The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-09-26

Something Of Interest to all Maine Farm
The PRESS has several times called attention
to the alleged pruning-knife swindle which
has been, and still is, extensively carried on in
this state. The modus operdndi is well KNOWN
but in brief may be told for the benefit OF the
uninitiated A man stops at farmers house
and tries to sell him one of his patent pruning
knives. The farmer declines to buy. The
man then offers to make the farmer an agent
and give him percentage on all the knives he
sells. The farmer accepts the agency and
signs an agreement of acceptance. The first
thing he knows note is thrust in his face for
the value of lot of knives purporting to bear
his signature, and in almost every case, if not
all, the farmer has had to pay the note.
In the Superior Court, before Judge Bon
ney, test of the validity of one of these notes
was made yesterday 1t was shown that in all
cases the farmers had signed the agreements
to become agents, but denied signing any
notes. 1t was also shown that the signatures
to both notes and agreements were identical,
and were so admitted. In all these cases G..
Hagar was the payee in four and six months.
Before maturity Hagar invariably transferred
the notes to some third party.
In the case on trial. /. z. harrington vs.
Meseryc, harrington was the holder of the
note against Mr.. Meserve of Standish, which
note Mr. Harrington purchased in good faith,
without notice of any fraud, before the note
became due. This fact Mr.. S~asey, counsel
for the. defence, conceded, but denied the
maker ever knew he signed any note, that he
did not sign the paper presented, which pur-
ported to be note, and that as it was fraudu-
lent and obtained by Hagar by fraud, that
defendant was not liable. The Court ruled
that the facts claimed by the counsel consti-
Judgment for the plaintiff for full amount of
the note with interest.
Farmers will therefore see they had better
let pruning-kn alone, or they will cut their
fingers. Mr. Ridlon appeared for Mr.. Earring.
ton.
Personal
AT the tournament at Lewiston yesterday
the diamond champion badge was won by A.
g. Sterling OF this city.
NC llcN. L OOubuWOIlu WIS ISCeHtly pIO-
sented with some superb flowers by ladies of
Stroudwater.
John w. RUSSELL Esq, prominent mer-
chant of this city, for many years one of the
firm of Perley, Russell & Co., wholesale gro
GERS, died at his residence on Pearl street Mon
day evening, of consumption.
Prof. James o. Neal, the middle weight
champion boxer of New England, and Prof.
Nelly O'Donnell light weight collar and elbow
wrestler of Maine, propose to open instruction
rooms as soon as a suitable location can be OBJ
tanned. Mr.. O'Donnell is ready to meet any
wrestler of not over 23S pounds weight.
Tho Boston Herald of last week reports that
a New Hampshire girl of ten years has hair
33a inches long. We expected that the Dirigo
state would of course do better than this-and
so it has turned out-as we have had all inter-
view with Miss Mary Barrows Of Fryeburg
whose auburn hair measures Al inches, and she
will not be ten until November.
The promotion of Lieut.. Miltimore of Fort
Preble to captaincy in the quarternasters
department, left a vacancy in Battery H, LIST
Artillery, which we hear has been filled by the
transfer to it from Fort Warren of Lieut. Ed
Kirby Russell Lieut.. Russell inherits the
soldiers profession. He is the son of old Sur
geon Russell, U. S. army, nephew of old Col.
Kirby, Paymaster U. S. army, and cousin to
Gen. E. X. Smith, Confederate army. Lieut.
Russell served during the rebellion as Major
of the 9th New York Volunteers
His Cousins husband, Capt. Lucien B.
Webster, LIST Artillery, may be remembered
Inv tho old inhabitants &C serving at this Mace
and at Houton years ago. Mrs. Russell is the
daughter of Prof. Eakin Of Philadelphia,
once professor Of mathematics at West Point.
Mr.. Russell's family will add much to the So
cial relations of the Post.