Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-11
Entered by County At
torney in Pring|e Case
Criminal Docket Wound Up ii
Sup Teme Court Saturday.
Jurors Have Tried 80 Cases With
out a Single Disagreement.

County Attorney Guy "A. Hlldretn Oh
Gardiner at the session of the superior
court Saturday morning entered a mol
pros in the case of State against Rev.
Henry n. Pringle in which MIR.
Pringle, who is a secretary OF the
Christian Civic League of Maine and
one of the editors of the Civic League
Record, was charged by indictment
with printing an article in the Civic
League Record containing libelous
statements against Fred Emery Beane
of Hallowell, chairman of the Demo-
cratic State committee, and Hon.
George w. Heselton of Gardiner, for
mer State Senator. The alleged libel
Gus article intimated that MessrS.
Beane and Heselton were in some way
connected with the disappearance of
two of the witnesses for the State in
liquor cases in which the respondent
was interested.
County Attorney Hildreth in asking
for the mol pros, stated that he did not
believe the State could convict on ac-
count of the character of some of its
witnesses and because it would be
very difficult to prove any malice on
the part of the respondent. 4 am
confident" said the county attorney,
that for me to push this case to trial
would be not prosecution on my part.
but something else, Mr.. Pringle 1Was
in court Saturday morning, but was
unattended by counsel.
The session of the court lasted but
little over an hour and was devoted
entirely to cleaning up the odds and
ends of the criminal docket. An at
tempt was made to have a jury trial
in the case of State against John
HersOm, who was charged with the
illegal keeping of liquors. Mr.. Her
som was brought over from the county
Jail where he has been for the past
seven weeks imprisoned for debt, and
at his own request County Attorney
Hildreth placed the case before the
second jury for trial. Joseph Will
hanson appeared as counsel for Her
SOM
Deputy Sheriff George r. Eickery of
Hallowell testified that he visited the
house of Hersom on the IIallowell
road and seized from closet in the
kitchen II pints of whiskey. The Of
ficer testified that Mr.. HersOm was not
in the house at the time the raid was
maze ana lIldl Mis-. iltI oDlil lJiSi IN IL
that the liquor was in the closet. 10
evidence that the liquors was kept for
Illegal sale being presented Judge Hall
instructed the jury to return verdict
Of not guilty, which they did without
leaving their seats.
4A~+plea of nolo was entered in the
case of George F. Bean, an Augusta
hostler charged with Illegal keeping
and the case was placed on file. w
H. Fisher appeared for the respondent
This was a case, where the respondent
was seen to drop a bottle of liquor.
Rev. H. N. Pringle, who made the
complaint against Bean and Former
City Marshal George E. Fletcher OF
Augusta, who made the arrest sign;-
fed their Willingness to the county at
torney that the case should be disposed
of in that manner.
The case against Francisco CALI nf
Hallowell, an appealed search and
seizure case from the HallOWell NUM-
cipal court was dismissed on payment
of costs Joseph Williamson for re-
spondent.
The single sale cases against Harry
r. Lshness and John Blake of Au
s,
the inability of the State to procure
its witnesses. Joseph Williamson ap-
peared for the respondents.
Judge Hall, after the Hersom case
had been disposed Of congratulated
the juries upon the fact that in the So
jury trials at this term of court not 4
single disagreement had occurred AMI
commended them Hfor the faithfumess
with which they had attended to their
duties. George w. Eastman of Ran
dolph, foreman of the first jury AMI
Sherman L. Berry of Waterville, fore
man of the second jury, thanked Judge
Hall and the court officers for the
courtesies which they had received
during the present term of court
Adjournment was taken at 1875 I'M
til Monday forenoon at 10 o'clock. AL
though the criminal docket has been
completed number of divorce hear
ngs and other matters for the atten-
ton of the court only will come up 50
that final adjournment is not likely to
be reached before Wednesday. The
jurors We're paid off by County Treas
urer Stewart Immediately after the
adjournment Saturday forenoon and
went at once to their homes.