Norwich bulletin., 1911-09-09
Amasa ). Maine Sentenced To Prison
Found Guilty by Jury of Stealing Chickens and Given One to Two Years-Montville Man Fined $50 and James Rossi Given Four Months For Theft From Person.

When the criminal superior court opened Friday morning a jury was se- lected for the trial of the case of the state vs. Amasa D. Maine of Volun- town, charged with the theft of 22 chickens and hen from Martin o. Chapman of Pendleton Hill on May 14 Of this year. The chickens were said to be three weeks old and valued at $l150. Mayor c. F. Thayer was as- signed by the court to defend Maine, who did not have counsel and who pleaded not guilty earlier in the week. The accused was out under bonds fur n1shed by Lafayette Maine
 The first witness called by the state was Martin O.. Chapman, who said that on the night of May IA his wife called him because of a noise and he investigated and found his hencoop had been robbed With his wife and hired man they tracked the thief by his footprints. which could be seen with a lantern. The tracks led him to the home of Amasa D. Maine where the chickens were found in a bag near his door. Maine was found trying to get into his house. He had lost the key and was using something to pry open the door. He denied that he had taken the chickens or knew anything about them. He told of having been at work for Andrew Bennett and reaching home just then Members of the party went to MT. Bennetts, and it was found that Maine had not been there in three weeks.
 Seen to Drop Bag.
 The claim was then made by Maine that he had been after cider at the home of Eugene Congdon. It was tes- titled by Ernest Perkins, Mrs. Chap mans hired man. that he saw Amasa Maine drop the bag of chickens just as he got to his door. Deputy Sheric GOV toId raf or fr,rr NTo{r ov,l hot he had to go there three times before he found him home. He was away fishing that day and was cleaning the fish when he made his third visit to the house.
 For the defense Lafayette F. Maine was called and he testified that the witnesses could not have tracked man as the states witnesses said they did. Abram E. Congdon also testified for the defense, which completed the testimony
 After the arguments were heard, the case went to the jury, following a charge by Judge Reed of about a half hour. At $40 o'clock they returned with a verdict of guilty given through foreman Hamilton Wallis.
 Maintained His Innocence.
 Attorney Thayer, after motion for sentence had been made by State At torney Hull, said that he had been sur prised by some of the testimony that had been given. The accused had stub bornly refused to plead guilty because, he stated, he was not guilty and would not plead guilty to something he was not guilty of. The counsel said that he had his doubts, notwithstanding the jury's verdict, as to his guilt. He be- 1ieved that the real thief was the ac- cuseds son, John. as he had been in formed since the jury went out that the whereabouts of John have been as- certained and that John had admitted it. AS to the certainty of this, he said, he was unable to say. To the state attorney he said the information came from Lafayette Maine. MT. Thayer claimed the accused is between 62