Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-10-28
SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT.
OCTOBER Term. Hon. [. A. Emery. Presto.
ing.
w. $. CHoATE. Clerk.
\. l.. MCFADDEE, Sheriff.
q. W. HEsELToN. County Attorney.
j. U. CLAY Srnnnyrnrhar

| ). q. CLAY, Stenographer.
Augusta. Me. Oct -.
| Drummond VS.. Hamiin. The jury in
| this case, this morning. returned a
sealed verdict in favor of the plaintiff
for SO.
The case Of Oakman VS.. Belden and
wife was resumed. this morning. and
the testimony on the part Of the plain
tiff was introduced. In addition to the
statement of the plaintiff : case as pub
lished. yesterday. it further appeared.
today, that the Wife Of Mr.. Oakman
| was formerly a school teacher and at
the time of her marriage was 10 years
old; that after the clopement and mar
riage a partial reconciliation. as the
plaintiff thought, was effected with the
father ana mother of the bride. but
that it turned out that defendants. as
the plaintiff claims. We're bent upon
causing their separation. He said in
his testimony. today. that his wife and
her mother Went on a visit To jefferson
ana Were gone Il week: that when they
returned he went to BeldenS after his
wife, but she said she could not 20 with
him on account of her folks: and her
father then said she was to stay there
and from that time he had been unable
to get her to return to him. although
he had made many attempts To have
her 90 81. The defendants had taken
means to prevent his seeing her alone.
ana through their influence. as he
claims. she had brought two different
libels for divorce against him. but
which she had never prosecuted on ac-
count Of being unable to attend court
because of sickness. as her counsel in
those cases claimed. The last time he
saw her was about two weeks ago, at
her fathers house. where he had been
cited to take her deposition TO he used
in this case. She was then in bed and
i'll. All that time Mrs. Belden CON-
planned that he had promised to join.
the Advent church and vote the Demo-
cratic ticket, but he hadn't. He admit
ted that he had made the promise for
the sake of having peace in the family:
but they hadn't given him time to car
ry out his agreement. He says that he
lived on his own farm with his wife
while She lived with him and that his
father and mother lived with him: that
he kept a girl to do the houSewOrk. and
that she was happy and contented I'M
til her parents influenced her to desert
him: that she would gladly come back
to him if unreStrained. He admits that
his wife is not a strong robust woman.
but claims her illness has been greatly
| exaggerated.
The wife was not present in court,
nor did the defendants use her deposit
| ton. But they testified in defence.
| claiming that they had never opposed
| the return of their daughter to her
| husband: that she had come to their
| house from her husbands place to do
some sewing, and that the husband i'm
portuned her to return before she had
! finished the work she had in hand; that
| she refused and that he took her by the
| shoulder and used her roughly in his
! efforts to get her to go with him; that
| in his passion he drew a knife and
| threatened to cut her heart out, and
that she then said she might as well
die right there as to go back and live
| the life she would have to lead with
him: that she then and there told him
she would never live with him: that he
has previously told her he was going
to discharge the house girl and that she
would have To do the housework; but
her health would not permit of this
labor. The defendants deny that they
have ever tried to influence her in any
way against her husband but. on the
contrary, have always advised her to
go back and live with him. They say
they have simply given her shelter and
are in no way responsible in this suit.
The plaintiff in rebuttal denies these
statements. The testimony and argu-
ments had been concluded at 5.45, and
court adjourned until morning at
o'clock.