Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-01
GOV. AND COUNCIL.
Ralph A. Douglass Pardoned
from Auburn Jail.
State to Investigate Affairs at Malaga
Island, Casco Bay.
n.3i
Others Matters of Interest at the State
Capitol. {.

transacted and adjournment was had
until this morning at $50 O'Clock. when
Hol. Albert NJ. Spear will be confirmed
as associate justice of the supreme
court. Mr.. Spear was present during
the afternoon. having come up from
Gardiner to look after the pardon case
of Edward A. Chase, for whom he is
counsel. which has been hanging for
some time. The matter has again been
put over on account of the absence of
Councillor Prescott of the First district
The question of pardoning Ralph A.
Douglass of Hiram, who is serving a
10 months sentence in Auburn Jail for
assault. was taken up. The applicant
ami his family alleged that they were
too poor to appear by counsel and re-
quested Hon. Byron Boyd. secretary of
State. to read the papers in the case to
the Governor and Council. Mr.. Boyd
did so. These papers consisted of pc
titiOn signed by 90 citizens of the COM
munity. letters from the party upon
whom the assault was committed, the
selectmen and other officers of the town,
the prisoner himself and his wife.
l. seems that on the 18th day of Au-
gust. 1901. Douglass, while intoxicated,
got into n dispute with Charles b. Da-
Wis of Hiram, over cents, which Davis
claimed Douglass owed him. During
the controversy, Davis called Douglass
liar and the latter hit him once in the
face with his fist. Douglass was in
dicted at the October term of court.
pleaded guilty and Judge Savage SEN
fenced him to 10 months in Auburn Jail.
He had no counsel. He has served a
little more than four months His
friends claim that the sentence was ex-
cessive and that, therefore. he should
be pardoned.
County Attorney f. c. Park of Bethel,
appeared in opposition to the granting
OF the pardon, contending that the pun
ishment was not given him for the
I,aSis assault, small in itself, but be-
cause of his bad record in the past. 1t
was black, said the attorney.
The people who now petition for his
pardon" said Mr.. Park. were the very
ones who insisted. last fall, that he
should be severely punished
In executive session the Council yot-
ed in favor of pardon.
& Councillor Mayo addressed the Coun-
ell in regard TO the condition of the peo-
pie who live on Malaga island in New
Meadows river. who are reported to be
starving and suffering from an epi-
demic of measles. He read letter from
DR.. j. w. Doughty of Parkers Head,
who stated that he had been attending
the sick on the island for some time. but
that none of the towns in that section
would assume the support Of the in
habitants of Malaga. DR.. Doughty
thought the State should take some
steps to assist the people there who
were suffering with disease and from
a lack of food. Harpswell, Yarmouth
and Phippsburg deny liability for their
support, the former claiming that the
courts have decided that the island is
n part of Cumberland county.
The story as related by DR.. Doughty
was a pitiful one, and it was supple
mented by an abstract from the Port
land Press, which Councillor Mayo
read. The article from the Portland pa
per was published, yesterday morning,
and is as follows:
The crew of the steamer Percy V.
which arrived. Thursday, from Cundys
Harbor, reports that the half-breeds on
Malaga island, in the eastern portion of
the bay. are all sick with the measles
and that some of them were starving
The measles have been epidemic on the
island for more than three weeks.
through no news of the matter was had
on the other islands until the first of
this week, when the captain of a lobster
smack reported the sickness at Cundy's
llarbor. The captain of the smack said
| that nearly every man, woman and
| child on the island was sick and helm
| less. Being unable to do any fishing
| many OF them were starving.
| The captain of the smack asked thai
physician be sent to the islands. as
the 60 half-breeds had been without
medicine or attendance since the dis
ease first made it's appearance. He
| thought at first that there was small
pox on the island, but as the island is
IN the town of Phippsburg and measles
/ Is raging there he thought that it was
i probably nothing more serious.
i He found no food in any of the huts
he entered though few of the inmates
We're able to eat even if there had been
an abundance. He calls at the island
labout once month to buy the few lob
sters caught. When he anchored off
the island the first of the week he saw
no signs of life and he wondered at II
for it was customary for the natives to
lrow off to his smack with their Holsters
He was about to raise his anchor and
proceed. but changed his mind and
went ashore in his dOry. He met no
lone until opening the door. of the first
house near the beach. In a corner of
the room huddled together on pile Of
old clothes and straw he saw two wo-
men. man and four children. All
lwere very sick and delirious. They
lcalled for water, and as there was none
in the house the captain of the smack
went to the spring for it. The room
was filthy and sQualid and there was no
fire. The only furniture was a table, a
lehair and three kegs evidently used for
chairs. There was no stove only a fire.
place in the middle of the dirty floor
and by the appearance Of the charred
lembers there had been no fire for sew
eral days. There was not a scrap OF
food in the house. One of the women
told him that they had not eaten for
three days and that every one on the
lisland was sick and starving. He visit
ed several huts and found about the
|same conditions. Returning to the
Ismack he sent all of his small stock OF
provisions ashore and then sailed to