The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-10-01
two-thirds destroyed then. None of these
witnesses were cross examined.
AT 4So p. m. both sides rested, with evidence

At 4.5O p m. both sides rested, with eyidenc.
all in.
FRIDAY morning the court room was agar
crowded to listen to the arguments. Hon. L
M. staples, counsel for the defence made the
opening plea, speaking for more than an hour
he reviewed the testimony of the witnesses
1or the State and for the defence, stating that
tne State did not have evidence enough te
stand long enough to be knocked down. He
spoke of the good mother who, although she
loved her son, would not go upon the stand
and testify falsely as to her sons whereabouts
During the plea the respondent and his family
with his sweetheart, Miss Hall. sat near al
hand just within the bar, and all were visiblv
affected The attorney implored the jury to
be cautious in rendering their verdict, to weigh
the matter carefully and to realize that much
conversation at a time like that after the fire
| could be misunderstood. He told them that
they must see that an alibi had been proven
and that the boy stood exonerated of the crime
| of arson. He asked not for sympathy but for
justice.
County Attorney Thompson for the State
made very able argument in support of the
prosecution. He cited the motive that the
young man had in burning the Grange hall, to
wit: The Clark family owned dance and con-
| cert hall and when there was another in the
vicinity it took business away from them. He
| spoke of the young mans dress at the fire. of
the fact that his family could not have been
awake when Nathan was supposed to be in bed
| if it took three calls to wake them when Wit
ness Pendleton called them to go to the fire as
was testified. If they were asleep at the time
that they stated that the respondent in
bed, he would have had plenty of opportunity
| to get up and leave the house without their
| knowing it This fact put the abi to the bad.
| He also cited the fact that the boy was seen by
witness in the hay loft the night that the
| bloodhounds were in the vicinity, although the
| respondent had denied it on the stand He
| said he had not cross examined the witnesses
other than the respondent, as he had no occa-
| sion to do so and did not wish to harrass them
| unnecessarily. He expected the parents, Sis
| ter and sweetheart to stand by the young man,
and would not give much for them if they did
not, but it was only human nature for them to
do all in their power to make clear of
alibi. He had no doubt that Mrs Clark; the
| mother of the respondent, was good woman
such the counsel for the defence had stated,
but many a good mother has been called upon
to shed bitter tears over the crime of her off
spring He asked not for anything but justice
! for the State of Maine that the guilty should
be punished.
Judge Peabody in his charge reviewed the
| whole case and instructed the jury that in a
case of this kind much of the testimony is un-
reliable and to weigh both sides of the case
carefully. Justice was what they were after,
so far as it lay in their power to give it. He
criticised both attorneys for speaking of the
grand jury indictments in the case, stating
that both statements We're improper and had
nothing to do with the case whatever. The
jury was instructed to bring in verbal verdict,
and they retired at 1l.30. After celebrating
for five hours the jury came into court and re-
ported that they were unable to agree. 1t is
rumored that they stood nine for conviction
and three for acquittal. The jury was dis
charged, and the respondent furnished $1,000
bonds for further appearance, his father and
mother being accepted sureties.
Following is a summary of the disposition of
cases during the term.
Laura j. Treat, by guardian, VS. Alexander
McCan2bridge. Dunton & Morse for plaintiff,
johnson and Thompson for defendant. Verdict
| for defendant. 4th day motion for new trial
| filed,
Arthur P. Libby ct al, vs. Portsmouth, Kit
q, RouarC nj aim
| tiff Heath and Thompson for defendant.
Continued.
c. H. Merrill & Chas, E, Libby VS.. Chas. A,
| Milliken and Sarah G. Bassett, admrs. c. F.
Johnson Rogers, E. Foster for plaintiff
| Heath & Andrews and Thompson for defend
| ant Continued.
| Clara E. Erskine VS.. Daniel Cousens. Fell
lows for plaintiff. R. F. Dunton for defendant.
| Neither party.
Abner w. Fletcher VS.. Charles H. Merrill.
Heath & Andrews and Thompson for plaintiff
Continued.
Geo. M Bonney VS. P. c. Blaisdell. Dunton
| & Morse for plaintiff Thompson for defend
| ant. Motion for leave to amend declaration
| filed and granted Amendment filed. Law on
| report.
| Sarah L. Stevens Wilbert A. Stevens.
| Thompson and Bowdon for plaintiff. McLel-
Ian and Ritchie for defendant. Continued to
be tried End day of next term, defendant to
pay costs of witness fees for this term taxed at
1854
H. Gilbert VS. Nathan A. Webb. c. W. Hus-
sew for plaintiff F. w Brown, Jr. for defend
| ant. Continued.
| VIM O. Cunningham, Frank B. Cunningham
and H. p Cunningham vs. Charles E. and Har-
| riet A. Robertson. Brown for plaintiff.
Thompson for defendant. Chas. E. Robertson
defaulted. Neither party. No further action
as to Harriet Robinson.
| Frank H. Sanborn VS.. Orrin B. Woodbury..
Dunton & Morse for plaintiff Thompson for
defendant. Continued.
| Mabel H. Knox Hattie B. Rowe. Dunton
| e. Morse for plaintiff Thompson for defend
ant Neither party
Eliza A. Loring VS.. Charles H. Parsons.
Thompson for plaintiff Taber D. Bailey for
defendant. Continued.
Mary E. McInness VS.. Roscoe Q. Sawyer.
| Knowiton for plaintiff. Mcclellan for defend
ant, Continued final for defendant.
Willard S. Jones, coll. VS.. heirs of A. Z. Sltus.
| Dismissed.
| Dunton & Morse and Thompson. Dismissed.
Ruth F. Brown, John S. Brown, Charles w.
| H. Brown vs. c. o. Dickey. Dunton q Morse.
Mayo & Snare Amendment to declaration
| filed by agreement of parties and by leave of
court Report of evidence to be filed by Octo-
Der 20, 1908.
A. E. and F. S. Hutchins VS.. Geo W. Marr-
ner. punton G. Morse. Thompson and Ritchie.
| Verdict for plaintiff. Damages assessed at
1924. 80. Motion for new trial filed. Report of
evidence to be filed by Nov. 10, '0e.
Iinwood Larrabee by next friend VS.. Grove
Blethen. Thompson for plaintiff. Continued.