Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-08-16
JOHN COOK FINED
FOR ILLEGAL FISH,
ING IN kENNEBEc
Case Alleged Neglect of
Thurston Children in
Chin a. Postponed
Robert Ballentine Of
Windsor Put Under
Bonds to Keep Peace

| A case which babe fair to be inter-
esting was opened Wednesday morn
| ing before Judge Lancaster Of the
municipal court but was brought to
continuance before it had really start
ed, but it will probably be just as in
teresting at a later date. The princi-
rails in the case We're from the town
OF China and the audience on hand
to hear the details included a goodly
rumber OF people from that town.
| The complainant in the case was
Mrs. Ada F. Hunt of this city, State
agent for the society for the proven
ton of cruelty to children. who alleged
that the six children of Ernest and
! Cora Thurston of China were wilfully
neglected by their parents. The chill
dren in question are Lena, aged IA
year: Inez. aged 10 years; Ethelyn
and Ethel (twins), aged 6 years; Ro-
land, aged years and Doris, aged
years. Judge Benedict F. Maher
represented the State, while Thomas
Leigh represented the parents. The
case had but been opened when at the
!
to Wednesday. Aug. %. at 10 A. NJ.
! The only other matter before the
court at the morning session was one
case in which the charge was intoxi-
cation and in which the respondent
was found guilty and was given a SEN
tence of SO and costs or 80 days in
| Jail.
At the afternoon session of the court
case which concerned some Of the citi-
zens Of the town of Windsor was heard,
! In which Robert Ballentine was arraigned
on com plant of John A. Reed. who al
legged that on Thursday. Aug. 9, Ballen-
tine had threatened to stick pitchfork
into him, which charge the respondent
rromrtly denied.
( In the course of the hearing which fol-
lowed 1t developed that the two men,
bc,h Of whom are farmers in the above
town, had been haying on the same piece
OF land, going halves as it were. on the
rav crop. and the trouble, which was al
lH.'ed to have occurred a few days ago.
al pears to have grown out Of the ques-
ticn Of a bill which Ballentine, accord
ing to the claim Of the complainant,
owed him.
! According to the testimony Of the COM
plainant he met Ballentine on the day
above mentioned, the former being on
his team at the time. and asked the re-
spondent if it were not about time to set
tie that bill which the latter owed him,
and that upon hearing which request
Balentine used abusive language to him
and threatened to stick a ptchfork into
him, at the same time making motions
with a fork which he held in his hands.
Alonzo Rogers Of Windsor. who was
standing in his barn doorway, near the
road where the principals in the case had
them interview. was called as a witness
for the complainant, and testified as to
hearing the conversation between the
two, also that Ballentine had a pitchfork
in his hands and made motions that led
the witness to believe that he intended
| to use it.
! BalIentine took the stand in his own
behalf and denied that he threatened the
complainant-that he only told Mr., Reed
what he thought of him. Ballentine ad
mitted that he had a ptchfork in his
hands but said that the only purpose for
which he had ever used il was pitching
hay. At the conclusion of the hearing
the court found the respondent guilty and
ordered him TO furnish bond in the sum
Of $500 to keep the peace for one year
toward all persons In general and toward
John A. Reed in particular.
! The closing case of the afternoon was
that of John Cook. who had been arrest
ed on a warrant sworn out by Chief
Game Warden Bertrand Smith, which al
legged Illegal fishing for salmon by the
respondent in the waters of the kenne-
hec river between the Kennebec highway
bridge and the Augusta dam Cook, who
It is alleged gave his name to the war
den as John Clouter, pleaded not guilty.
I 80 t-~t 90
Warden Smith he stood beside Cook and
watched the latter fishing, he using what
it known as a 'dowel jack which is
plug about four inches in length and to
which are attached three or four gang
hooks and with that device was fishing
for salmon.
/ The testimony OF the warden did not
leave the respondent much of chance
to clear himself although by way of de-
Tense he claimed that other parties had
been fishing in that part of the river FOR
several years and had not been arrested.
and had been catching cells there and
aending them to New York. He also cited
several other instances of a similar ma
ture. but the court pronounced him guilty
and imposed a sentence of 80 fine, from
which he appealed and was ordered to
furnish bond In the sum Of 800 for ap-
pearance at the September term Of court.
! In the Journals report Of the liquor
cases heard Tuesday morning before the
municipal court the name Of the respon-
dent should have read Weston instead Of
Westman as printed.