon Morang the legal
notice go days TO quit and deliver up the prem
ises. At the expiration of the notice, failing tn
vacate the process of the Court olHa ned and
put into the hands of Sheriff Libby to execute. 4
week ago last Monday the officer found the Mo
rang woman apparently sick, lying in bed groan-
ing and cry ing as though in great distress, and
appearing to be 10 an unconscious condition. The
officer told Morsng that he must move out a. soon
as possible, and that he must keep the liquor from
his wife that she could rally, as it was well
known that if she was sick it was the result of eS
cessive drinking. Morang put himself on the de-
fepsivs insisting that he could not be forced out
when his wife was sick in bed. Thus matters CON
tinued from the first day the officer went with his
precept, till Thursday last, some ten days, the of
fcer visiting the premises almost daily, hoping to
get them out without reso,tiDg TO extreme meas
ures and each succeeding day finding the woman
in bed grooming, crying, and IN wandering CON
dition of mind as on the first day, and MUrang
refusing to go, or to provide any place to co. and
even refusing to promise TO go. TIE officer was
convinced that II they were not playing OF telgn-
ing sickness, Morang was furnishing rum to his
wife to produce and prOlOng her condition for the
purpose of opposing and evsding the law. Mr.
Nourse desired to get possession as soon posi-
ble avoiding any unreasonable or harsh measures
until his wife was able to he moved. On Thurs
day the officer went again 10 the house, and found
the woman apparently in worse condition than
ct any time before, but he went with the determi-
nation to test the womans sickness. He COM
menced moving the furniture out of all the rooms
except the sick room and At the same time notified
Morang of his intention to move bis wife if he did
not do so himself, all which Morang Indignantly
refused to do. At this point the officer called Il
physician to get his opinion, as to whether she was
in a condition to be moved. The physician gave
his opinion that she could be moved without dan
ger Then express team was brought into re-
qnistion and backed up to the door to receive the
invalid and she told that she was to be moved
to the town farm. her husband failing and refusing
to provide any other place for her. AT this point,
the woman's reason. thai had apparently been 50
long dethroned, began to return and her strength.
that up to this moment had so long failed her, be-
gan to return, and she told the officer that she
would get up and dress herself Her husband I'm
dertook to prevent this until he was removed
from the room, when she got up and dressed her
self, with IS much strength and vigor, as though
she never knew what sickness was. going about
the house packing up her things, and damning the
officers, the Sprague company, the doctor in
particular. and everybody else III general, besides
having . desire to pitch into the officers or any
others who came in her way, for a general fight.
At this point all their goods having been put out,
Mrs. Morang and his invalid wife took their final
departure, with various emphatic expressions OF
disgust they entertained towards the officers and
the law