Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-07-15
BLAIRS RELEASED
ABDUCTION CHARGE
ISNOT SUSTAINED

: For lack Of sufficient evidence, Nike
I Blair. his wife, Alice. and lis brother.
/ B.do Blair, all OF Oakland. were dis
!. charged by Trial Justice Alfred A
( Matthew yesterday after q hearing on
the charge of abduction Of Florence
| Bowen. aged ~. on June from the
! home of her aunt, Mrs. Areila NJ Hus-
/ eey. wife of Charles Hussey Of Oak
1 land. 1t was alleged that the Blair
| brothers with Mrs. Nike Blair and the
| Bowen girl went from Oakland TO
| Brewer in an automobile driven by Ed
| win Simonds of Oakland on sthe date
| mentioned. The Blairs were located at
| the farm of Ben Tilden in Charles
: ton on Monday night. While Bido
! Blair held off Deputy Sheriff Farmer
with an iron bar. Nike escaped TO the
woods. but was rounded up by the
| Penobscot county authorities near
| Rowland on Tuesday afternoon. and
! the quartet brought 70 this city for the
| hearing.
| The state was represented by Carroll
/ y. Perkins Of this city and Henry Hun
| ton of Oakland. while Benedict Maher
/ Of Augusta appeared for the respon-
dents.
The first witness for the State was
| Charles Hussey OF Oakland, husband
! Of the Bowen girls aunt, who had
signed the complaint. He told in de-
| tail concerning the stay of Florence
Bowen at his home. The girl was in
| the Oakland school and washed the
fishes and did other light work in the
home. He, his wife and the girl con-
| stituted the family. Mr.. and Mrs.
! Mike Blair came TO their home some
time the first Of last March. Later
| Bido came, and the Blairs took
| house on the other side of the street.
! Witness said that the first he heard
| that. Florence had disappeared was
about T. NJ. June 8. He later ascer-
tanned that she had gone to Bangor
with the Blairs. The girl, according
! TO Mr.. Hussey, was IA years old last
| March The girls mother was a half
sister TO Mrs. Hussey.
| Mrs. Arella NJ. Hussey, the girls
| aunt, said that Florence had always
appeared happy and contented. There
had been no trouble of any kind. After
| the Blairs had moved across the
street she had forbidden Florence 60
| ing there unaccompanied. because she
had seen things which led her to be-
| lieve that it was no place for young
! girl. Florence was in the seventh
grade in school Florence vas born in
| Newburg. On the day of Florence's
| disappearance Mrst Hussey had
| thought nothing until Florence failed
| toappear at dinner time. She hunted
/ up the teacher and learned from her
l that Florence had not been at school
at ali that day.
Edwin Simonds of Oakland. driver
of the automobile in which the trip
was made from Oakland to Erewer told
his story in detail.
| On the evening Of Sunday. June 6,
the Blair boys had called at his place
| about three quarters of a mile from
where the Husseys' and Blairs' live
and had asked him if he wanted a
| job. He told them he did, and they
made trade to go to Mechanic Falls.
The witness did not know the road
or the distance but after looking up
the matter said he would make the
trip for SIS. Five dollars was paid
to bind the bargain and a receipt
given for the amount. He asked how
many there would be in the party and
was told three or four. They then
came back, saying that they had
changed their minds, that they want
ed TO go to Bangor. Witness said he
could not go to Bangor for SIS, that
he must have $50 as it was a longer
distance, and they agreed. He drove
the car to Bangor, and they then
said that they wanted to 60 to
| Brewer, and he left them at the
Brewer railroad station and came
back home The Blair boys had ap-
peared at his place at about s o'clock
Monday morning June to take the
trip, but Mrs. Blair and Florence
Bowen had not appeared until about
II o'clock.
The witness car. in which the trip
| was made, is a FIVE passenger Cadil-
lac The witness heard no cries or
yrotestations during the trip from
Florence.
At this point Attorney Perkins an
nounced. The State rests" Attor-
ney Maher then stated to the court
! that he saw no need in presenting any
evidence. The events narrated. he be-
to fact, but did not indicate any for
chile carryins away or abduction.
Mrs. Hussey, he argded, was not in
any legal sense the custodian of the
girl. Mrs. Blair is the girls own sis
ter. If the present action was an at
tempt to gain custody, custody should
have been attempted by some other
method.
Attorney Perkins argued that there
was sufficient evidence to hold the
respondents. The girl is only IA years
Of age, and he quoted from the stat
ute in support of his contention.
There was a long consultation be-
= tween the court and counsel, at the
end Of which Judge Matthew ordered
the respondents released for insufi-
cient evidence.
Mike Blair Immediately jumped TO
his feet.
Come on, kid" he called to Flor
ence Bowen, who was sitting on the
opposite side of the courtroom. and
started for the door.
But he was asked to sit down again,
while the court. the attorneys and
City Marshal Murray held another
consultation, at the end of which the
respondents were told that they
could depart. They were given some
advice by City Marshal Murray in
the chiefs office and were last seen
at the Maine Central railroad station