Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-04
C, <, Allen Convicted Of
Burning Mercer Hearse.
Annual Reception Of High
School a Decided Success.
Department Called Out for Fire In
Coal at Greenhouse.

The jury after being out about four
hours on the case State W. Alien, re-
turned verdict Frda: evening OF
not guilty. John Groves and G. Kelsey
Allen were arrested just after July I
in Mercer on ihe charge Of burning the
town hearse. The two men were gwen
a hearing IN the municipal court here
and bound over to wait the acton OF
the grand jury. Groves was committed
10 jail, ana Allen went out or bonds.
At the opening of the ease Groves
retracted his plea of not guilty and
pleaded guilty He then became thleI
witness for the State. The case aroused
much interest ON account -! the prom
iuencc Of Alien and the court house
was We'll filed throughout the day.
;rovts testified that lie burned the
nearse on the night oi July 4. nut Was
procured to 90 the act IT," Alien. liz
claims that he and Allen started from
Aliens house in the ,Nrniil; together
20 go to- burn the heHrSc, but WHOM Il
little distance from the hous" Allen
aid that Groves better go alone and
he would go back ard cNtinguiSh the
lights in the house. Groves did go and
rin the hearSe out and termed * no
en-" into il and set it ati"o. II" then
ran back to Aliens mouse. Waiting Il
title tim" and not secin. am light
N the direction of the hcarse house.
';rovcs claimed that Allen told him to
20 and reset the fire. Groves Went Il
little distance from the house and saw
hat the hcarse was afire. He then
anne back and he and Allen Went to
ned
Mrs. Dcman testified for the state
that a pail had been found near the
hearSe house the next morning and
he identified it as being one she had
seen in Allen's house.
AllenS evidence was that Groves
vas at his house on the night of the
Fourth, and that he told Groves that
e might STAY there all night They
both went to bed. Groves sleeping on
the lounge down stairs and Allen up
stairs. Allen testified that he did not
zee Groves again until the next morn
ing, on the street. Allen produced as
evidence Il pail that he claimed was
the pail that Mrs. Deman had testified
vas the one she had seen in Aliens
house and was the ore that the State
had nut in evidence. Allen claimed
further that if the pail the state pro-
duced was taken from his house it
had been taken unbeknnwn to him
The State had five witnesses and the
respondent had oEe besides himself
Hon. Forrest Goodwin appeared for
the respondent
Groves viii be sentenced at the close
Of this term of court rh" maximum
q f., Of hrr he
personal property of another is three
years imprisonment. The minimum
sentence is one years imprisonment.
The annual reccn1ion of the .okowhe
gan High school was held Friday even
ing in Weston hall. About $50 people
We're present The nall WAS baautiful-
| " decorated With the High school
colors, orange and black in bunting
and with banners of different schools
| and colleges in the United States
strung around the room The follow ing
was the program:
Music. Kendalrs Orchestra: piano
| SOLO, Miss Lena Landry: reading. Miss
MNra French violin solo, Lindsey
Mating; reading. Miss Gertrude car
| ter: vocal solo, Miss Eta Sweet: mu-
| sic. urcRCstr
| Ec'IcShmi nts We're str\,d d. followed
| by "A dance. Music was furnished by
| I<endalrs Orchestra. The committee ON
| arrangements consisted of Miss Ger
trade Emery. Elr"y LaCasce. Miss
| Mary f. Emery: Kenneth Causland
| Roy Steward. Miss Lena Landry, Car
roll Morrill, ard Miss Myra RcWell
| Miss Hattie Cleveland Saturday went
| Ia itumford Falls, where she has a po-
| sition as teacher
| Tn" fire alarm rung in early Satur-
day morning 70, a fire in the green
| house owned by Fred Danforth. The
| fire WAS in the basement in about l3l
| tons Of soft coal. II burned in the coal
nearly all day SATURDAY.. 1t was finally
| checked by Shoveling over the I'M
| burned coal. The damage was slight
| excepting to the coal that burned
| Charles Emery Saturday pleaded
guilty 10 Il search and seizure indict-
| mcnt found al this term of court The
case was continued ard he was allowed
| to so on his own bond of $500.