The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-04-30
THE PEPPERELL CASE.
Jury Returns Verdict for Defense in
25 Minutes.
1t Was Impossible to Show that Contract
Was Made with Oskar oIausson.

| 1t Was Impossible to Show that a Contract
Was Made with Oskar O1ausson.
In the United States Circuit Court be-
fore Judge Webb Monday morning the
contract labor case against the Pepperell
mills of Biddeford came up. District
Attorney Bradbury appeared for the gov
eminent, and Judge Symonds and John
poration. The action was civil one;
and the allegation was that in Novem-
| Der, 1898, one Oskar Olaussen was
brought over from Denmark under con-
tract to work for the defendant corpora
ton. As the witnesses were generally
Danes the services of Rev. K. o. Storli,
pastor of the First Lutheran church. was
called into service as an interpreter. He
proved most capable interpreter.
speaking English fluently and accurately.
| As in most of these contract labor
cases, great difficulty was experienced by
the government in proving the contract
| part.
The testimony began after Mr.. Brad
bury had read the complaint.
| Oskar Olaussen testified that he was
10 years of age. a native Of Copenhagen,
and now employed at the United, States
Marine Hospital. He left Copenhagen
October "a, 1898.
| How did he happen to come to Amer
icas asked Mr.. Bradbury.
~ object" said Judge Symonds.
| But Judge Webb decided to admit the
question, and the witness answered that
it was by speaking with man named
Youngstrand.
| Here to connect Younestrand with the
defendant corporation it was necessary to
summon John. Gustavson. He could
talk English. He had worked in the
Pepperell Mills five years. He had
| known Peter Youngstrand for three
years. Youngstrand had worked in the
Kennebunk Leatheroid factory, but last
fall began to work in the Pepperell mill
In 1893 he was employed in Kennebunk.
| AS Youngstrand was not working for
| the Pepperelf mill at the time he is al
legged to have contracted with Olaussen,
the district attorney started in relation
| to a written contract.
Judge Symonds here came to the front
with objections.
District Attorney Bradbury offered to
| show that Youngstrand showed to sew
eral Witnesses contract between him.
self and the Pepperell Mills Company.
| Judge Webb said that this offer to
prove amounted to no more than to show
that Younsgtrand had paper which he
declared was contract embodying his
authority to hire help.
II give you notice to produce that con-
tract" said Mr.. Bradbury to Judge
| Symonds.
"We deny that there is or ever has been
such contract"
Judge Webb then advised that the dis
tIict attorney begin at the other end Of
the case, and develop what Olaussen tdid
when he arrived here.
But Mr.. Bradbury declared that no
progress could be made in that direction
and still insisted that he should be al
lowed to bring in the witnesses who had
seen the contract.
Judge Symonds said that such a con-
| tract, had it existed, must have been in
English, and it would be impossible for
the witnesses to know anything more
about the document than what Young
strand told them.
Mr.. Bradbury then said that Young
strand had displayed such document,
had got the people to come over, and the
Pepperell mills had hired them when
they did come.
Here Judge, Webb demanded where
Youngstrand was.
/ The interpreter said: Youngstrand was
in the room minute before, but when
search was made he was found to have
vanished.
Then Oskar Olaussen was recalled, and
the Thingvalla Line, and from New
York to Boston by the Fall River Line
In Boston he had the address of Fred
erick Petersen, not directly but through
third person, Elenor Petersen, to
whom he understood Youngstrand to
have given it. He did not, however,
see Youngstrand give the address. He
came to Biddeford by the Boston &
Maine.
Petersen paid his fare from Boston to
Bidleford. M
10 this piece of testimony the defense
objected.
After Olaussen and his companions ar
rived in Biddeford they went to work
for the Pepperell mills.
When asked about wages witness said
they had contract and got four or five
dollars each week. When he received
his pay deductions were made from his
wages.
Here counsel for defense objected.
District Attorney Bradbury said he
should ask why the deductions were
made.
Mr.. Goodwin said that if deductions
were made the pay envelopes. which
would show amounts and reasons, would
be the best evidence.
But Judge Webb allowed the admission
of the question.