Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-10-30


the bridge to the bottom of the ravine
is drop Of some 10 or II feet. At the
bottom Of the ravine where the child
was found were old spruce boughs.
The sidewalk was four or five feet In
width. Marshal Mckinney had later
that morning gone to the house where
the baby had been taken and had
seen the child. He saw no bruises on
the child. That forenoon he got per-
mission from the Edwards Co. to go
through the tenements. About AS
tina: afternoon in the fropt room, ten
ement No. of Block Sc, he had seen
Mr.. and Mrs. Boucher. Mrs. Boucher
way lying in bed. The marshal had
talked with Mrs. Boucher. He had
asked her why she had left the child
there, and she had replied that she
was afraid to take it home. She had
previously told DR.. Berube that she
was the mother Of the child. Mar: hal
McKenney then took Boucher over t6
the police station, and Mrs. Boucher
was taken to the Augusta General
hospital where she has been since up
to her appearance in the court room
on Wednesday morning. She and the
child have been cared for there.
Upon cross-eXamination by Attor-
ney Maher, Marshal McKenney tes-
titled that on the sidewalk were evil
dences that the child had been born
there and then showed from the side
walk.
The next witness called by the gov
eminent was Benjamin Poulin, an
Augusta merchant, who testified that
he had found the baby while on his
way to his store about 5.S5 on the
morning of Oct. IS. AS he went over
the bridge on Washington street a
cat brushed against his leg, he turn
ed around, and looked over the dump.
He heard something that was like
the crying of a baby. He notified
Mrs. Roy who lives nearby, she
brought a lamp. and he went down to
get the baby. The baby was lying
on a brush heap where it had evil
IDENTIFY fallen from the sidewalk. It
was a male baby and had no clothes
on. He took it to the home Of Mrs.
Roy. It was apparently q healthy
child. The child's skin was not cold
although the morning was very
frosty. He had called DR.. Berube to
attend to the child. Witness testified
on cross examination that later that
forenoon he had gone back to look at
the marks on the sidewalk, and he
saw marks that looked like a scrap
ing along the sidewalk.
In answer to q question by Judge
Lancaster, Mr.. Poulin testified that
the child was face down when it was
picked up.
Mrs. Dora Roy Of this city gave
testimony corroborating that given
by Mr. poulin about the finding vi
the baby. She described the ma E>'
on the sidewalk, that it looked as il
the baby had been brushed away.
She saw no foot marks.
Mrs. Joseph Dubois Of Augusta,
who had taken care of the baby after
10 O'Clock that day, testified in the
matter.
DR.. D. r. Berube then testified. He
had attended the baby after it had
been found, having been called by Mr..
Poulin. The child seemed healthy.
1t had one or two little bruises on the
forehead. Later the doctor had seen
the spot on the sidewalk where the
child had been delivered. He had
then notified Officers Fox and Bolduc
and had assisted the officers in the
attempt to find the mother of the
child. In the afternoon after City
Marshal Mckenney had got permis-
sion to go through the tenements of
the Edwards Co., the doctor was
standing outside of tenement No. 6,
Block Sc, when Mr.. Boucher called to
him and said that he must be look
ing for Boucher's wife. He went in
to the room and found Mrs. Boucher
lying on the bed. Witness had asked
Mrs. Boucher If the child belonged
to her and she had answered that
it did. He had asked her what ner
idea was in delivering the child on
she did not answer. She had said
she felt too weak to take the child
home and that she had not told any
body about the baby being khere. She
had told him that she had delivered
the child on the sidewalk. but had not
kicked the child onto the dump. Wit
ness testified that the baby might
have rolled over onto the dump. The
doctor had asked Thomas Boucher
why he did not notify anybody about
the matter. and he had answered that
he did not know about 1t. Mrs. Bouch-
err was taken to the Augusta General
hospital, where she underwent surgi-
cal treatment. Her condition was
such that her temperature went up
to 102, and her pulse to 120. Cues
toned by Judge Lancaster, witness
stated that when he saw Mrs. Bouch-
err lying there in bed she had her
everyday clothes on.
The last witness in the case was
George Boucher, father of Thomas
Boucher, who testified that Thomas
had got up about $50 on the morn
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