Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-11
SUPERIOR COURT.
January Term Likely to
Be Very Important
Grand Jury May Be In Ses-
sion for Ten Days.
Many Important Criminal Matters
Are to. Be Investigated.

IL > NN-'''
the superior court for Kennebec county
will be one of the most important held
for a number of years, so far, at least.
as the criminal docket is concerned. III
will also be the first term of court for
County Attorney Guy A Hildreth of Car
diner and Sheriff Colby Getcheil of Wa
tervile. The grand jury will meet Tues-
day and as Il large number OF matters
will be brought to its attention 1t Is
likely to be week or possibly 10 days
before the session of the grand jury is
completed.
The death of George Durham, for
which Fred Davis of Whitefield is held
in the Kennebec Jail without bail on the
charge of murder, is one of the matters
which will be investigated by the grand
Jury. Durham, who was veteran OF
the Spanish war and an inmate of the
National Soldiers Home at Togus on
fur!ough, was found dead in his house
on "Hayseed avenue" near the Home
reservation, on the morning of Oct 81 or
last year, under circumstances which IN
| dicated foul play. The house was IN a
| condition of disorder and indications
ronted to a struggle in the place on the
| night before Dunham's body had been
| found Durham had been on protract-
| ed spree and it was at first thought that
his death was due to alcoholism.
| Davis was arrested afeW days after the
| finding of Dunham'ss body and at the pre-
liminary hearing before Judge Maherssof
the Augusta municipal court probable
cause was found and the Whitefield man
held for the grand jury without baHaon
| e William (Nh1nlhpr-
lain. woman who claims to be the wife
of Davis, although he denies the relation,
and William Henry of WhiteGeld were
| also held for the grand jury as witnesses.
Henry and the Chamberlain woman were
unable to procure the bail of $1,000 each
| demanded of them and We're committed
They will draw $50 per day. the regular
pay of witnesses, during their stay IN
| jail
Should an Indictment be returned
| against Davis he cannot be tried until
| the session of the supreme judicial court
| in March at which Chief Justice Lucli-
Illus A. Emery of Ellsworth will preside,
| as the judge of the superior court in tins
! county does not have jurisdiction in MUIR
| der cases The last murder trial in Ken
| nebec county was at the March term OF
court in 1906 Associate Justice Henry c
Peabody of Portland presiding. when Mrs
| Alice f. Cooper of South Windsor was
| acolitted of the charge of the murder of
| Charles D. Northy, Jr., of North White
| field by shooting on the afternoon of Oct
49, 1905. in what proved to be one of the
longest and most sensational trials ever
held in this State
Herbert s. Spear of Hallowell is await
ing the action of the grand jury on the
charge of manslaughter, having been
bound over from the Winthrop municipal
court. Spear was driving car on the
| Winthrop branch of the L., A. & w.
Railway on the afternoon of Oct. Il, 1903,
| when the car struck a team containing
| two men. One of the occupants of the
| team, Harold f. Martin of Winthrop,
| was killed and the other man, j. 0. Stew
art of Boston, so seriously injured that
| he was confined to the hospital for some
| time Spear was the conductor on the
car but was acting temporarily as mo-
torman when the accident occurred. He
was helu for the grand jury in the sum
of $500, which bail he furnished.
William Sabens of Gardiner is neld for
| the grand jury on the charge of man
slaughter in causing the death of William
| Routh at Hallowell in October Sabens
| and Routh were at work in the hold of
a schooner helping to discharge cargo
of coal when a dispute arose between
| them, Sabens striking Routh, who died 2
few days later at the Augusta City hos
pital Sabens has always contended that
| he struck Routh in selfdefencc. M
A large number of liquor cases will
come before the grand Jury for consider
alton, several of which were Instituted
by detectives employed by the Christian
Civic League of Maine. \ number Of
breaking and entering charges most Of
them from the southern part Of the coun-
| IT, will also be considered