Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-10-27

pleaded not guilty to an indictment To-
breaking and entering and larceny, re
tracted his plea, and was sentenced tt
three months In Jail.
THE RovINsKY INSURANCE CASE.
Two cases which have proved of con
siderable interest were those brought by
Joseph Rovinsky of RumfOrd Falls
against the Northern Assurance Com
pany and the Insurance Company of the
County of Philadelphia. The two cases
were tried together, and the trial wa'
opened after dinner on Thursday. The
suits were brought to recover s15Ol
insurance on household furniture anG
other personal property, $500 Of which
was in one company and $1,000 in the
other, the insurance being concurrent
and placed through the same agent.
Some time in 1901 Joseph ROvinsky
was married, and with his bride began
housekeeping in house owned by james
Withee on Rumford Avenue. Early in
October of 1902 Mrs. Rovinsky went on
visit to her people in Montreal, Mr.
Rovinsky during her absence taking his
meals at his fathers and staying nights
part of the time at his fathers and part
of the time at his own house. On the
9th of October, by the advice OF his
mother as he teStifies, he built fire in
his cooking stove to take the dampness
out of the house, banked the fire with
coal and went to his fathers to sleep.
Early the next morning fire was discov-
cred at his home, and before it was ex-
tinguished the house had been some
what damaged and the furniture practi-
cally ruined.
The usual steps were taken to secure
the insurance money, but after an adj
ulster had investigated the fire he be-
came suspicious, and one of the imme-
date results was Rovinsky's arrest on the
charge of setting the fire to defraud the
insurance companies. He was held in
Jail a while, then released on bail, and
when the grand jury met no indictment
was found.
The defence is on the ground that
Rovinsky had made the policies void by
setting the fire or causing it to be set,
and by generalization of his property.
The centre of the fire seemed to be a
dining room closet beside the chimney,
from which the fire spread between the
ceiling and upper floor. A hole was
also burned through the top of the closet,
and a stove which stood on the upper
floor dropped one END into the hole.
When the house was examined after the
fire, the pile of debris in the bottom of
this closet was raked over, and in 1T
were found a quantity of excelsior and
newspapers which, it is asserted by the
defence, smelled of kerosene and gave
ground for suspicion that the fire was
set. 1t is explained by the Rovinskys
that the stove which dropped into the
hole in the floor above contained excel
sior and newspapers, which were I'M
doubtedly dumped out of the open door
of the stove into the closet.
The defence showed by comparison OF
Rovinsky's proof of loss with the original
bill of the furniture that he had over
valued number of articles. 1t is ex-
planned by the plaintiff that this was due
to Mr.. Rovinsky's unfamiliarity with
the value of such articles.
Swasey for plaintiff; Cornish OF Au-
gusta for defence.
The testimony in this case was not
concluded when the forenoon session of
court adjourned at about o'clock Satur-
dav, and it was agreed to defer the COM
pletion of it until Monday. The trial is
still in progress as the Democrat goes to
press. :,
The only other civil case for actual
trial is the Inhabitants of Oxford VS.. the
Inhabitants of Turner. This will be
followed by whatever there is in the line
of criminal trials. Several days of court
yet are probable.
The following divorces have been
decreed, in addition to those previously
reported:
Alma ]. browns VS.. Ira T. browns Cruel and
abusive treatment. Custody of minor child
given to the mother.
Poor.
Hidreth s. Staples vs.. Evangeline Staples.
Harlow. Bisbee & Parker.
Isabel S. Dotcn VS. VIM. H. Doten. Cruel and
abusive treatment. Custody Of minor child 10
the mother. Libeee to pay libelant $500 per
Wright.
and abusive treatment. Custody OF minor chiId
Newton 4. Swift given to the mother.
Wright.
Ellie NJ Titcomb vs.. Chas. NJ. Titcomb. Cruel
and abusive treatment.
Wright. wilson q Gray
S Evelyn Daniel VS.. Jesse P. Daniel. Cruel
and abusive treatment and non-support.
Wilson & Gray.
Eyerlina Cummings Va. Melroy Z. Cummings
Cruel and abusive treatment. Custody OF minor
children Vera p, Eta W. and Katie L. Cum
mings given to the mother.
Wilson 4 Gray.
Samuel F. Davis vs.. Mabel E. Davis. Cruel
and abusive treatment.
Wilson & Gray.
Wallace Howe VS.. Menerva Howe. Cruel and
abusive treatment.
+ Stearns.
Lenora E. Campbell vs.. VIM. II. Campbell
Failure to provide maintenance. LiDeiahts
name changed to Lenora Ella Thomas.
Atwood.
Robert Hewey VS.. Cora E. Hewey. Desertion
Bisbee & Parker
Raw Bradbury vs.. Chrissie l.. Bradbury
Cruel and abusive treatment Custody OF minol
| children given to the maternal granumo'her
Lottie Black.
Sarina A. Darrah vs.. John B: Darrah. EXTREME
cruelty. Custody of minor children to npeiee.
Stevenson. Bisbee & Parker.