Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-13
Violently Interrupted by
Officers Of the Law.
Court Held in the Pit by Trial
Justice Cole.
Out Of Sixty, Eighteen Are Captured
and Pay Fines. :.

York, Me-, Feb. 12.-The interrupt
ton of a cooking main followed by a.
fist fight between the participants ana
two sturdy officers, during when 10
men were placed under arrest ana
subsequently fined by an impromptu
trial mstice court convened In the
circuit court, was the unusual pro-
ceeding that just before midnight last
night at York Village.
It was Sheriff George o. Athorne OF
York county, accompanied by Single
deputy. George Preble Of this town.
who forced an entrance into barn at
York Village, where cooking MAIN
was In nropress. At the intrusion.
some so men made rush for the sher-
in who had taken his stand at the:
main entrance, the only easy exit.
Athorne who is a giant In physique,
stood his ground and, not having time
i'm which to draw a weapon. struck OUT
with his fists and in as many minutes
had knocked down and rendered help
less eight men. placed handcuffs on
two others, while eight more surren-
dercd. In the meantime others pres
ent at the main had crawled through
two small windows and attacked Dep
uty Preble who had been stationed as
a rear guard outside. Freble closed
with his assailants, but was over
whelmed and finally rendered tempo
rarily insensible by a blow with a
club.
Making sure of his IS prisoners
Sheriff Athorne summoned Trial Jus
tice A. B. Cole, who had been waiting
in the vicinity and the latter entered
the cock pit and announced that the
justice court was in session. Sixteen
of the prisoners, all of whom gave fc-
ticiOus names, pleaded guilty to being
present at a cooking main and were
fined IS each Two others, who plead
ed not guilty, were held for further
hearing. The court then issued war;
rants for 10 Other men whom the sher-
iff claimed to have recognized in the
crowd, and adjourned. The laws of
this State do not permit the holding
of court on Sunday, and the proceed
ings we're necessarily expedited. Court
convened at Is minutes before l.
O'Clock and was declared adjourned on
the stroke of Midnight.
At 9 o'clock, last night, Sheriff
Athorne received word at his home in
Eliot that a cooking main was to be
held shortly before midnight in an old
barn on the outskirts of York Village.
Hastily Harvesting his horse, he drove
to the home of Trial Justice A. B.
Cole of Eliot, and about 10 o'clock, the
two were on the road to York. On
reaching the village they were Joined
by Deputy Preble and all three started
for the barn by a circular route. The
officers met the trial justice at house
short distance away and then en-
tered the barn by the way Of the car
riage house. By this time the specta-
tors had begun to arrive at IL o'clock,
two officers. peeping through the
cracks in the side Of the carriage
house. saw about 60 men gathered
about dimly lighted pit.
The officers waited until the main had
fairly started when they suddenly
burst in on the crowd. Instantly there
was a tremendous uproar and a rush
was made for the officer, who had en-
tered the main door, the only conven-
lent exit.
Deputy Sheriff Preble stepped out
side to watch the dindows while Sher-
iff Athorne planted himself in the door
way. Eight men who attempted to
oVerwhelm him were sent to the floor
by well-directed blows from the mighty
fist of the sheriff Blows were aimed
at him, but he brushed them aside and
returned them with force. Within a
few minutes, more then half a dozen
Of his assailants were lying on the
floor with blood flowing from the
wounds. Seeing the determined resist
ance of the officers others sought a diff
ferent exit and more than two score
succeeded in breaking through two
small windown and jumping to the
ground. Several attacked Deputy
Preble and although he defended HIM
self as sturdily as did his chief. blow
from club rendered him temporarily
unconscious.
BY this time Sheriff Athorne had
succeeded in putting handouts onto
two of the men who had shown the
greatest resistance, while 16 others sub
mitted to arrest.
Trial Justice Cole was then called
in and at quarter to II convened
court in the middle of the ring.
The Is were Immediately arraigned
and is men pleaded guilty and were
fined S. and costs. Justice Cole also
issued warrants for 10 others whom
the sheriff claimed to have recognized
in the crowd. The officers took possess
siOn of % birds