Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-24
a PECULIAR CASE
Maze. ssvve'ssed Much Sensation and
peNslsaes 6as Very Little. 80

!
1,sc augusta municipal court wa,
lGSN,anleV3 dUrtug the greater part of tbs
l%gsers,a,sp With criminal case which
psSAs~,Scd much sensation and develop
| ~ eNg }atie, Ira w Smith was before
! ssssiSc Ma6er upon a charge of assault
lWsfG cr4mtnal intent upon Mrs. Angie
IN. 9aWeS at Waterville. which it is al
aeS0& VAS committed at the home of
lMs smith on Friday last JadSe
M&aty dismissed the charge of assault
wsga criminal intent. found the re-
sgsUdent guilty of assault and battery,
save him sentence OF 80 days in Jail
zs3 oasts of prosecution, and also plae-
e3 him under $500 bonds to keep the
peace. Melvin f. Sawtele was counsel
Ter the plaintiff and W. NJ Sanborn COR
RE defendant.
The first witness called was the
complainant. Mrs. Angie NJ. Jones. She
testified that she came to Augusta,
Friday Ia visit her sister Mrs. Josie
Iadd. and that Smith dragged her
from the street to his house, after
which he locked the door. compelled
her 10 drink glass of liquor, inflicted
bruises upon her throat arms and
body and attempted to commit
criminal assault.
t-pon cross examination witness ad-
nitted that she had been sitting in the
swing in the yard of the Smith house
4arler in the day. and that she was in
he Smith house the greater part of
hree hours before she finally got away
rom there. She also admitted that
he warrant was not sworn out until
Tuesday.
Oscar w. Jones. the husband of the
complainant, testified that his wife told
aim of the assault that had been COM
nitted upon her when she returned tod
Naterville. Friday afternoon. and that
lie afterwards came to Augusta and
swore out warrant.
Hiram 5. Clapp of Dexter testified
hat he accompanied Mrs. Jones to Au-
.usta upon the occasion Of her visit
o her sister. Mr.. Clapp is very deaf
md it was only with extreme difficulty
hat the attorneys and the court were
BILE to make him understand the ques-
ions put to him. He testified to ee-
ng to the Smith house before dinner
n search of Mrs. Jones and being un-
tb1e to find anyone. After eating ais
Inner at the home of Mrs. Jones SIS
er he went to the ear, and before the
.lectrc arrived the complainant met |
Jim at the siding. Her neck was
bruised and she told him that she had
been badly treated.
The hearing was continued at tins
eoint for an hour to await the arrival
f Rose Black, the half-sster of the
respondent. who failed to appear the /
rst time that a summons was served |
pom her She was finally produced
lpon the witness stand end testified i'll
egard to peculiar conduct upon the
art of a woman in the swing in front
If the Smith house, but was unable 20
IDENTIFY the woman as the complainant
the case. The only view she had of
he woman was as she saw her from
he window of her house, opposite.
Smith testified in his own behalf, be-
ing the last witness called. According |
o his story liquor had been drank BY
several men and the woman who fgur-
ID as the complainant in the case. He
stated that she was at his house sew
aral times during the day and drank
liauor there. According to his test-
nonv he awoke in the night and found |
the complainant and a man whose
name was George" in his house. He
ordered them out and pushed the wo-
man down the stairs
On cross examination he admitted
hat he had been drinking with Tom"
md George" whom he spoke of as
wo hoboes, but was not so drunk but
what he knew what was going on. He
declared that Mrs. Jones story was
Wholly false and that he did not touch
Ter. except to put her out of the house
when he found her there with man.
He testified that he had been told that
his action was about to be brought
lin and advised to leave the city by
friends of Mrs. Jones.
The two children of Mrs. Jones. two
bright looking little girls of seven and
line years, We're present at the hearing,
put were not called as witnesses by
aither side.