Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-01
TWO WIDOWS
Claim Estate of Late
Harry E. Scott, Brewer
Novel and Complicated Legal Tangls
For Industrial Accidents Commission
to misunderstanding Held Wednes-
day in Brewer-Sketch Of the Case.

For Industrial Accidents Commission
to Unsnarl-Hearing Held Wednes-
day in Brewer-Sketeh Of the Case.
Brewer, Me. Jan. 31.-Is the widow
of man who has deserted her for a
period of years and has not supported
her in all that time. entitled to indem-
nifty on account of his death in an In
dustrial accident? Are the children of
another woman whom he may have
married or with whom he has lived
for similar period of time, entitled
to all or part of the same indemnity
because Of the accident which cost
their support his life? Should the fact
that the man was never divorced from
the first wife count against these chill
dren of the other claimant in the award
of damages by the insurance company
carrying the insurance OF the employer
by whom the man under consideration
was employed at the time of the acct
dent which caused his death?
This looks like a tangled skein to be
unwound and that is the nut which the
Industrial Accident Commission of
Maine has to crack, as the result of
the hearing held in Brewer City hall.
Wednesday forenoon, Jan. 80. in the
matter of damages resulting from the
fatal injury of Harry +. Scott of South
BNwer, who appears to have had two
wives and two lots of children for
whose support he is alleged to have
been responsible. The peculiar features
of the dual claim of dependent widows
are likely to make this a case ceie-
brated all over the country, as it is
believed to be the first on record in
which two wives laid claim to such
benefits under the accident indemnity
| laws Of the state.
Harry +. Scott. an employee of the
Eastern Manufacturing Co., at the
South Brewer mill. was very seriously
injured while at work at the mill, Sept.
"a, 1917. He was taken to his home
in South Brewer, and died there the
following day, his injuries having
proved fatal.
Under the policy by which the cor
pOration is protected from liability in
such accidents, there was due the de-
pendents of the dead workman, a max
imum of one half his weekly earnings
for period not exceeding 800 weeks.
which might include maximum of
about $4,000. After investigation the
insurance company decided that it was
bound to pay one-helf of the amount
to the original widow and one half to
the widow and children Of the South
Brewer home. From this decision the
I widows both appealed to tho commits
sion and the case was heard before
Hon. Eben f. Littlefeld of Belfast
Wednesday afternoon, jan. 80. Nc
evidence was introduced by either
claimant, although both were present
with their attorneys, the latter OF
whom confined themselves to state
ments of fact.
From these statements. it appears
that the deceased Scott married
about 1902, Miss Mabel st. Clair OF
! Calais, who bore him one child and
who is thus. being above 1s years old
eliminated from the list Of depend
ents. Somewhere about 1904, Scott
| left Calais for Bangor, having mar
| ried, 50 claims the second Mrs. Scott
! Miss Rachel Somers, who says that
| they were married by the late Rev
Mr.. Padelford of Calais They have
since lived together as man and wife
| and there are now four children, the
eldest ten years old, who lived at the
South Brewer home.
| The attorney for Mrs. Scott, say
that there has never been a divorce
and that she is entitled to the indem
nifty to be paid by the insurance com
pany. The attorneys for the second
/ Mrs. Scott. or, as she is referred to in
the case, Mrs. Rachel Somers, alias
| Scott. declare that, as the first wife
had lived without his support for l.
years or such a matter, she was not
actually dependent upon him, while
these four children are and they
therefore, argue the priority of the
| latter'S claim.
Harold H. Murchie, Esq, of Calais
appeared for Mrs. Mabel st. Clair
Scott, Lawrence V. Jones, Esq. and
Frederick y. Dodd, Esq, appeared fol
the other claimant while Attorney
Emery of Emery & Waterhouse, OF
Biddeford, represented the insurance
company.