The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-10-12
BEATING AND ABUS-
INC A CHILD
William Landry Tried
Friday
Most Heart Rending Testimony
Introduced.

After celebrating upon the evil
dence less than fifteen minutes, the
jury in the case of the State vs.. Will
liam Landry. in the Supreme Judicial
Court, F. iday, found the respon-
dent guilty of cruel and abusive
treatment and neglect Of his five
year old daughter, Esther. In
charging the jury Judge Cornish said
that he had never had a case like 1t
during his experience on the bench,
and the trial, though brief. attracted
much attention throughout the
county.
Landry is a middle aged Cornish
man who came to Canada from Eng
land some two years ago. and to
Maine during November, 1910. He
brought with him a yonng and rather
good looking wife. and little five year
old Esther. the daughter by a former
spouse. Together they secured EN-.
ployment as caretakers for the sport
ing camps owned by II. p. McKenney
j at Parlin Pond. Some time in Feb
ruary Sheriff Mooers received the in
formation by telephone that the little
girl was not being properly treated,
so he directed Deputy Frank Durgin
of The Forks to go to Parlin Pond
and investigate The case above
mentioned was the outcome
AS the first witness for the prosecu-
ton Thursday afternoon, Mr.. Durgin
related to the jury the details of his
investigation, the arrest of Landry,
and the trip which brought father and
child to Skowhegan. Sheriff Mooers
also told of his part in the case, par
ticularly the examination Of the
child upon arrival here in February
DR.. Stinchfeld followed with the re-
suits of his examination, whereby he
found scalp wounds on the child s
head a cut in one ear, running scars
behind both ears, bruises upon the
back and one hip, a confusion upon
the shin. long red scar across the
lower abdomen, and frozen and sup
parating fingers and toes. Testimony
by DR.. II. C. Taggart, Mrs Lucella
Williams, matron of the Children's
Home at Augusta, and Miss Russell,
a nurse in the Augusta Hospital, cor
roborated DR.. Stinchfield, and
brought out the treatment and opera
ton which followed. The little girl
was with Mrs. Williams and Miss
Russell in court during the trial, and
appeared the picture of health and
contentment.
Attorney w b Brown of Madison
appeared for the respondent, and in
order to make time during which Mr..
and Mrs. McKenney would come down
from Parlin Pond, protracted his di-
rect and cross examinations to the
limit permitted by the court. but
when the morning train. Thursday.
arrived without them, gave up the
fight with the clock. Both Landry
and his wife took the stand and tes-
titled substantially as follows That
the scalp wounds were the result OF
accidental falls on shipboard, while
the stepmother was seasick during
the voyage from England two years
ago; that the cut in the ear was due
to a scratch with a table spoon, the
wound subsequently becoming In
fected with some humor in the
child's blood; that the running sores
were due to the same humor; that
the bruises on the small of the back
were caused by falling down stairs
the confusion on the shin to the ac.
cidental collapse of a cot bed in
which the child was sleeping; that
the long red scar upon the abdomen
was where the child fell against the
kitchen stove; that the fingers were
frozen while the child played with
the kitten fifteen minutes in the barr
one day; and that the feet were
frozen while the child was being
brought to Skowhegan.
In charging the Jury, Judge Cor