Norwich bulletin., 1915-01-16

For g fIrst tiase at a sesx4an of the Third district court in Westerly, the r4zai com plafnanG in 8 cass lonFe in. her arms the living evidence of the -uiIc of the xEcusett--a. silent witness with convincing evfdence. The case was that of OTeFsser of the Poor iEI- laIy Barber against Charles H. Dean. charEetl with bastardy, tho actual con- ptsinant being Mss Maude Prey ost Dean was arrested SeptenQbsls a5, 1974 the case heins conbnu ed several Elnss tn await the birth of t6e child As the accused was unabfe to obtain bond he has been ifE jail for the past four months. Miss Provost, a woman owe SN was in court with her pahy and was scccrapzniAa 1hy her ra1ther.
 ruEn Solicitor AsaFa, with pern2as- sion of me court, asked for dismissal of the case on payment of costs. He explained the long term that Dean had served in jajl a31d was satisfied tltat any order of the court that would carry with it the support of the child, would mean 2. term Tn Jail at rFfS eX- pe5nSa Of the town and the SEate, and of no benefit to the child or it's IrotIz- CT. and he did moi believe in spending any more of the public money in the case, as therE had already been as much expended az was jUstIfable. He S3lu 9IlSfS WSS, Jl0- pceCSCEElI 4pL jdN 1T The state for q afle or Imprisonment for bastar6y, bur of conrse the accused couId ne held for failure to comply with the courts orders. If it were possFb4e to send the guilty to the tread mill or rock piIe, 1t might fit cases of this nature, but there is no such lava. Nr: AszPd saI6 the stat ute covering ftlis- case was devoid CT sentiment and was purely Of coraHsr- cial nature. Therefore fe had no sen tinlent in the case and it was merely q query, Can you Sef blood out of a furnip9" If thePe was any way to ignore the law and punish the accused ir was agreed hle. However, he felt he was morally bound to the financial side. even if the court leaned to the sentimental.
 The proposition of MT AgaTd to dis miss the case upon payment of costs was agreeable to Attorney Ledwidge, counsel for Dean. MT. I4edwidge stated that money to cover the payment of costs had been deposited with the clerk
 Judge Williams said the court had no authority to object to the procedure outlined by the town solicitor, in ask ing for a dismissal upon pay ment of costs; but the respondent stands be- fore the court as not guilty and if the request for dismissal were granted the accused could walk out of the
 
 and be would be discharged from the s-ocusation of being the father of the child, now in the arms Of it's mother in this court. The rights of this wo- man ought to be respected, her char a.cter and future reputation is st stake and the ease should not be disposed of st it's cash cost to the town and state. Judge Williams said that if he was competent to object that the case DC ezsrnissed on goayment of costs. no order from the court would issue that would permit Dean to go out a, free ltla4. and therefore the request for dismissal was refused. The judge said the oV.erseer Of the peer had the ri ight 10 nlake agreement as to the support of the child. While the agreement might not hava'been binding, ill a way the oTeFseer would have done his duty and the case would not be in court IT ought fo be shown whether Dean IS the father of the child and then there would he ground for action in the future if not in this court
 The srlaI CT the case tben proceed ed and Miss Provost testified that she had known Dean two years becoming intimately acquainted with him about Hsar ago. He represented himself 7s a divorced man and she exnecteci they would be married. She said the gaiid was born December 4 and that Dean was father of the child. She was unable to work and had no means for the support Of the child Within Inc past year Dean told her he would rot nlaTry her and was not the father. that she could get no satisfaction from h1n and finally she caused his arrest
 Mrs Martin Thompson, mother of Miss Provost. testified that. the chiIS was born at her home and since it's birth was supported by her and her husband, as her daughter was not able to work The witness said that she had no means to support her dauehtel and child, but was willing to do all she could The doctors bilI had been paiGi by the overseer Of the poer She said The proper support Of the baby would mean an outlay of at least s a, week.
 No testimony was given for the ac- cused, and MT. EAedwidge. counsel for IAeaR, declined to argue the case. So lfcitor Agard asked that an order