The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-10-20
SUITS FOR ISLANDER.
The Story Of the iIarraseeket House
Fires Told Again.
BUNKER CLAIMS DAM
AGES FROM THE OWNERS.

He Alleges That They Accused Him OF
Being the Firebug-The Case Heard
Yesterday without jury and the De
cision Reserved-Some Interesting Tes
timony.
In the Superior Court yesterday the
cases of Leslie r. Bunker VS.. Frederick
w. Nichols and Louisa Nichols were
called These are two suits for SANDER,
growing out of the trouble which has
been agitating the people of Freeport for
some time past On the eighth of last
o ctober, the defendants, who are hus'
band and wife, leased to the plaintiff the
Haraseelzet House at Freeport. The
plaintiff ran it ten months; and during
that time there were four fires in the ho'
tel, one of which damaged it to the ex-
tent of So, 900. This occasioned consider
able excitement in the village, and it was
incendiary origin. A good deal Of talk
was also made to the effect that Bunker
was the one who set the fires. In t hese
two suits, which were tried together, Bun.
ker alleges that these defendants accused
him to various persons, of being the fire
bug, and claims damages from each in
the sum of $1,000. VIM. Z. johnson, OF
South Portland. testified that in August
last Mrs Nichols stated to him at Free
port, that she thought Mr.. Bunker set
the fires. Hannah L. Dresser, Of Free
port, testified that she asked both Mr..
and Mrs Nichols if they thought Mr..
Bunker set the fires, and that they both
replied, "Of course Mr.. Bunker set the
fires Ella M. Miller, of Freeport, tes-
titled that in conversation with Mrs.
Nichols in regard to their going back to
the hotel, Mrs. Nichols said they never
would have been in that plight If 1t
hadn't been for Mr.. Bunker. Witness
then said, "Do you think that he set the
drep" and Mrs. Nichols replied, "Of
course he set the fire."
In defense Mr.. Nichols testified in re-
gard to the fires and then denied abso-
lutely that he ever made any Of the state
ments testified to by the witnes es for plain
tiff. On cross examination, he said he
thought in his own mind that Mr.. Bun
ker did set them, and then added that ev-
erybody else in the village thought SO too.
Mr.. Sleeper then asked him why he vol
unteered that last remark, and he replied,
because he wanted to, and counsel then
said if he was that kind of witness he
didn't desire to ask him any more ques.
lions.
Mrs. Nichols admitted that she had
conversations in regard to the fire with
both Mr. johnson and Mrs. Dresser, but
not exactly as testified to by them. She
said that Mrs. Dresser asked her If he
thought that Mr.. Bunker. set those fires,
and that she replied, Eyes sir, I think
sou She said that her conversation with
Mr.. johnson was as follows: He came
into the office and said to her, Il don't
know whether it is safe to stay here to-
night or mott" and she replied, "Oh yes,
sir, the fire bug has gone" He then
said, edo you think MIR. Bunker was the
fire bug?'' and she replied. eyes. sir. F"
Arthur F. Wentworth testified to con-
versation that he had with the plaintiff
one evening in the hotel after the fires
had occurred. He said that Bunker came
into the hotel pretty drunk; and he said
to Bunker, "What do you pro ose to do
with Mr.. and Mrs. Methodist" and Bun
ker replied, "Well, don't know" Wit
ness then said, ''How came you to do
it?'' and Bunker replied, "Well, rum did
it, rum did It," On cross examination
be admitted that he was related to Mr..
Nichols by marriage. He said that be
lived in Saco, and was in the real estate
business. When asked if he was pawn
borker he said that he was. He admitted
that he had sworn out a criminal COM
plant against Bunker, and volunteered
the information that be had already put
i've or six men in State prison for the
same offense. This concluded the testi-
mony. In closing Mr.. Iarrabes claimed
as matter of law that the plaintiff had
failed to make out case. inasmuch as the
declarations testified to were simply ex-
pressi ons of opinion, which do not con-
stitute legal ground for the charge of
sland er The case was tried before the
court without a jury, and decision will
be rendered later.
H. q. Sleeper and Harry B. Russ ar
peared for the plaintiff, and Frank &
Lsrrabee for the defendants.