Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-01-23


tho superior court a good number of
witnesses gave testimony and the case
will be resumed at the opening of court
today.
Gases Continued
At the opening of the session the ap-
pealed cases of State vs.. Bert .. Cham
berlain of Monmouth, who Is charged
with not sending his children to school,
were continued upon the respondents
personal recognizancc. Frank Q. Far
rington of Augusta appeared for the
respondent.
State VS.. Foster Nelson
The first criminal case to come up
for trial was that IF State vs.. Foster
Nelson of Clinton, an arson case con-
tinued from the previous term. Nelson
was charged by indictment with setting
fire on April 5, 1916. to the barn of
George w. GetcheIl at Clinton. On ac-
count of the absence of two Of the
States witnesses, George l.. Jones and
Stella X. Jones of Clinton. the case was
continued from last term at the re-
quest of the county attorney. and the
case was tried Monday without these
witnesses, both of whom have left the
State State Insurance Commissioner
Erastus j. Carter of Stonington was as
ISOLATED with the county attorney, w.
II. Fisher, in the prosecution of the
case. The respondent was represented
by Fred w. Clair of Watervillc.
George w. Getchel1 of Clinton tcsti-
fled that he had been acquainted with
Foster Nelson IA or IS years and he
spoke of having exchanged horses with
him The fact had come to Mr.. Get
chells attention that Mr.. Nelson was
dissatisfied. Witness said that in March,
1915, he had lost some hens. and when
he met Mr.. Nelson the latter had said,
DO you think | got them?" Witness
had answered 1T kind of looks that
way" Then Nelson drove off. Witness
then testified about the fire at his barn
and said the barn doors had been fast
encd and no light hal been left in the
barn. Witness said the fire seemed TO
be right amongst his horses. TO his
knowledge no one had been to the barn
that night after he had left. Upon
cross examination he said he thought
tho person got into the barn by going
UP on pile of dressing and climbing
through the window. Witness said that
after the hen episode Nelson had come
to his house and had asked Getchell to
forgive him. Their relationship had
been pleasant after that.
Charles +. Files of Clinton, an agent
of the Maine Central Railroad and the
American Express Co, read from the
records of the express company regard
rarkapa xybjrI, hoI fn,
ter Nelson on April 5. 1916. Upon
REORGANIZATION he said that Carroll
Harding had delivered the package
Mrs. Giroux of Clinton testified that
she had lived at Foster Nelson's house
but now was living at Mr. Getchelrs
house. She said that Nelson and the
boy, Clarence Bragdon, had gone to
Clinton on the night of April 5, 1916
and she said Clarence had told her that
Foster Nelson had gone behind the
barn. Nelson had told her if she said
anything about the fire he would kill
her. Witness said that Nelson had then
burned his rubbers in the stove, that
he did not go to the fire but was very
nervous and said he was sorry he set
the fire. Upon cross examina ton she
said Mr.. Getchell had told her what to
say at the court but upon redirect ex-
animation she contradicted the state
ment. Upon re-cross- examination she
said she had not told all she knew
about the fire at the court below be-
cause she was nervous.
Clarence BragdOn, a young boy, tCs-
titled that his age was six years and
that he had lived at Foster Nelson's. |
He said that on the evening the barn
was burned he had driven with Nelson |
to the Clinton station, where Nelson |
got a box of liquor and Nelson had put |
the liquor in his team and had driven |
on. The boy said that at an old barn |
on the Horseback road Nelson got out |
of the wagon, opened up the box and |
drank some wine, and he testified that |
at the Getchell barn Nelson turned his |
horse around and began to show the |
effects of the wine. Nelson had gone |
around to the barn and when he came |
back he had said to the boy, according |
to the boys testimony, IF you say |
anything I'll kill YOU" The boy had |
seen sparks from the Getchell barn as
he approached his dooryard. He and |
Nelson had gone into the house then |
and Nelson had burned his Iubbers so |
fire he had stayed at the Nelson place |
until July 5.
Upon cross examination the boy said |
he was eight years of age. He testi- !
fed that the next day after the fire |
he had told Mr.. Jones that his fatheri
set the fire. He said that he did not |
see Nelson go jim the back door of the |
barn but saw him go in the side door
and he testified that the people in the |
house would not let Nelson go to the |
fire. telling him that he would fall in.
George Estes of Clinton testified that
on one occasion since the fire he had
talked with Nelson, who asked about
the fire and said he was sorry for Get
chell and before the summer was
through there would be two more
burn out. Nelson had said
Getche1l had cheated him when they
snapped horses.
Labertc a. Weber Of Clinton said
that the day after the fire Nelson had
said it was bad thing about the fire
and had asked the witness if he did
not want to buy him out. Upon another
occasion Nelson had said to him |
They are going to get me up above
here"