Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-19
ALQNzo ROGERS
STIRS UP THINGS IN
WINDSOR SCHOOL
Tries to Get Advanced Reader
for Son and Failure Prompts
Him to Furnish Violent Dem
: onstration-Is Fined by Court
and Appeals to April Term of
Superior Court

The sole case with which the munich
pal court had to do last Saturday con-
cerned the schools Of the town of Wind
SCR, and the school at Windsor corner
in particular and the case grew out Of
visit to the school on Saturday morn
ing. Feb. 10. by Alonzo Rogers of that
town. which was alleged to have been
followed on his part by actions on his
part which were al least unseemly. The
complainant in the case was Deputy
Sheriff Edwin Bullock of Windsor, who
late Friday afternoon served the war
rant on Mr.. Rogers. The respondent
was brought into court Saturday morn
ing and quite a delegation of Windsor
citizens were present in the courtroom
to see how the matter came out The
respondent was represented by Melvin
E. Sawtelle of Augusta and the prose
cution by Walter NJ Sanborn, also of
Augusta.
When arraigned before the court on
the charge of disturbing the school the
respondent by advice of his counsel
waived the reading of the warrant and
pleaded not guilty. 1t came out in the
hearing, according to the testimony Civ
= en- in by the several witnesses, that the
respondent went to the school in cues
ton, which is kept by Miss Edith
/ Choate, shortly before o'clock Satur-
day morning, Feb. TO- in regard to a
book which his son had been using. The
boy, who is about seven years old. had
been using Third reader, and it ap-
pcared that the respondent thought that
the youngstcr should be allowed to use
a Fourth reader; that he had seen the
superintendent Mrs. Moody and the
school committee. but without success;
that the teacher refused to let him have
the book to take home, and that started
things.
According to the teacher the respond
cnt swore and tramped up and down the
aisles, raving about Windsor people in
general and the superintendent in par
ticular. The teacher was worried and
sent a little girl, one of the eight or
nine pupils present with note, the
child going to her home and phoncd the
superintendent after which the latter
phoned the deputy sheriff.
Alonzo Rogers, the respondent, took
the stand and claimed that he was at
the schoolhouse but a few minutes. also
that he was very quiet. but admitted
that he did swear sometimes. and that
when he did people could hear him
But one witness appeared for the de-
fence, Leslie Murch Of Windsor, the
gist of his testimony being that he did
not hear the respondent swear while the
latter was at the schoohouse, nor did
he hear him make any disturbance, nor
talk about anyone, nor tramp up and
down the aiSleS.
After Murch had testified a young
man named Choate was called in rcbut-
tai. and he said that he had met Murch
at the schoolhouse after the trouble
and that Murch had told him about what
a circus Rogers had had, what he had
said and how he had performed.
| The arguments We're brief, the gist of
Mr.. Sanborn's being that the schools
should be upheld, While Mr.. SaWtelle
claimed that the trouble was a tempest
in d tCapot-nothing in it,
4 At the close of the hearing the court
pronounced the respondent guilty and
/ imposed a sentence of S. and costs, the
costs being slightly over 500. An APP
peal was taken and the respondent was
bound over in 5000 to the April term of
the superior court. The respondent was
I allowed to go on his own recognizance