Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-10-27
MORE ABOUT THE NELSON'S.
Properly Gone and Father About Fenniiess
= Story 0! Boys Misdeeds.

Forrest J. Martin, Esq, and wife re-
turned on the noon train, Monday,
from a visit to Clinton Mr.. Martin
| was resident Of Clinton for some
years and among his clients were the
Nelson's of whom much is being written
| at the present time. AS result OF
| Mr.. Martins efforts in keeping Foster
out Of jail in times past and the loaniis
| of some money to Moses Nelson, the
father of Foster and Wallace, ne holds
seven mortgages which very thorough
ly cover all of the Nelson property.
| Mr.. Martin says the old man is a
subject for pity. Possessed Of COM
Portable property when his sons were
| growing up, he finds today. owing to
the many scrapes in which they have
figured and his endeavors to keep them
out Of jail he has nothing left. and
such a prospect for man "A years Of
age is dubious enough.
| Foster Nelson, who escaped from the
| custody Of Deputy Sheriff McNaly Is
| described as Il man of splendid
| physique. standing fully six feet ana
| weighing go pounds with no surplus
| flesh whatever His brother Wallace
IS not SO large but the more courageous
If the two. Both were accused Of
| burning school house located but Il
short distance from where they lived
| in 1888. and the case vas tried in Au-
| gUsta.
| 1t seems that another man. by the
| name OF q. II. Whittier figured in the
case ard his father made some state
mcnt previous 10 the trial which would,
Il introduced as evidence aid the pros
| ccuticn very materially. 1T was that
| he had overheard the Nelson's planning
| me destruction Of the school house.
| Foster heard of il also and previous to
| the trial some days. invited the old
man to visit him. The old man accept
| "a the invitation and was treated to
| liberal quantities of liquor and became
| thoroughly paralyzed. Foster then
| took him in team and drove to Rome.
| Where he was left with some friends Of
Fosters who, FOR certain sum. agreed
| to look after him and keep everything
| quiet until after the trial.
They. however. did not succeed, for
the old man was looked up. summoned
| as witness. appeared and gave tes-
| ti'nony.
| Mr.. Martin represented the Nelson's
and says that he had hard fight of it
! but Wallace got year and 4 half in
| State prison and Foster was freed.
The trouble which caused the burn
| ing of the school house came about
| through Mrs. Jennie Nelson lFoster's
| Tife) visiting the school and starting
| rumpus that spread through the
| neIghb0rhood and the Nelson's then
| swearing that another school should
| never be kept there.
| The first Nelson case in which Mr..
| Martin figured was when Foster and
| his wife were arrested for keeping a
| tipping shop. Nelson did Tot propose
| 10 be caught in this case and Deputy
| Sheriff McNally and Geo. H. Morse.
| I,sq.. now Of Pittsfied, but then q
| student in MIR. Martins office. started
| IN pursuit of him. Nelson found OUT
| that they We're after him and took fer
| the woods as they approached his
| house
! The sheriff and Morse saw him and
-ve chase, finally overtaking him after
| they had discharged their revolvers
| several times at his fleeing figure
| Nelson wanted to return to the house
and change mis- clothes and they de-
cided to allow him to do 50. but Morse
did not lower his revolver, and kept ii
| iii readiness to use should Nelson make
! the least attempt to escape.
| The trial lasted for two days at Cln-
ton village and the prisoners We're
finally discharged upon the payment Of
| j fine. The Nelson's in this case were
! defended by Chapman of Fairfield, and
the fact that they had been beaten by
Martin was sufficient to cause them TO
| engage his services afterwards when
| in trouble.
| Fir. Martin states that Foster Nelson
| accompanied by his brother Wallace.
has gone to Canada and that they Went
away last Thursday night 1t is his
| opinion that the present trouble is a
| part Of a we'll laid plot on the part of
Nelson's Wife and a man by the name
of Kelly. who wished to get Foster out
NJ the way, although he does not think
that the plotters anticipated that the
result of their efforts would be quite
as serious as the outcome has proved.
| That the boys are a bad lot Mr.. Mar
| tin freely admits. He says that he told
Foster some time ago that should he
| set into any more scrapes the best
thing for him to do would he to leave
the country. The team which Nelson
\
in order to protect himself Mr. Martin
has foreclosed all of his mortgages on
the property.
| There are two candidates for DEPUTY
Sheriff McNally's Observation-Disclosures
Jaquith and a man by the name of
/ Young, both of whom are circulating
petitions. Both are endeavoring to get
| the appointment because of the report
! circulated that McNally allowed Fos-
ter Nelson to escape from him a short
time since, something that many of the
Clinton people believe. but which Mr..
Martin, scouts as being decidedly alb
| surd. The move does not seem to
worry McNally much as the position
is not very paying one.-Bangor
! Commercial.
4 $4,000