Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-02-03
CASE OF MRS. Levine and MRS.
DANSKY TAKES UP COURTS Time

Because Mrs. Philip Levine
"gawked" at Esther Smith, the H.
year-old daughter OF Mrs. Isaac l..
Is, an all-day session of the munich
pal court resulted Thursday, two
suits being brought, which were tried
in one day, the one being used as q
defense for the other.
The first case heard was that of
Esther Smith VS.. Mrs. Mollie Levine,
charging assault and battery; and the
Levine VS.. Mrs. Lena Dansky, on the
same charge. Miss Smith and Mrs.
Dansky were represented by James J..
Boyle. and Mrs. Levines counsel was
Frank Plumstead.
Both parties waived the reading of
the warrant and pleaded not guilty
Both parties were found guilty by
Judge Charles w. Atchley. They were
ordered to pay the costs of court
s6.l7 each, and were placed under
bonds of $500 to keep the peace for
the term of one year. When it be-
came time to pronounce the sentence
it was found that Mrs. Dansky had
gone home and about half an hour was
consumed while waiting for the re-
spondents TO appear
A civil suit has also been brought
by Mrs. Mollie Levine against Mrs.
Lena Dansky claiming damages in
The sum of $500.
Mrs. Levine, her husband and Nor
ris Barron furnished sureties for
Mrs. Levine. and Mrs. Dansky. her
husband and Jacob Brisk furnished
sureties for Mrs. pansky.
The cases were so closely associat ted
that each constituted the defense of
the other. They involved the same
persons but the issue in the case
against Mrs. Levine was whether she
committed assault on Esther Smith,
and the issue in the case against Mrs
Dansky was whether she committed
an assault on Mrs. Levine. Much of
The evidence was contradictory and
while DR.. Bessey testified that Mrs
Levine must have been struck with
some such weapon as bottle. none
CT the witnesses on either side tcsti-
fed that they saw bottle.
The witnesses in the first trial were
Dr. NJ. w. Bessey, the attending
physician of Mrs Levine at the time
of the quarrel: Mrs. Philip Levine,
the complainant; John Williams,
Morris Barron and Nelsis P. Quincy.
DR.. Bessey testified to the fact that
he was called to attend Mrs. Levine
at the store of Morris Barron after
she had been injured in the quarrel.
He described the injury to her face
which he said in his opinion was
made by some blunt instrument. the
nature of which appeared to be a
bottle. Her face on the right side
was badly swollen and her right eye
closed. She also had bruise on her
other temple. He took her home
and made an examination and found
that she had received blow on her
shoulder. She had told him a few
days before when he called to attend
her husband that she waste become
a mother. He said that he found her
in a very excited condition and was
called twice more after the first call.
The last call was in the night when
Mrs. Levine had miscarried with a
child.
Mrs. Philip Levine, the complain
ant was the next witness. Her story
was substantially as follows: She
was going to the store for some
medicine for her husband and was
standing on the corner near Morris
Barron's Store talking with Mrs.
Rabinovitz when Esther Smith. the
daughter of Mrs. Dansky came along.
Mrs. Levine looked at the girl and
the latter asked her what she was
looking at. Mrs. Levine asked her If
she couldn't look at anybody who
went by whereupon Esther spat in
Mrs. Levine's face. Mrs Dansky,
who was standing several feet away
came over and struck Mrs. Levine
and pulled her hair. Mrs. Levine said
she was struck with bottle. With
the two Of them fighting her, Mrs.
Levine said that Mrs. Dansky called
for more help and Able Smith, her
son. came down the steps from over