Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-09-20
A CASE OF MOTHER.IN.LAW
OR HARD DRINKING.
THAT HAS OCCUPIED
COUNTY COURT THIS WEEK.

Jury Concludes That Latter Was Cause
Odd for support of Wife andsChildrsn-
Howe vs. wheeler Now Oe Trial.
The only case tried 10 county court
at Newfane since our last report is
Margaret Fortier vs George + Page
and trustee. An action Of assumpsit
to recover of the defendant $40 for the
board and care of his wife and
children after they had commenced
living apart from him. Both parties
live at Holyoke, Mass, the plaintiff
being the mother Of defendants wife.
The action was brought after the
death Of defendants mother, Mrs
Emily Page of Townshend, ard E Nj
Butler. executor of the will, made the
trustee thus bringing within the
jurisdiction Of this court. The
evidence on the part OF the plaintiff
tended to show that defendant and his |
wife lived together for some 10 or - |
ears with varying degrees of harmony |
the friction between them being |
causedch lefty by his intsmperatehabits
and their results They moved quite
freq uently from tenement to tenement |
10 Holyoke and South Hadlsy Falls,
being occasionally elected for non
payment Of rent The defendant lost
his Job in the paper mills, then in
hardware store on account If his
habits, and afterwards gave his time
to peddling novelties from which latter
he derived meagre
revenue and the necessities required
that the wife take q hand 10 the
family support by working ia tho
paper mills, which she did for some
time. Finally matters bscame strained
% the extent that she took her chill
lren and vent back to her mothers
,ouse 10 July, 1899 The evidence on
he part OF the deferdipt tended to
how that while hs took ar occasional
,lass of beer and whiskey he never
rank to excess and never went to
lie furL ished his family abundantly
With household supplies and clothing :
nd they never bad cause for com.
liant against him on account of I
buse or neglect, He had always
een ready to furnish his wife and
hildren With home and attributed
II Of his family troubles to sthe
of bis mcther.in.law,
nd his refusal to make his wife the
ole discussing agent for his earnings.
lie had never been discharged by T
is employers on account of drunk
mess. and bad usually been able to
ct plenty Of work, desoting bis
,rnings which averaged from 81. 10 to
per DAY almost wholly to the n
lpport of his family. During five =,
ears of his married life he had heen n
total abstainer from intoxicants. a
be defendant adni tilted uron cross n
that he was formerly
loon keeper, ard it vas his custom q,
drop into saloons frequently for q A,
" years past. He had played poker bi
oasionally but declioed to state the
tent OF bis winnings and losses az
1e TRANSACTIONS OF the case having
ken place 10 Massach usetts it was or
cumbeDt upon the plaintiff to show
g law of that state as governing W,
oh cases This was done by pro Fl
icing deposition given by William In
Brooks Holyoke attorney. His ru
rsion OF the law was accepted with Ell
t dispute by defendants attorneys. an
he case went to the jury at 10
block Wednesday morning and after fol
short time verdict was returned trc
: the plaintiff to recover 1852. 80. -
it's and Waterman for plsintiG,
ldworth and Haskins for defendant. TT
The disclosure Of trustee, f NJ
ltier, shows that the amount
creed to the defendant as his share
his mothers estate. now in an an
tiers hands as executor, was Am
30, and that previous to the ar.
vice OF the writ he had received Az Ar,
order in writing from defendant Ali
lgning his interest 10 the estate Bar
his brother, John F Page, rec Bes
Ihe case of Charles j Howe, apt. VS. Bla
Fry Wheeler is nov on trial and Bur
| probabIv oorsr,,, ~. -, ~ Bos
. ~oH""no n'o'' VI 1ue Bos
sh' Bos
1onday afternoon the case of Bes
nry Wellman VS. town Of Newfsre, POS pos
1es on by special assignment for Ru
Y trial. Catl
Cen
Chr