Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-14
SUPREME COURT
GIVES MARYLAND
$3.50. VERDICT

y36O.S4 VERDICT
Thursday morning with the OPEN
ing Of court, Attorney George w.
Cover for the plaintiff in the case
Of the Inhabitants of Hartland VS.. In
habitants of st. Adams gave his ar
gument and Judge John NJ. Morrill,,
presiding, charged the jury, which
after being out two hours brought
in a verdict of s3e0s4 for HartIand.
A large number of witnesses were
called in this case, there being 50 for
the plaintiff and eight for the de-
Tense, although they all did not tes-
tify.
The suit was brought by Hartland
In the sum of s4sS59 for supplies fur
nished the family Of John r. Luce
from Nov. IS, 1920 to June 20. The
town of Hartland alleged that these
goods were supplied to Mr.. Luce and
his family upon their request and
that the need was imperative, while
the town of st. Adams claimed that
even if the Luse home was not kept
as nicely as it might have been and
that the condition seemed to be needy
that they could have supplied the
need If they had chosen to have done
so, and been given time-perhaps not
all that was supplied by the town of
Hartland. which according to bills
a family Of its size.
Mr.. Pattangall in his argument
stated that the amount seemed near
ly enough to start small country
store. In cross examination of Mrs
Luce by Mr.. Pattangell it seemed
that the only reason she and Mr..
Luce signed application for help from
the town was that they feared that
the State would take their children
away from them.
One feature of the case was the
buying of bag of flour at the
Wheeler store by Mr.. Luce on the
night following the application for
help for which Mr.. Luce offered a
check of s12, which Mr.. Wheeler
Cashed and gave Mr.. Luce the change
after taking out $3.50 in payment for
the flour, and then calling Mr.. Luce
back and giving him back the $3.50
saying they We're going to send him
some goods.
The income Of the Luca family dur
ing this time was brought into the
case and was an average Of $50 per
week An amount of the goods was
purchased at the store of Mr. Wheel
er who was the first selectman and
this Mr. Pattangall stated in his ar
gument was illegal and that he doubt
ed If Mr.. Wheeler could collect this
amount Of ]Iartland even. The time
that the Luce family would become
residents of IIartland was only five
days distant and it seemed that Mr..
Luce might need help in the future
the defense claimed that it was a
scheme of Hartland to get the Luce's
| to apply to the town for aid before
they became pauper residents OF
Hartland and that they supplied
! them with very large amount OF
| goods and charged the same to ST
Adams which St. Adams refused to
| pay and for which IIartland sued.
| Mr.. Cover, the attorney for the
plaintiff in his argument. went over
f! the case thoroughly He stated that
the sale of something over $40 worth
of supplies to the town for the Luce
! family made by Mr.. Wheeler the first
| solcctman in Hartland was a legal
| transaction. Judge Morrill,, who gave
! fine charge to the jury, taking an
| hour and ten minutes, for the same
sustained Mr.. Covers statement in
| regard TO the purchase of goods BY
the town from Mr.. Wheeler, ordering
/ that it was a legal sale.