The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-10-25
THE DEFENDANT WINS.
Jury Awards No Damages to the Taus-
sigs.

Hale-Last Witness Shows THAT Fire
works Were in the Hotel without Mr..
| Seas Knowledge.
| The Taussig case was continued yes
| terday with the completion of the cross
examination of Mr.. Charles p. Flagg. Mr..
| Flagg said that about eight of the Port
| land party went to the tower that night.
| He was the last one up in that tower.
When he got there sparks were on the
roof, but went out shortly. There was
a thick mist and everything was wet.
| He watched the sparks go out. After
getting down a few steps he turned back
to take another look. There was no
| sign of spark on the entire roof. The
| sparks that he saw were scattered ON the
front side of the roof. He knew where
they came from only from inference.
Judge Walton asked if there was any
direct testimony as to whether there
were fire works thrown from the tower.
Mr.. Flagg did not know of his own
knowledge whether the sparks were
made by rockets from the ground or fire
crackers from the tower. Judge Walton
said that as there was no direct evidence
AS to the cause of the sparks it must be
left to inference.
Questioned by Mr.. Larrabee Mr.. Flagp
stated that the Portland party had
small cannon crackers and other small
fireworks. He brought them.
Mr.. Harry Nj. Wilson, of Portland.
took the stand. He attended the dance
that night. The dance closed at about
ten O'Clock. After that he went out on
the verandah with his friends He went
TO his room at about 10 O'Clock. His
room was next to Mr.. Flagg's He went
immediately to bed. He was awakened
first by an cutlery. Later he heard Mr..
tlagg leave his room, and then he looked
out OF the window, saw that there was
fire, left his room, went half way up
the stairs, saw that the fire was in the
attic, and couldn't be extinguished by
him, returned to his room. dressed,
packed his trunk and took it down
stairs. There was no smoke in the COR
ridor. He went half way up the attic
stairs without difficulty. He had pur-
chased fireworks that day with Mr..
Flagg. He carried them to the hotel and
put them under the bed in his room.
He did not inform Mr.. Sea or anyone
that he had done so. and had no reason
to believe that Mr.Sea knew of it.
When he went part way up the stairs to
the top floor he saw Mr.. Sea and his son
at the top of the stairs.
Miss Fannie Taussig again took the
stand and so did Miss Robichek and
both testified that they did not see any
card in their room making statement
in regard to jewelry etc., and should
have seen it had it been there Miss
Robichek testified that Lawrence Will
lard stated to her at about 43O ann,
after the fire that be heard noises in the
tower and couldn't go up because he had
no authority to order the people to come
down.
Mrs. Taussig took the stand. She did
not see any notice on her room door with
reference to putting jewelry in the SAFE
Mr.. Noah Taussig testified to the same
effect. He saw no such notice. Had
it been anywhere within sight he would
have seen It.
The plaintiff rested their case here.
Mr.. Lawrence Willard took the stand.
and questioned by Mr.. I,arrabee. said
that he did not make the statement
attributed to him by Miss Robichek and
had no conversation with her whatever.
This closed the evidence on both sides.
Mr.. Larrabee made the closing argu-
ment for the defence. He said that AS
he understood the rules of law the plain.
tiffs must prove their loss, that it was
que 20 negligence of the defendant, and
that they in no way contributed to it.
themselves.
First as to the loss, he had only to saw
in regard to that that the extravaganza
and remarkable stateme nts of the plain
tiffs in regard to their property must be
weighed in respect to their other testi-
mony. Miss Fannie Taussig comes from
New York and boards in the attic of a
house on Chebeague Island, and in her
trunk has twelve dresses, some of them
worth over 500, and various laces, fnrs,
etc, all to the value of $1,000, and all
in one trunk. A woman who has no
resources of her own, who has no father,
and mother with no resources, says
that she comes here with this ris. which
she stores under the caves of the attic
Of this hotel. Nine new dresses, and
not even receipt or bill from those who
have prepared her magnificent robes.
Here comes Mrs. Taussig, venerable
lady, for whose white hair have due
reverence and who stores in that hotel in
one trunk dresses some of which were
worth $500 and other personal belongings
to the value of Sl40O. How many 5000
dresses can be packed in single trunk
without running them? Noah Taussig
comes with suits Of clothes made by
tailor whom he has long employed, but
whose name he don't know, and he