Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-10-17

A. A. Austin OF Mexico was excused
finally from service, and Frank K. Bick-
nell was excused from attendance for
this term.
Besides most of the attorneys now in
active practice in all parts of the county,
there were seated In the bar number
from other bars, including Hon. Edward
l.. Paris of the New York bar, Hon. j.
NJ. Libby of Mechanic Falls, D. Eugene
Chaplin of Bridgton, Ralph W. Crockett
and Dana S. Williams of Lewiston.
The rest of the forenoon session was
occupied with the call of the docket and
the assignment of cases for trial. A
trial list of between twenty-five and
thirty cases was made out, but 1t appear
ed that only few of them were for
actual Jury trial. The assignments
covered only the days of the first week.
Minor matters took up the attention
of the court for while Tuesday after
noon, and adjournment was made early.
The traverse juries were empaneled
Wednesday forenoon, as follows:
FIRST JURY.
Seth r. Head, Lowell, Foreman.
E. Z. Barker. Albany.
Eugene l.. Burns, oxford.
George W. Davis, Woodstock.
William B. Deasy, Denmark.
Ivory l.. Harmon. Canton.
George K Hastings. Bethel.
W. II. Packard, Hebron.
A. L. Purkis, Buckfeld.
Charles A. Saunders. Sweden.
Clayton z. Spring. Browntield.
W. 8. Walker, Mexico.
SECOND JURY,
Cyrus p Eaton. Rumford. Foreman.
Charles w. Cole. Porter.
James Danfortb, Norway.
John +. Davenport, Hartford.
4. M. Durham, Paris.
Charles A. Frost, Norway.
Lincoln Fuller, Upton.
NJ. r. knight, w Waterford.
J. C. Littlefeld. Greenwood.
X. n. Lowell, Hiram.
Norman ID. Marsh, Dixfeld.
Calvin l.. Sanborn, Bethel.
sUPERNUMERARIEs.
ID. Bickford, Stoneham.
Lewis II. Bisbee, Sumner.
Excuses ffom service, for various rea-
sons, were granted to Owen c. Eastman,
Fryeburg, Milton r. Davis, Rumford,
and John j. Emsley, Paris.
The deputy sheriffs in attendance at
this term are Albert j. Brown of North
James NJ. Day Of Bryant's
Pond, and John j. Mcneil of Oxford.
Wednesday morning Harry Isaacson
OF Norway, after examination by the
clerk, took the oath as an American
citizen. He is 2S years of age, coming
to this country from Russia, and has
been in Norway some more than six
years, In the business Of peddling.
Thomas August Cummings, q native
Of Finland, but resident of Paris for a
numb,r of years, was also admitted to
citizenship.
AN AUTOMOBILE DAMAGE SUIT.
The first suit ever tried in this county
for damage done by an automobile In q
collision on the highway was begun
Thursday morning. Nor in this case
was the damage done in this county, but
iu the town of Naples in Cumberland
County.
The suit was brought by John E.
Stephens of Rumford against A. G.
Bellefieur of Standish. ]. B. Stevenson
and Judge A. E. Stearns of Rumford
were counsel for Stephens, aud Lauren
N. Sauborn of Portland for Bellefleur.
The accident out of which this case
grew occurred on the 10th of July, 1910.
Mr.. Stephens Is q we'll known dealer IN
automobiles, and j. H. Halkett of Bridg-
ton is a sub-agent for him in that section.
Mr.. Stephens had sent new REQ tour
ing car, In charge of r. A. Richards, to
be shown to l.. P. Knight of Naples, a
possible customer. Mr.. Richards and
Mr.. Halkett, with the car, took in Mr..
Knight, his son, the sons wife and small
child, and started for ride.
According to the story OF the witnesses
for the plaintiff, they took q road which
led up a steep and somewhat winding
hill known as Crockett's Hill, road
which was new to tho men who were
showing the machine. On the frs,
pitch of the hill 1t was noticed that the
carburetsr was not working just right
and on Mr.. Hslkett's suggestion the Cal
was run we'll out on the right hand side
of the road and stopped, without stop
ping the engine, and Mr.. Halkett got out
to change the adjustment of the carbure
ter. At just about that time they heart
an automobile coming around the curve
of the hill above them, which proved Il
be that of the defendant, Mr.. Bellefleur
which he was himself driving. 1t csm'
rapidly down the very steep hill, goint
| from side to side Of the road a. II IL
driver had lost control Of 1t, and strucl
the Stephens car, the way In which
struck showing that 1t must have beel
farther out of the road than the Stephen
car, and on the same side, which was tn
| left side as the Bellefeur car was run
ming. Two of the occupants OF tho ca
were thrown out, one of them landing II
the bushes on the left side Of the road
Before the cars were separated from To
deadlock into which they had been fore
cd, q team went by, and shortly afte
two more, with plenty Of room on th
other Jde Of the road.
Al The result of tho collision, Nj
Stephens car was damaged In severs
respects, and had to undergo extensiv
repairs; and It 10 also claimed by tn
plaintiff, that In consequence of the coll
sion, Notwithstanding oil repairs this
could be made on IL, II became dsmaf
cd car, which must DO sold - such at
reduced price, and could not DO sold -
new car, by any honest dealer.
Il For the defence in this case the stor
of the affair WAS told by Mr.. Bellefleul
his wife, his son and bis daughter, wh
were the occupants Of the car at tn
!, time of tho collision. Al described b
Mr.. Bellsfleur, who was driving, th
collision took place at higher point o
Ishe bill and on sleeper grade than Il
location fixed by the other side, IN
: where It was possible to SOC ahead
shorter distance. Il Wa stated that Il
, Stephens automobile was stopped ct q
: angle of about thirty degrees with Il
road, and that directly opposite, on Il
other side of the road, was large stol
which 1t was impossible to 60 over, vii
Z marrow opening between that and Il
/ Stephens Gar which was not wide enoue
4 to allow the other car to pass.
\ Mr.. BslleAeur said that whom
!. rounded the curve ut the top of Il
Q steep pitch, and discovered the 9th
4 automobile only . short distance ahea
!. he put on his emergency brake, Will
a caused his car to skid. Then seeii
{ that there was not room for him to
( By the other car, he had presence
J. mind enough 10 steer his car toward q