Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-21
AUGUSTUS NO LONGER
The Unique Outcome Of lpauper
Case--Two Chile en- Concerned.
Moses Bickfcrd Mari ! Four gisnss : i,i.,
Once to. xany.


come Of a suit brsughs aeafast Aa-
gusta in December fSsg hy he i5ssn
of Emblem in the supreme canit Of
Somerset county to recover fos pallper
supplies furnished ons Moses e.ekford
and wife and five young children, then
supposed To be legally his. Thereby
hangs long buried tale. 1t is row
settled. by the evidence THAI q forrser
Wife Of Bickfords was living AT t44e
time of the marrage She y nov n
Boston.
This case assumed great Importance
III the eyes of the overseers of the poor
because of the size Of the family, the
amount of the present bill. and the
certainty that these paupers would
cause great expense in the future, and
from the fact that While Moses Bick-
ford is 65 years old, his supposed wife
is only about 81.
Therefore Overseers of the Poor
Maher and Brooks deemed it expedient
TO make the most thorough and ex-
haustive inquiry and examination of
the question Of the pauper settlement
of this family, for the purpose, if pos
sible of shifting their settlement from
Augusta. In pursuing this inVestiga-
ton they have visited Somerset county
several times and number of towns
in Massachusetts.
1t was discovered that Mr. Bickford
was a much married man and that the
present Mrs. Bckford was the fourth
in his list of putative wives.
Biekford. at the age of Is, married
his first wife in Dead River, Me. She
survived the marriage only Is months
soon after her death. Bickford married
in 1854, in Boston. highly respecta Bile
lady, whom he deserted in Massaehu-
sets in 1874 and came to E,mbden.
Maine. In 1882 he married a third
time in Arson, woman who survived
the marriage only two years. In 1885
he married Mrs. c. A. Daggett. makirg
No. 1. then but just divorced The
Daggett woman and the children
which she has borne since her mar
riage to Bickford are the paupers in
question.
1t was discovered after a long search
that wife No. is still living in Mas
ca AZ
vorced from Bickford AS a conse-
quence of this discovery the marriage
to the Daggett woman is illegal and
in contemplation of the law she is not
his wife. neither We're the children his
Bickford belonged to Augusta but
the Daggett woman belonged to Emb-
den prior to her marriage TO Bickford
which, if legal. would have changed
her settlement to Augusta together
with that Of all the children.
The nlarrige to Bickford however. |
being illeg gal she reta ined her previous
pauper settlement in Embden and the |
children. being illegitimate, follow the
mothers settlement. which throws her
and all the children on to Embden.
The case was assigned for trial for
Thursday. Dee. -. and Overseer of the
Poor Maher, City Solicitor Thomas
Leigh. Jr.. and Mr.. A. NJ. Goddard |
who had investigated a certain branch |
of the case in the absence of the city |
solicitor on the stump, went to SkoW
hogan ard Enbden, Tuesday. to sum
mon the witnesses and prepare for
trial. with the result that. Friday. the
case was settled in court by judg |
ment which forever relieves Augusta
of all liability to Embden for
all past future charges on ac-
count of the Daggett woman. and the
FIVE children.
Mayor Choate arrived on the scene. |
noon, and remained until the
case was disposed Of, Friday. when all
returned bringing back Mr.. Bickford,
Nho is now at the Augusta Aims |
House
The investigation of the case brought
out some curious features of this Curl
Gus case. On one occasion, about six
weeks ago. when the weather had got
to be very chilly. one of the overseers
visited the home of the Bickfords 1t
was late when he arrived there. He
approached the place over fields and
fences. and through patches of woods.
where only d small road intruded. He
saw light in the barn-yard as he APP
preached, and close by it was Mrs.
Bckford. who weighs some 215, saving
wood
"Where's the MANI" was asked.
oh he's away. But I'm boss here, |
III have you know"
She vas evidently paying the penal
ties that go with it. But being sturdy |
she is good for il.
This woman. the oVerSeerS say, had |
a peculiar way of making her calls. |
1t was the custom, on account OF hel |
poverty. of the authorities al Emblem |
to send Mrs Bickford provisions of |
various kinds. which provisions were |
charged up to Augusta. as has been |
explained Mrs. Bckford used to trade |
off provisions to pay the neighbors for
taking her about to different places |
where she might happen to want to
make an afternoon call. This came out |
of the mouths of the five children |
They were Notwithstanding very friskS |,
and apparently we'll. One, Grover
Cleveland by name, aged 9. was re
markably bright boy.
The house where the family lived t
showed signs of great restitution and
there was no bed anywhere. They all