The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1918-04-25
The Supreme Judicial Court.
Judge George M. Hanson of Calais Pre-
siding

Judge George M. Hanson Of Calais Pre-
siding
The April term of the Supreme Judicial
Court was brought to an abrupt close
Thursday at 10 p. m. after a three days
session. 1t is understood that Judge
Hanson will return in June to dispose of
several cases that were assigned a. this
term On account of the illness of Judges
Cornish and King the years assignments
have been changed and this called Judge
Hanson to Ellsworth to preside at the
Hancock County Court that convened
last Tuesday This is the third term the
routine work of the Waldo County Court
has been curtailed.
Attorney Hodgdon C. Buzzell kept Judge
Hanson busy when he was not engaged
with jury trials as he was the attorney
for the libellant in thirteen of the twenty
divorce cases that were decreed. Mr.
Buzzell also represented MIR. Charles A.
Ludwick in the counter divorce suits
heard Tuesday afternoon, which were dis
missed by Judge Hanson.
The case of R. L. Haswell VS.. the es-
tate of Ernest Evans with Charles ..
Walker, administrator, was to recover
bill of S598 for phosphate and general ex
penses Evans took the farm of the
plaintiff to conduct and was eventually
i. .-Ln hut n oh
mitted suicide, leaving the above indebt-
edness The case was withdrawn from
the jury and sent to the Law Court on
agreement Buzzell; r. F. Dunton and
Ritchie.
The case of C. F. Thompson was brought
to recover from the town of Unity $400,
the value of his horse which died from
injuries alleged to have been received on
account of the bad condition of the
Unity roads. The defence claimed that
natural conditions caused whatever de-
fects, if any, there may have been in the
roads and that the physical condition of
the horse was such that his death might
not have been due to the hard travelling
After a short deliberation the jury re-
turned a verdict for the plaintiff with
damages assessed at sl75. The case was
taken to the Law Court on motion.
The case of Miss Geneva A. Grant of
Winterport VS.. the Patrons Androscoggin
Mutual Fire Insurance Co, of Auburn was
opened before the traverse jury and then
withdrawn, as several important points
of law were involved, and sent to the Law
Court on report. Miss Grant, the plain
tiff, testified that she bought a farm in
Monroe and insured the buildings fo1 ST.
800 in the defendant company by its
agent, Oscar Dow of Monroe. Later she
desired to raise some money and mort
gagged it to Belfast bank for $500 The
bank asked her to assign the insurance
policy, which she did after being assured
by Mr.. Dow that itwould be all right, the
bank accepting her endorsement After
the buildings were burned in January.
1917, the plaintiff testified that Mr.. Briggs
came to Monroe as adjuster for the COM
pany, looked over the ruins and at that
time told her that the loss would be paid.
Later she testified that she was notified
by the secretary of the company that
there was clause in the policy which
made it null and VOID if the property was
mortgaged without the consent of the
company. She had never been paid any
part of the claim, she said.
John Hobbs of Brooks testified that
MI Briggs stopped one night at his home
and that he drove him to Monroe and
back and that MI Briggs told him that
the loss would be paid.
For the defense Mr.. Briggs denied that
he told Miss Grant that the loss wouN
be paid. He also denied that he had
told Hobbs any such thing, although un-
der cross examination he wasn't exactly
sure what he did tell Hobbs.
Oscar Dow, who admitted that he was
not agent for the company at present
denied that he told Miss Grant that il
would be all right for her to endorse the
policy to the bank, but claimed that
what he told her was that he had nc
authority in the matter.
W. S. Rogers of Topsham, secretary
of the company, testified that he had nc
knowledge of the mortgage until aftel
the fire. The case was of interest ane
brought out conflicting testimony.
Hon. Ansel Briggs of Auburn, presi-
dent of the defendant company, admit
ted that he was Is years old and hae
served four terms of the legislature
Hon. Oscar F. Fellows of Bangor for the
plaintiff and Tascus Atwood of Auburn
for the defendant.
Cases Disposed Of
The following entries were made on