Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-10-18

OCTOBER TERN. 1904.

Supreme judicial Court.
OCTOBER TERN, 1904.
Lucilius A. Emery, Justice Presiding
Charles F. Whitman, Clerk
Cecil Clay, Stenographer
Ellery Z. Park, County Attorney
Edgar l.. Flint, Sheriff
James r. Tucker, Jailer
II. z. Hammond, Crier
Walter L. Gray, Librarian
w. A. Barrows, Messenger
Promptly at the stroke of ten Tuesday
morning Sheriff Flint announced
"Courtw at the judges entrance to the
oxford County court room, Judge Emery
in his silken robe took his seat, and the
venerable crier made the usual proclama
ton which opens the term. Prayer was
offered by Rev. j. II. Little of South
Paris, and the formalities were perform
ed in due and ancient form.
The grand jury was empaneled as fol-
lows:
GRAND JURORS.
L. L. Niles. Rumford. Foreman.
Frank H. Gilcrease, Dix6eld. Clerk.
Evans o. Allen, Hiram.
j. z. Bicknell, Buckfeld.
Charles II. Brown, Lowell.
Herbert u. Chapman. Porter.
Elbridge G. Child. Peru.
Scion Curtis, Woodstock.
James Danforth, Norway.
L. G. Eames. Newry.
Writ v. Eaton, Brownfeld.
VIM. G. Fiske. Waterford.
f. R. Harrington, Mexico.
Major w. Hastings, Bethel.
George +. Hawkes., Oxford.
Charles r. Oldham. Canton.
William A. Porter. Paris.
Wilson Webb. Fryeburg.
Following the empaneling of the jury,
Judge Emery instructed them regarding
their duties. 1t was a very clear and
comprehensive charge, covering all
phases of their work, but without super
fluous or confusing suggestions.
The docket was then called, and trial
list made up. The number of cases for
actual trial seemed to be small, and all
but one were assigned to the last three
days of the first week.
The traverse juries had not been sum-
moned to be in attendance until Thurs
day morning, and the rest of Tuesday
and Wednesday were devoted to minor
matters before the court, with number
of divorce hearings. Although there
was little business transacted during this
time that is of general public interest,
the time was kept fairly we'll occupied.
Thursday morning the traverse jurors
appeared, and the juries were empaneled
as follows:
FIRST JURY.
Rnetall Eroaf Norxvav Enraman
William Adams, Stoneham.
j. 6. Coffin, Greenwood.
Granville s. Cotton, Browndeld.
II Walter Dennison, Paris.
J. Orne Douglass. Upton.
+ W. Edwards, Oxford.
w. II. Farnum. Rumf0rd.
ID. o. Gleason. Mexico.
s. r. Howe. Hanover.
Ezra Head, Stow.
A. A. Keene. Buckneld.
SECOND JURY.
Cassius w. Pike. Fryeburg, Foreman.
Z. Payson Grover. Bethel.
Bert C. Ludden, Canton.
Fred II. Marshall, Hebron.
NJ. "A. Mclnnes. RoIbury.
Josiah Moody, Woodstock.
John Pierce. Paris.
Henry l.. Poor, Andover.
Frank II. Richmond, Rumford.
Charles p. Saunders. Waterford.
James H. Swan. Bethel.
G. NJ. Thomas, Sumner.
sUPERNUMERAaIEs.
q. n. Walton. Dixfeld.
Daniel A. Watson, Norway.
As soon as the juries were organized
the trial of the first case assigned was
begun. This was NJ. l.. Kimball, trus-
tee, VS. r. L. Melcher. The action is
brought by Mr.. Kimball as trustee in
of Edgar F. Hodgdon, now
of Roxbury but formerly of Andover, to
recover from Mr.. Melcher the sum of
Sl93 2S alleged to have been paid to said
Melcher on account by Hodgdon only
about three weeks before the latter went
into bankruptcy. Under the bankruptcy
law such payment, made within four
preceding the petition in bank
ruptcy, constitutes preference, and the
amount can be recovered by the trustee,
provided the creditor to whom it is paid
had reason to believe that the debtor
could not make payment of all his debts
in full.
The evidence showed that in the fall
of 1900 Mr.. Hodgdon, who was then in
debt to Mr.. Melcher, contracted with the
Dunton Lumber Co. through Mr.. Mel
cher, one of the stockholders, to cut
certain quantity of lumber, and that be-
fore the contract was finished the fol-
lowing spring he went into bankruptcy;
that during the winter Mr.. Melcher, on
behalf of the Dunton Lumber Co., ad-
vanced him certain sums of money, the
total of which was Sl9S.2S; and that
these items did not appear on the &C
count between Hodgdon and the Dunton
Co. until April "a, 1901, when
they were all placed on the books of the
Company in lump, as "cask>
by r. L. Melcher," and the trustee now
seeks to recover the amount specified as
a preferred payment to Mr.. Melcher on
his personal account.
After the evidence was heard lit was
very short), the court stated that there
was no question of fact in the case, and
instructed the jury to return a verdict
for the defendant, which was done. The
plaintiff will take exceptions. Kimball
4 Son for plaintiff; Bisbee & Parker for
defendant.
THE GRAND JURY's WORK.
The grand jury kept very busy from
the opening of court until about 4 o'clock
when they reported and were
They passed in quite a
bundle of indictments, numbering in all
about 80.
The full list of indictments is as fol-
lows:
A. ID. Cumins, alias II. B. johnson. Forgery.
Same, cheating by false pretences.
Joseph Ouiilette, alias Joseph Willett Lar
eeny.
and larceny.
Paul Ross. Forgery.
Phil Gallant Assault and battery.
Fred Z. Murphy and David Taylor. Breaking
and entering and larceny.
Bessie BeauHls and Charles Kennedy. Adult
terry.
j. Z. Moneton Nuisance.
D. Stanley Jackson. Assault. Same, accessory
to rape. Same. keeping house Of ill.fame.
William B. Stevens. Breaking and entering
and larceny.
Clirs Z Cross. Nuisance.
Ernest z. Cross. Five indictments, common
seller, nuisance, and three single sale.
George z Bray. Four indictments, common
seller. nuisance. and two single sale.
Arthur Lafayette and Henry Fortier. Break
Ing and entering and larceny.
Edward Moran. alias Ed. Moran. Falsely
himself to be another person.