Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-15
Is Jury's Finding in Case
Of Curtis VS.. Emery
Alton BuzzeI Convicted Of As
sauIt ON Jennie Whitten


Immediately following the opening Of
the supreme court Tuesday morning,
Judge Beane delivered his charge to
the jury in the case of Curtis vs. EN-
ery. The jury was out a little over an
hour end returned a verdict of 1851
for the plaintiff. Shortly after the an
nouncement of the verdict court took
ar adjournment until 2 T. NJ.
At the beginning of the afternoon
session the case of Jennie May Whit
ter of Augusta VS.. Alton Ruzzell of
Augusta, in which the former is
charged with assault with intent to
rare the latter, was opened. County
Attorney William II. Fisher conduct
ed the case for the State and Judge
Benedict F. Maher for the respondent.
The county attorney briefly opened the
case stating that the fact that the
grand jury returning an indictment
against the defendant was no evidence
of his guilt but that he was presum-
ably innocent unit lproyen guilty by
the evidence introduced. Mr.. Fisher
further stated that the complainant in
the case had been left at her home
by her mother on the evening OF Feb.
%. 1914, while she went to the Au-
gusta General hospital to see her
husband BuZzell was cousin to the
Written girl and had been around her
home more or less. The little girl. ac-
cording to Attorney Fisher, had been
left at the house with two little chill
d-en The children were in the act
O fgoing to bed and Buzzell, the re-
spendent, appeared at the house. I'VE
snail show you. gentlemen, that this
girl was grabbed from behind by Buz-
zell and cloth put across her mouth,
ard that the girl became unconscious,
remembering nothing as to what took
place. Whether there was any chloro-
form or anything of the sort put on
the cloth we are unable to determine,
but the girl was rendered unconscious.
The mother. Mrs. Charles Stiletto,
came home from the hospital and
found her daughter in hysterical
condition. Her face badly swollen and
her clothes, particularly her waist,
saturated with blood.
Mrs. Charles Stiletto, mother OF the
complainant in the case, took the
stand and testified as to leaving her
daughter alone in the mouse on the
night Of the assault. Thought she had
been absent from the house about two
hours. Came home and found her
daughter in the condition that the
county attorney described in his open
ing. Buzzell had been frequent VS.
itor at the house and had boarded with
her en- one occasion.
Jennie NJ Written, the complainant,
in the case. took the stand and tes-
tilted that Buzzell came to her house
while she was alone with two small
children. who had been left IN her
care. The respondent arrived just as
she was putting the children to bed.
AS she was coming out of the room
where the children had been put to
bed She was back to. She was grabbed
by someone by the arms and a cloth
put across her mouth. She remen1-
bered nothing more. When she awoke
she found herself on bed in room,
her face and hands covered with
blood and hre clothing also saturat-
ed. Judge Maher cross-examined
briefly and the State rested.
Judge Maher made no opening state
mert and declined to argue before the
Jury. Consequently, after brief sum-
ming I'D of the case by County Attor-
new Fisher, Judge Beane delivered his
charge. The case went to the jury at
315 and in one hour and forty-nVe
minutes a verdict of guilty of assault
was returned. The respondent will be
sentenced this morning.
Herbert Mason of Clinton, who was
indicted by the grand Jury for as
sault with intent to kill. through his
Counsel, Thomas Leigh, withdraw his
plea of not guilty and entered plea
of nolo. The respondent was sentenc-
ed by Judge Beane to serve IL months
at hard labor in the county Jail.