The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-11-02
NONOCENARIAN
LOVES JAIL !

JAIL no STAYING WITH DAUGH-
TER--PATHETIC CASE OF So
YEAR-OLD BENJAMIN X. BOR-
TREE-REMANDE TO JAIL
FOR THE PRESENT
A surety of the peace case was
heard just about noon, Thursday, the
case being that of the Commonwealth
versus Benjamin X. Bortree, the
charge being the making of threats.
Mrs. Sarah Cobb, of Salem town
ship, testified to being a daughter of
b. X. Bortree. She stated that he
made threats. On one occasion be-
fore he left her house "he threaten
ed" she said, Ito give me the worst
black eye l ever had" She was
afraid of her life on account of his
threats.
At the request of Mr. Bortree, who
wished to have a lawyer to look af-
ter his interests, r. NJ. Salmon, Esq,
was assigned him by the court,
When questioned by Judge Searle
Mrs. Cobb said that Mr. Bortree, who
is her father, didn't seem to be salts
fed. She didn't think her father
safe, and said she couldn't trust him.
She admitted however that he only
made one threat against her.
1t didn't take the jury long, in the
Joe Kowasch case, to reach a YER
dict. They came into the court room
Thursday noon with a verdict against
Kowasch of guilty as charged in the
Indictment"
Mrs. Cobb then resumed giving her
evidence. She stated that she fur
r1ished a good home for her father,
Nv h1, IL -,
tic when company came, and some
times he slept in the store room, but
IS this was in the month of Septem-
Der, it was comfortable room for
him. Mrs. Cobb said that her father
would be eighty-nine years of age
On February 4, 1911, and that he
served a term in the penitentiary
When her father became dissatisfied
she and some of the rest raised the
money to send him out west to see
his daughter in Michigan.
Judge Searle said: THE only
bling we can do is to put him in Jail
fora little time, and that is poor
place for him"
Mr.. Pelton, of Salem, was the sec
Ond witness. He told of the threats
Bortree made against his daughter,
Mrs Cobb. I'm kill Mrs. Cobb in
side of a week if l have to go back
there" said B. X. Bortree to Mr.
PeltOn. The witness tried to reason
with Mr.. Bortree but to no avail. 1t
was on September gath, Mr.. Pelton
continued, that Bortree threatened
to kill his daughter
On crosS-eXamination he testified
that Mrs. Cobb bore a good reputa-
ton. Bortree told him he thought
his daughter put him in the (attic)
room to catch cold and kill him"
1t was brought out that Mr.. Bor-
tree has been trying Ito put himself
on the town" for several years, that
he had made a complaint to the over
seers who said they were willing to
take care of him. The aged man
has a daughter in Michigan whom he
went out to see last year. In letter
written last spring to friends in the
East she said, 81 can't keep him any
longer" So finally Bortree came
East again.
In case he was put on the town
somebody would be found to take
care of him. 1t seems the aged de-
fendant also wanted to get into Hill
side Home, but was unsuccessful.
Mrs. Cobb said He's been trying
for several years to put himself on
the town"
William Altman also told of hear
ing Bortree say: IF he had to live
with his daughter, Mrs. Cobb, he
would kill her inside of a week"
Benjamin K. Bortree, the aged de-
fendant, was then sworn. He is very
deaf, and in order to make him hear,
Judge Searle came down from the
bench and shouted his questions into
Mr.. Bortree's ear.
Mr.. Bortree's story was to the ef-
feet that he had moved his valise
from Mrs. Cobb's, four weeks before
making the threats. She and l
couldn't live under that roof for one
week." he said; "either she would
Mr.. Bortree said he had mo money,
no home, nothing" "Pd rather come
to Jail than live with her." Bortree
continued.
Judge Searle told him; you go
home and live with your daughter
and behave yourself"
Bortree said: 81 tried my best to
get on Salem township. She (Mrs.
Cobb tried to head me or She
made promises. She used me worse
than a dog. She placed me in a gar
ret where you could throw a small
dog or a cat through the holes in the
roof, and the rain came down on me.
| asked to be moved, but she
wouldn't move me to a good room.
She was mad at me because
wouldn't die. had plenty to eat"
Judge Searle, who experienced
great difficulty in making the defend
ant stop talking, said to him: "You
have got to behave yourself. You
had no right to threaten your daugh-
ter"
The Judge told Bortree "he was
bad-tempered old man, and a hard
man to get along with. I'll put you
in separate cell If you won't behave
yourself. If you are an old man, we
appreciate that fact. but you got to
behave yourself"
The Judge told Bortree I'VE think
you are more to blame than she
(your daughter) is" Bortree could
not be sileneed, and answered, 81 am