Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-03-23

! guilty tn an indictment for abandonin
his wife and child. On motion Of Coul
ty Attorney Beliveau the case was Col
tinued for sentence, and Downs was r,
leased In consideration of his now ca
ing for his family.
Fred Russell of Rumford was place
on trial in an appealed case on the charg
Of keeping and depositing liquors inten(
ed for illegal sale. A. Z. Stearns wa
counsel for Russell.
According to the testimony, DO
came to Rumford by American Expires
on the Esd of January, addressed to
G.. Marcoux, who was then known b
the officers to be out of town. Ere
Russell presented to the express drive
an order purpor:ing to be signed by MI
Marcoux, directing that the box be de
livered to Russell, and In accordanc
with RusselPs instructions the box wa
delivered at the place where he lived.
After the case for the state had bee
put in, Mr.. Stearns moved a verdict o
not guilty, on several grounds, one O
which was that there was no evideec
that the box contained liquor.
ooa6V SRVoA oil CioCy w
on the ground that the contents of tn
box had not been shown to be liquor
granted the motion, saying, ut nigh
have been ketchup, as far as the evi
dence shows" He instructed the jur,
to return a verdict of not guilty.
On the afternoon of Tuesday Matthew
Mcleod of Mexico was placed on tria
on an indictment charging him with as
sault on Everett NJ. Bessey of Rumford
a deputy sheriff. Ralph T. Parker wa
attorney for Mcleod.
Mcleod Is mail carrier between Rum
ford and Mexico. On the 14th of Janu
airy Bessey and Deputy Sheriff Penley o
Mexico made a search of McLeod's plac,
at Mexico for liquor, and found pack
age. having a warrant which directed
them to arrest the owner of the prem
ises. Mcleod was not there, but they
found him at the tenement occupied by
Mrs. Heckbert> on the third floor Of
what is called the Beehive"
Mr.. Penley was left with the team in
the street, while Mr.. Bessey went up the
outside stairway and into Mrs. Heck.
oert's tenement. As to what occurred
during the next few minutes, there is q
conflict of testimony. Mr.. Bessey al.
leges that Mcleod grabbed him by the
arms when he laid his hand on McLeod's
shoulder, but agreed to 60 along with
him when the warrant was read to him.
When they got outside the door Mcleod
rold him to get down stairs or he would
throw him down, and grabbed Bessey
by the hair of his head. Mr.. Penley
came running up the stairs and pulled
off Mrs. Heckbert, who was trying to
hold Bessey, and Mcleod was handcuff-
ed and taken along. Bessey admitted
that he struck Mcleod with his club sf.
ter he was able to get at it.
For the defence it was alleged that the
assault was made not by Mcleod on
Bessey but by Bessey on Mcleod. Ac-
cording to Mcleod and some of his wit
uesses, Bessey struck Mcleod several
times with his billy, clubbing him near
ly into insensibility.
Besides the two principals, some doz-
en- people including number of the
nei shbors in the Beehive were wit
nesses ON the one side or the other.
This case occupied the afternoon Of
Tuesday, and was given to the jury just
before six o'clock. The court then took
a recess until 7 o'clock, and continued
in session from that hour until some af-
ter s the jury decided that they wanted
supper. They were taken to supper in
charge of the officer, and then returned
to their room and remained there till the
small hours of the morning. At the
IS he yVn1nacAau fora
noon they returned verdict of guilty.
Immediately after the return of this
verdict Levo Plaszcauskis of Rumford
was tried for forgery. By the testimony
of the states witnesses, the check, which
was on the Rangeley Trust Co., dated
Feb. Is, 1915, was drawn by the respond,
ent while at work in the woods, an
American fellow laborer who was teach.
ing him to write guiding his hand as he
wrote. The respondent later got the
check cashed at the store of George
Elias in Rumford.
Plsszcsuskis had no counsel, and
though he professed to understand Eng
lish so as to comprehend the testimony
of the witnesses, he himself testified
through an interpreter. He stated that
he had trouble with the cook at the
camp, and that the cook gave him two
checks to settle the matter, one of which
was the check appearing in the case.
There was no argument and the charge
of Judge Spear occupied only three OF
four minutes. Only few minutes wal
used by the jury In considering the case
before they returned q verdict Of moi
guilty.
The court then proceeded with The
Pratt murder trial.
SENTENCES IMPOSED.
Saturday morning the criminal bust
ness of the term was concluded by the
imposition of sentences in the case!
where there had been convictions.
Herbert Mcdowell, convicted OF rob
berry, was sentenced to one year In the
work Jail at Auburn.
In the case of Gerald Skerry and Johr
Carney, convicted Of the larceny OF
piece of pipe at Rumford, Skerry was
sentenced to four months in Oxford
County Jail, and Carney to six months II
Jail at Auburn.
The case of William Haddow, who
had pleaded guilty to the larceny OF
ring, was continued for sentence, and be
was released on his own recognizance
The ring has been returned, and he hat
been in Jail some time awaiting trial
He had no money, and a contribution
was taken to buy him ticket for hi'
home in Rhode Island, and he left on the
forenoon train.
The case of Matthew Mcleod of Mex
leo, who was convicted of assault or
Deputy Sheriff Bessey, goes to the Law
court on exceptions, but according tt
the present law, sentence must be fixeo
by the justice presiding at the trial, tt
be carried out II the exceptions are over
ruled. Judge Spear fixed the sentence
at fine of 500 and costs taxed at S22
Mcleod put up cash bail to the amour
of 5000.
Homer Truman of Norway, indicted II
October as a common seller, retractet
his former plea of not guilty and pleaded
guilty. The case was continued To-
sentence, and he was allowed to 60 OF
his own recognizance.
RUsCIo CASE CONTINUED TO MAY.
The case of Antonio Ruscio, indicted
for the murder of Antonio Critic at Rum
ford, was continued to the May term a
Rumford for trial.
The few divorce hearings Of the tern
came on Saturday. Some other small
matters of business were disposed OF
and there was a hearing in an equit
case, in which number of witnesses ap
pearsd. This suit was brought D.