Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-10-29
Thorndike Man
Fined for Reckless
Driving of Automobile

The case of the State VS.. Horace
c. McCorrison OF Thorndike charged
with driving an automobile reckless
ly on the road leading from Albion
to Freedom on Sept. 3, 1921. was
heard in the municipal court Friday
morning Thomas Weeks of this
city was counsel for the State and
HI. C. BuzZell of Belfast represented
the defendant.
Allen Knight owner of the Ford
car with which Mr.. McCorlisonS au-
tomobile colided was the first wit
ness. He testified to driving along
the road named. a chart of which
WAS drawn on a blackboard and pre-
scented IN the court for reference. Mr..
Knight is Il L. Of NJ. nnln and was at
his home in Albion on that day. He
estimated his speed at about IL
miles an hour and said he blew his
horn when he passed the team.
Deputy Sheriff Adelbert Stratton
of Albion was the next witness. He
said he was on the spot five minutes
otter the collision anG took measure
ments with yard stick. The tracks
at the point of collision were very
plain.
Mr.. Stratton pointed out on the
chart the position of the various ve-
hicles before the accident. The wit
ness said he sat IN the car where the
patrol cart sat by the side of the
road and could see over the crest of
the hill and see the top of car 500
yards away. He said thcroad is II
feet wide and four feet of grass, and
that the collision was 80 feet from
where the team sat. Mr.. Stratton
was very positive as to his measure
mcnts. He said that Air. Knight
rode out around the patrol wagon
and made q true taper back to his
side of the road and that Mr. Nc
Corrison might have turned to the
right even if he went INFO the field
and have avoided the corlision. But
instead he made sharp turn to the
left and nearly ran into a telegraph
pole.
Claude Baker of Albion. patrol
man of the road pointed out the
tracks on the chart and the position
of the vehicles. He heard the horn
when Mr.. Knight passed. He
glanced away a minute and they
met. so he didn't see the accident.
He left the horse and went to help
move the car. The impact moved
the Ford car back. On cross eXami-
nation Mr.. Baker admitted that there
was nothing to Indicate that Mr..
Jof ia,
malicious manner.
At the afternoon session. George
Pray was called. Mr.. Pray lives on
a cross road short distance from
the ascene of the accident. He saw
the McCorrison car when it went by
and it was on the right side. He
went to the scene of the accident di--
rectly and the tracks of the Metz
formed an abrupt curve. He believed
the Metz-ear was going approximate
ly 35 miles an hour.
The first witness for the defense
was the respondent, Horace McCor-
rison. He said he was coming up the
rise at 20 or 25 miles an hour and
saw the Ford car 125 feet away. That
the driver was looking inside the
car. AT the crest he used the foot
brake and slowed up. He then
noticed that the Ford was coming
still on the left at % miles an hour
and he turned sharply to the left as
the Ford did also and the collision
came.
Mrs Horace McCorrison, testified
that she was riding on the front seat
of the Metz car with her husband
and a young lady. she sitting in the
middle. The matter of the collision
was thoroughly gone into and Mrs.
McCorrison said the speedometer
showed c5 miles al hour.
Deputy Sheriff Stratton was called