Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-01-12
FOOD FOR G0SSIPS.
Oi||lngham-Ai|I Case Being
Tried at Skowhegan.
rlaIntltt Alleges that Defendant Stole
Affections Of His Wife.
Dillingham; on Stand and Tells Story Of His
Domestic Troubles.

Dillingham; Hill case of which mention
Vas exclusively made in the Journal
several weeks ago, is again before the
people. All day long the court house
has been filed to overlooking bv an
ANXIOUS crowd of those who feast on
sensational events, and throughout the
forenoon and early afternoon the
mighty expectant ones were on the
anxious seat. and We're uneasy lest the
case would go over until tomorrow.
The case has been the talk of the
neighborhood in which the parties live
ever since the legal proceedings were
opened.
Eminent council are engaged on both
sides and the trial will probably con-
tinue for several days. The family
knitting and the fancy embroidery
have been brought into court and q
general homelise appearance OF the
court room, peculiar to such trials, has
appeared and everybody by tomorrow
will be quite comfortably settled for
business.
Henry j. Dillingham;. a prosperous
farmer. living about three miles out in
the town of Skowhegan, is the plaintiff
in the case, and Willie Hill, another
well-to-do farmer and a neighbor of
Dillingham's, is the defendant.
The plaintiff alleges in his suit that
the said Willie Hill has through seduc-
ton won the affections Of the plaintiff s
wife Inez L.. and action is brought to
recover such damages as the jury in it's
good judgement may determine.
The case was opened, at 4 O'Clock
this afternoon, by the plaintiffs coun-
sci, Mr. Cover. who made a statement
of the facts as they appear to the plain
tiff and as embodied in the above para
graph.
The first witness was the plaintiff
himself and his testimony in substance
was that he was married to his Wife
in the town of Fairfield Is years ago.
They have now one child, aged L years.
For the first six years Of their married
life the couple lived with the plaintiff S
people and then moved onto the lat
ters own farm.
Defendant Hill is q neighbor, his
house being in plain sight about one
came to the Dillingham; home. Plain
tiff was away from home considerably
often several days at a time, When he
was away, defendant would do the
chores about the PLAINTIFF home.
When the plaintiff returned after an
absence he generally found Hill there.
This got to he neighborhood gossip
and came to plaintiffs ears. he mad
talked this matter over with his wife
and had told her that Hill ought not to
come any more. In reply to the plain
tiff his wife had said that the reason
Hill was there so much was because
his mother was ugly to him, tHlli is Az
years old and he did not want TO stay
at home Plaintiff had had several
talks with his wife about the matter.
1t became notorious in the neIghbor-
hood and the witness said Mrs. fooier
used to laugh at me-.
Witness then told story of how he
and his wife went to Watervllle to at
tend a circus. They met Hill there
and Mrs Dillingham; went around
with Hill instead of her husband. They
fold witness that they were going INTO
n side show but he did not know
W neither they did or not. Mrs. DllllnS-
ham was sick fer sometime after re-
turning from the circus. Plaintiff had
difficulty in getting help for the house
work during his wife's illness and he
took several trips abroad after 40
nestle. Every time he returned from
such trips he found Willie Hill at his
house.
plaintiffs wife left nina, last fall
Before she left, plaintlff had taik
with her in which he told her ne
could go partnerships IN owning d
harrow but he could not so partner
ships in possessing wife lie hao
several talks with his wife after she
left.
He went down to Fairfield to see hef
and found her at George YORK $. lie
tried to get her to come home ana I'VE
with him. He told her he would give
her $3.50. if she would return. He stald
at Yorls's three nights and occupied
the same room with his Wlfe
His wife consented to come back and
live with him. He went home after
the $50 and then returned to talrieia
where he remained three more nlShts.
His wife wanted him to return nome
and top out the kitchen chimney pc
fore she went back to him. he re-
turned and topped out the chimney
and went after his wife. Wheh ne
reached Fairfield he found that Wine
Hin had been there and his Wl1e hdu
changed her mind about returning
home.
The last time plaintiff visited ms
,v;fa he found her at Mr.. PoWefs IN
o,.,,,1 plaintiff only remained
very short time and did not succeed III
getting his wife to return 10 ms iioiiie'
Court adjourned until ciocN To-
morrow. when plaintlif testimony
win he resumed. Cover, walton ioi
n,aiutiff. Forrest Goodwin iof deleho-
ant