Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-09-15
SUPERIOR court
Grand Jury Makes a Special Re-
port of Two Indictments
Verdict for Plaintiff in
649, Hunt vs..
PittstOn

the superior court in the case OF Ada F.
Hunt Of Augusta, State agent for the
prevention of cruelty to children, vs.
the Inhabitants of the town OF Pittston.
The grand jury made a special report
In the afternoon Of two indictments. One
was against Christopher Miller Of Togus
charged with common nuisance. Mr.. Mil
Ter was taken to the Jail Thursday eve
ming in the custody Of deputy sheriff
Tebbetts. The other indictment was not
made public.
Second Jury Impanaled
At the opening Of court Thursday
morning the second jury was impanelled,
the members of this jury being as fol-
lows: G. B. Churchill, Winthrop; Harold
M. Claflin. Waterville; Charles H. Drum
mond, Winslow: Charles B. Dutton. Au-
gusta; H. W. Greeley, Augusta; Gideon
Hallowell. Augusta; w. ]. Jackson, Au-
gusta; Fred A. Lancaster, Winslow; E..
A. Morgan. Readfeld: John F. Quinn,
Hallowell; D. A. Sawtelle. Sidney;
George A. Sweetland, Gardiner. Mr..
Drummond was elected foreman. The
supernumerary jurors are George A.
Cross, Gardiner; Charles Dickey, Vassal-
OoAos 4I' W. w ChlWoA eAS W 100000 W.
Forenoon Cases
The first case of the session was that
Of Charles H. Davis Of Boston VS.. George
A. Pierce of Readfeld, an action upon
three promissory notes Frank E. South
ard Of the law Office Of Williamson, Bur-
leigh & Mclean of Augusta appeared for
the plaintiff and Ellsworth E. Peacock
ID Ill
The plaintiff introduced the notes and
rested the case, and the defendant offer
ed to be defaulted in the sum Of 5000 and
costs, which meant a discount on the
part Of the plaintiff of the interest from
October, 1915. This the plaintiff accept
ed.
In case No. 626, that Of Samuel Taylor
Of Gardiner VS.. Isabel Hale of Gardiner,
the suit was not prosecuted.
Hunt Va. Pittston
The only case before the court in the
afternoon was that of Ada F. Hunt Of
Augusta, State agent for the prevention
Of cruelty to children, vs. the inhabitants
Of the town Of Pittston. w. c. Atkins
Of Gardiner was the attorney for the
plaintiff and George w. Heselton Of Gar
diner appeared for the defendant
The claim of the plaintiff, as stated by
attorney Atkins, was that Mrs. Hunt, the
State agent for the prevention of cruelty
to children, in the exercise of her duties,
took from the town Of Pittston the min
or child of Fred Croker and after a
hearing in the municipal court at Au
gusta the child was committed to Mrs.
Hunt under the provisions Of the stat
utes. After that the child was boarded
out, Mrs. Hunt paying for the board and
for clothing for the child. The plaintiff
claimed that she paid in all for the child
$5666 and that she had direct authority
from the selectmen Of Pittston to board
the child out and pay the bills for cloth
ing, and also that the statutes provide
that where temporary commitment is
made to the agent for the prevention OF
cruelty to children the town where the
the temporary commitment.
Three witnesses were sworn in for
the plaintiff.
Mrs. Hunt, the plaintiff, testified
that in 1914 her attention was called
to the girl, Annie Croker. She met
Messrs. Little and Mansur, the select
men Of the town Of Pittston, at the
office of w. c. Halves. superintendent
of the Maine Childrens Home So
ciety. and they held conference with
Mr.. Halves regarding the child. The
selectmen agreed to the contract that
Mrs. Hunt board the child out, and
later upon telephoning Mrs. Mansur,
Mrs. Hunt received authority to buy
clothes for the child. Mrs. Hunt tes-
titled that at the end Of the month she
sent in her bill to the selectmen for
the board and clothes of the child AMI
that she never heard from the bill. A
hearing was held later at the munich
pal court at Augusta and the girl was
committed to Mrs. Hunt, who for
some time thereafter paid from her
own funds for board and clothing for
the child. And she testified that UP to
the present time she has received no
part Of the money back.
Upon cross-examiration by Attor-
ney Heselton witness stated that the
child had lived from baby with Mrs.
Lizzie M. Ware Of Whitefleld but she
could not say as to whether or not
the child lived there up to the time
Of her commitment to the Children's
home. Mr.. Halves had refused to keep
the child any longer at the home, in
1914, and had so notified the witness.
Willis c. Halves of Augusta, super
intendent Of the Maine Children's
Home Society, testified regarding the
conference with Mrs. Hunt and the
selectmen of Pittston relating to the
child and testified that 1t was decided
to board the child for $3.50 a week
and that the selectmen of Pittston
agreed to 1t.
Witness upon cross-examination
testified that he didn't remember
or not the selectmen had
promised to be personally responsible
for the bills Of the child
Judge Stephen S. Lancaster Of the
Augusta municipal court testified that
he was Judge Of that court July 2J,
1914. and he read the record of the
court relating to the child, Annie May
Croker. and to the placing Of the
child in the custody Of Mrs. Hunt.
Defense
The claim Of the defense as was
stated by Attorney Heselton. was
that the child was born at whitefield,
her residence as far as was known
was always at Wh1tef1eld and the