Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-01-25
SUPERIOR court
Defense in State VS..
Bellows Opened on
Monday
Defense Claims That Certain lnflu.
enees Have Aetuated the Harrison
Girls to Take Position They Have
Case Will Be Continued Today

That the charges involving the re-
spondent were an attempt on the part
of Mr.. Harrison to get even with hint
and were entirely without foundation
was the claim of the defense in the
case OF State against James T.. Bel
lows of Winslow. indicted for rape on
Elsie A. Harrison at Winslow on June
20, 1918, which is being heard at the
Kennebec superior court. The defense
was opened Monday afternoon and a
large part of the testimony of the re-
spondent, Bellows. was put in before
the adjournment. The hearing of the
case will be continued this morning
and will probably occupy the entire
days session.
The trial is attracting no little at
tention and the courtroom has been
crowded with spectators since the case
was opened last Friday. At the re-
quest of County Attorney Sanborn at
the very beginning of the hearing all
of the witnesses in the case, except
the witness on the stand, are being
kept from the courtroom, and wit
nesses for the State and for the de-
Tense are being kept in two separate
rooms while the testimony is being
given.
Ellsworth e. Peacock and A. H.
Bridges of Waterville are counsel for
the respondent and Walter M. San
born. county attorney, appears for the
State.
In outlining the defense, Attorney
n Of yaf IIn re
the seriousness of the case both to the
! respondent and to the two Harrison
girls. Defense claimed that there
! were certain influences that actuated
the girls to take tht position they
| had. one being the influence of the
girls father. Mr.. Harrison According
, to the defenses claim. Mrs. Harrison
was divorced from Mr.. Harrison about
1915 and afterwards she married Mr..
Bellows. Mr.. Harrison brought suit
for alienation of his wifes affections
against Bellows and Harrison lost out.
and it was the claim of defense that
Harrison had said he would get even.
had made various threats and had
even threatened to shoot Bellows. De-
Tense claimed that there was no bet
ter way for Harrison to get even than
through these two girls
There was no opportunity for Mr..
Bellows to have done the act at the
time as alleged, Attorney Bridges
pointed out. also adding that Mrs. Bel
lows kept close watch over the two
girls and that Mr.. Bellows was never
left alone in the field with the two
girls or with either one of them in
the summer of 1918. that Mr.. Bellows
son Chester was always there.
That girls of the age of the Harrison
twins are more liable to tell things
that are not exactly So than older
girls, the defense contended.
Regarding the matter in which the
Harrison girls had been called to the
office Of Attorney Bridges. the girls
both voluntarily signed statements
that Mr.. Bellows had never had i'm
proper relations with them, according
to defense. Elsie Harrison had first
signed a statement involving Mr.. Bel
lows, but had later of her own accord
stated that she did not understand
what she had signed and that 1t was
false, and she then signed another
statement and took oath to it that
Mr.. Bellows had never had improper
relations with her. Defense contend
ed that Mr.. Bridges at that meeting
only did his duty as an officer of the
court to get the true statement from
both of the girls.
Mr.. Bellows going away was in no
way actuated by any fear of being