Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-01-11
SOMERSET COURT.
December Term Of the Supreme Judicial Court.
Judge WisweIl Presiding.

The action on trial today has aroused
much interest and the court house has
been filled with many listeners. AL
yah Berry of Scion brings suit agains,
the Scion Steam Mill Company fol
personal injuries alleged to have beer
received while employed in defend
ants mill at Scion. Berry was putting
up some blocks at the noon hour on
June Sth last, and his clothing was
caught by the set screw on a certain
shaft. and plaintiff was wound around
the shaft, tearing his clothes. break
ing his left leg. decorating and strip
ping the flesh from the bones on the
right leg. and bruising and wounding
plaintiff seriously. so that his life was
despaired Of. He is able now to walk
little and brings this suit for dam
ages in the sum of ten thousand dol
lars.
Alvah Berry, plaintiff. testified, went
to Moses French. Jr., and applied for
work. hired for $50 month, COM
menced work last Thursday of May.
worked first day. hauling out dressing.
Later hauled away boards from mill.
When | went to work there they were
putting in IA sawdust carrier They
put it in by odd jobs. 1t was put in
below in the basement. 1t has since
been completed. When was there
they We're putting in that part of the
sawdust carrier which runs parallel
with the counter shaft.
Witness described the saWdust car
fier. On the eighth day of June / was
sitting in the mill smoking. Moses
French. Jr., came in with the two
blocks on boxes with holes bored in the
ends. The blocks We're to put in the
sawdust carrier for the shaft to rest
in. French told me to get chise
and chiSel out those holes and nut the
blocks in After / had chiseled the
holes out | began to put the blocks in.
Mr.. French told the engineer to start
up the machinery slowly so he could
turn down tmake smallerD certain
pulley. While witness was putting in
the blocks Mr.. French was turning
down the pulley. Witness described
how he was standing. one foot on one
beam. the other foot one another beam.
Near his right foot We're cog wheels
about which he knew and realized the
danger. Just back of his foot was a
set crew which he did not know about.
which projected about an inch or an
inch and half above the collar. At
ter Moses French had completed his
job of turning down the pulley he
stepped out and said. all right. let
her so. Forrest" The machinery
started up faster. Witness continued
to put in the block at the west end Of
the saWdust carrier shaft when he felt
Of h ;,rl,,
trousers leg was caught in the cog
wheels. He shouted as loud as he
could shut down" and threw his arms
about the counter shaft. which was
the last he knew until he came to
himself in Mr.. French's house He af-
forwards learned that his trousers leg
had caught on the set screw instead of
the cog wheels. Witness here detailed
the extent of his injuries substantially
as described by counsel in his opening
Witness was confined to his bed twelve
weeks before he could sit up at all.
then sat up about fifteen minutes
Two days afterward he sat up a little
longer. He first went out of doors the
saturday before the September cleo
ton. He had suffered much, pain and
still suffers. Wounds were not vet
fully healed.
Oh Green testified, found plaintiff
partly unconscious. Left leg was
broken, there was laceration of the
flesh on the right leg in two places.
and bruises in several places. one quite
severe on his back. The left leg was
put in place, the decorations We're uni
ted by sutures hoping to get union by
first intention. The cords of the right