The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-10-01
Supreme Judicial Court.
Judge Henry C. Peabody, Portland,
Presiding.

Court opened Tuesday, Sept. 18th, and adjourn
ed Saturday, Sept. 26th. The only important
case tried was that of Nathan Clark of Lin
Grange hall. There were other cases of minor
local interest; many cases were disposed of by
agreement or otherwise, and the usual number
of divorces were decreed.-
| The trial of the State vs. Frank Bartlett and
Albert Smith, charged with stealing SO hens
| from Rhoda Page, took up an entire day. Bart
lett had been in Jail since his arrest and Smith
had been out on bail. The proof as to their
| guilt was conclusive. Bartlett pleaded guilty
| and was sentenced to three months in Waldo
county jail. Smith pleaded not guilty. He said
| he had been drinking and although he admitted
| being with Bartlett knew nothing about the
| affair. The judge thought otherwise, and SEN
| fenced him to five months in jail.
| A case of some interest on the water front
| was that of George w. Pendleton of this city
VS.. the schooner Fancy and ketch Echo and
| their tenders. Both crafts were owned by the
late Capt Manchester of Camden. The Fancy
is 5 tons net and was built in Marblehead
Mass, III loOo 1HS helSil GSLo was bulI III
Camden under the supervision of her owner.
Mr.. Pendleton worked duriug the summer of
1907 on the Fancy in Camden and in the fall
came to Belfast in the schooner with Capt.
Manchester to fit out for trip to Southern
waters. While at anchor in the stream just
above the steamboat wharf the Fancy broke
adrift in an eastery storm and was badly
;,,La
broken and part of her rail carried away. Mr..
Pendleton worked with the owner making re-
pairs but about the time they were completed
Capt. Manchester was taken sick and later
was taken to Camden, where he died. Before
leaving here he gave Mr.. Pendleton writing
in the presence of witnesses in which he said
that he (Pendleton) should have the boats or
an equivalent. The ketch Echo, it was said
had previously been given to Mr.. Pendleton
and was hauled out on land Of his in 1slesboro
After the death of Capt. Manchester he
brought this craft over from Islesboro and
laid her up in the dock alongside the schooner,
and both have remained there since The
plaintiff claimed that if in law the boats be-
longed to the estate there was due him for
labor and ship keeping for some 240 days, the
sum of $210 If they belonged to the plaintiff
on the writing which he held, he asked that
the title be given him. Clara w. Manchester
widow of Capt. Manchester and the executrix
asked that the case be dismissed on the ground
that the plaintiff had no claims on the property
as alleged in the writ. The action was dis
missed Wayland Knowlton for plaintiff
Reuel Robinson for defendant.
Owen Gallant of Stockton Springs against
whom the grand jury found three indictments
common seller, single sale and nuisance was
allowed by the codrt to go on his own recogni-
zance providing that he would leave the State
and not return. He left the city at once. If
he is found in the State he will be apprehended
and held
The trial of the case of State VS.. Nathan E.
Clark began Thursday morning before crowd
ed court room The accused was charged with
setting fire to and burning Tranquility Grange
hall in Lincolnville on the night of May 25'
1905 Three Grange halls have been burned in
this town and the general belief is that all the
fires were of incendiary origin This is the
second building Tranquility Grange has lost in
this way and determined effort has been
made to find the incendiary and bring him to
Justice bloodhound was brought up from
the State prison to track the offender but fail
ed to do So and Tranquility Grange then en-
bloyed Detective Richard Leader Of Lewiston
and on evidence secured by him Clark ar
rested and held under bail from the lower
90 +bo ca IF hon
he was indicted for ''maliciously setting fire to
Tranquility Grange hall"
County Attorney Thompson opened the case
for the State, and Clark was then arraigned
and pleaded not guilty. Seventeen witnesses
were called by the State, as follows: Arno W..
Knight Harold McKenney, Willard Pendleton,
Austin Knight Pearl Wentworth, Mrs. Ellen
D. Ross Vester McKenney, Frank Gray, Fred
E. Leadbetter, George Bullock, Edna Dunton,
Ralph Richards, Parker Young of Linconville
and Richard F. Leader of Lewiston. The evil
dence was mostly circumstantial and practical
ly the same as that presented in the lower
court Several witnesses testified to the ap
pearance of things about the fire, which indi-
diary. Tracks were found leading from the
Grange hall towards Linconville Center and
these tracks were found to measure exactly
the same as Nathan Clark's shoes. Nathan
D. Ross testified to selling Clark a pair of y
russet shoes. Mrs. Moody heard someone run
ming lust before the fire broke out. Vesta Nc
Kenney said that on the day the bloodhound
was brought up from the State prison to run
down the miscreants she was in the Clark
house. and saw Nathan Clark up on the hay
NOV hiding. Detective Richard Leader of
Lewiston said he had but one conversation
with Clark Clark had told him that he couldn' t
tell what day the fire was, and told OF his
whereabouts on the night of the fire, but SEEM
ed anxious to finish the interview Willard
Pendeton testified to finding shorts sack
with some cooper shavings inside and smelling
of kerosene beside the wall in line of tracks
which were discovered leading across the
meadow. Found grass trampled down and in
dications showed that someone had crossed the
field, jumped the ditch and crossed the meadow
| in the broken stubble
For the defense Hon. L. M. Staples called as
witnesses, Nathan E. Clark, Mr.. and Mrs. Ed
ward n Pendleton, Miss Edith B. Hall and
Orrin ]. Dickey. The counsel for the defense
ondaavored to establish an alibi for his client