Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-09-18

AUGUSTA LOCALS.
SUPERIOR COURT.
september Term, Hon. Oliver G, HalI
Presiding.

w. S. CHoArE. Clerk.
A. L. MCFADDEN, Sheriff.
geo. w. HEsELToN, County Attorney.
f. A. SMALL. Stenographer.
Augusta, Sept. II.
The first case taken up before the
jury, this morning, was that of State
VS.. George Howard, indicted for an as
sault and battery upon his wife. County
attorney for State, G. c. Sheldon for re-
spondent. The testimony on the part
of the government was substantially
that the respondent with his wife and
four children, and his wife's niece. IA
years of age, live in a small house on
Sewall street, about quarter of mile
below the Capitol; that on the night of
July "a last, the respondent left his
home and came to the city, returning
to his home about o clock in the morn
ing in an intoxicated condition and go
ing to bed, whereupon his wife took a
pillow and took position on the floor
that the respondent soon arose and
went up stairs, against the remon-
STRANGE of his wife, to a room occupied
by her niece and threw himself upon
the bed; that the wife followed him
closely, seized him and pulled him from
the bed tearing his undershirt from him
in her efforts, the niece meanwhile es-
Gaping to the room below; that the re-
spondent Immediately seized a bed slat
and made an attack upon his wife
striking her on the hip and back, and
with his hand in the face, until she
finally escaped to the room below and
finally escaping with her children to es
cape his continued act of violence
Several witnesses We're. introduced to
show the bruised and beaten condition
of the woman the next day. The re-
spondent went upon the stand, and tes-
titled that the whole night was blank
to him and he remembered nothing
that took place. Counsel for the de-
fence claimed in his argument to the
jury that all the testimony showed that
it was family fight and that the wife
was the aggressor; and did nothing ex-
cept to defend himself against the at
tacks of his wife. Verdict guilty
State VS.. Charles Lessor. County at
torney for State, G. c. Sheldon for de-
fendant. Indictment for selling a
diseased hog. The claim on the part of
the government that Moses Carey, liv-
ing on the Plains in Waterville, had a
hog in the spring of '96 that had beer
sick six weeks, and it finally broke it's
leg; that he accordingly had the pig
killed and left it for the soap manufac-
turer to take away; that during the
same day the respondent, who was pre-
sent when the pig was killed, as the
government claims, took the animal
away, dressed it, and sold it to party
for dollar; that this party hearing of
the diseased condition of the hog, made
the respondent take it back, and he
then sold it to one Charles Hunter of
Watervlle for So. Hunter heard of the
fraud upon him. cut the hog up and
examined it and found an ulcer back
of the shoulder near the ribs and the
kidneys absolutely rotten. Hunter
thereupon swore out warrant against
Lessor but he could not be found, the
government claiming that he left to
avoid arrest. He was apprehended
about three months ago. The govern
ment introduced evidence to show that
Lessor was told that the hog was
diseased.
The testimony en- the part of the gov
ernment was nearly concluded when
court adjourned.