Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-10-18
stick with the bark on it, apparently

sled stake.
Fuller at this time had got across the
bare ground and onto me snow, a rod or
two ahead. Hodges commenced striking
at Maddocks with the club and and Mad
docks defended himself with the shovel
by holding it up against the blows.
Hodges then swung his horse around onto
witness and he grabbed him by the head
and set him back into the breeching and
broke the harness Hodges tnen stepped
in turning the sleigh and drove back to-
ward his home. Fuller did not come near
the team. Witness did not strike at
Hodges with the intention of hitting him.
but only to defend himself, The shovel
might have reached his shoulder. Did not
think he could have reached his head,
for he stood up on the seat of his sleigh.
Fuller called out to Maddocks and told
him not to have any trouble with
Hodges, and it was at that time that
Maddocks put his shovel down and
Hodges swung his horse onto him. Heard
no cry of murder, but he and Hodges
were hallooing some. He did not recol-
lect of making the remark at the mill
attributed to him by Plummer that he
expected to have to pay for it.
Sydney X. Fuller, one of the defendants,
testified that he was a farmer and had
been one of the selectmen of WinslOw.
He corroborated the testimony of the last
witness as to the trip with the team on
Feb. s, and of being hailed by Hodges as
they passed by his place. and said that
when. the team had passed from the bare
ground in the road he stopped the horses,
and asfhe turned aroitnd he saw for the
first time Hodges I'M his sleigh with
club in one hand. his reins in the other,
and he and Maddbcks. who had a shovel.
We're having a brush.2 Hodges was strik-
ing at Maddocks, who was defending
Hold on. Walter" and they stopped
striking then or soon after. Hodges then
swung his horse around toward Mad
dockshhnd struck his horse with the
stick. {, Witness then found that hisoteam
had run away and he started after it,
Witness did not go near Hodges or his
team.
Mrs. Fuller. wife of the last witness
testified that she went on the day in
question with her husband and MaddOcks
as far as her fathers. few rods north
of Albert Hodges. where she stopped.
and cOrroborated the hast two witnesses
as to what was said as they passed the
compartments stable. In few moments
after entering her fathers house she saw
Albert Hodges drive rapidly past in the
direction which her husband had taken.
She Immediately went to a north window.
which commanded view of the bare
ground in the road beyond. Mr.. Fuller
was then walking behind his sled and
MaddOcks a short distance in the rear.
When Hodges had come within a short
distance of them, he got up in his sleigh
and pulled out what she called sled
stake and raised it in ,ne air and still
kept on toward her husband and Mad
docks. He came upon Maddocks and
Maduocks turned. He struck at Mad
docks, who held his shovel up to defend
himself while blows were being dealt him.
Saw her husband turn around and heard
him say: Hold on. Walter" Maddocks
then jumped away and Hodges struck his
horse with the club and tried to drive
onto him. Maddocks grabbed the horse
by the bits and set him back quite severe
ly. Hodges then got out of his sleigh,
turned it around and drove back.
Llewellyn e. Hodges, father of the last
witness and a nephew of the complain
ant, testified that he was lying on the
lounge at the time his daughter came to
she came he heard somebody say there
was trouble up the road. He immedi-
ately got up. put on his coat and went
out of doors and looked up the road.
Fuller and his team We're not in sight.
but he saw Albert Hodges out of his
sleigh. He had in his hand a club that
looked like a sled stake. Maddocks was
| then about 20 feet beyond Hodges, stand
ing still. Hodges pushed his sleigh
around so as to drive back. Before leav-
ing. he said: Il will learn you to take a
shovel to me-" and Maddocks used some
profanity. and said something about If
he hadn't got enough of it. Il will give
| you some more" or something to that
| that he was not on good terms with AL
| bert Hodges.
| J. w. Bassett, town clerk and post
| master at WinslOw testified that he had
! been acquainted with Albert Hodges sc
| years and knew his general reputation as
| to being a peaceable or quarrelsome cit
| iZen.
Counsel for the defendants then put the
| question as to what his reputation was In
| this particular, and the county attorney
| Ohipcfad "a no Stain od no oh.
| lection. Upon reflection, Mr.. Heseltor
withdrew his objection and the testimony
was allowed to go in
| Mr.. Bessett then testified that the com.
plaintant was very h-tempered anG
quarrelsome man. and there was always
| more or less trouble between him anG
| those with whom he was doing business
sometimes going so far as to be violent
This was his reputation. Witness hai
| heard 1t discussed frequently in his store
On cross examination, he testified thai
he had heard of Hodges being in quar-
rel with one McCausland, man thai
worked for him, also with Ed Hunt and
Fred Ellis, who worked for him. Coult
not give particulars of the alterations
| In two of the cases blows were struck
/ Witness did not know who was the ag
| gresSOr.
Elliot T. Dunning. one of the municipal
ofhcers of Winslow, testified that Alber
| Hodges was regarded as a man of quite
/ violent temper, and his temper got hin
i into a good deal of trouble sometimes
more so than a good many other citizens
On cross examination, he testified tina
the trouble he got into consisted NOR,
frequently of words than blows, bu
sometimes blows. Never had been a wit
ness of his striking anybody, but hat
heard before and after this trouble, tina
he had. Had heard more about him sine,
this matter came up than before,
On redirect he testified that about fou
years ago he heard q Hodges getting int