The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-11-16
Be FAVER CASE N
COURT
Game w arden King
Makes Complaint
Hearing Held Tuesday Afternoon Be.
fore Judge Sawyer at
Court House

With Game Warden L. P King as
the chief witness for the state Otis
Witham Of Madrid and Mashall Doug
lass and Benjamin Page of Eustis
were before Judge L. W. Sawyer Tues
day afternoon. the state alleging that
the men had beaver skins unlawfully
in their possession. The game war
den while searching in Somerset Coun-
ty one half or three-quarters of a
mile from Franklin County line as
he understood it looked over some
buildings which were found TO be oc-
cupied by the three men. AS he un-
derstood it, Douglas and Page were In
partnership and Witham was in for
himself but the three men used the
same camp for cooking purposes. He
found the beaver skins when beaver
trapping was illegal up over the room
used for a store room. The game
warden stated also that he had found
some rope laying on the table in the
camp used by the men which was the
same as the beaver skin was lashed TO
the bows with. He thorght one of
the skins had been in the camp about
six hours and the oldest one not more
than ten days. He saw thirty-three
partridge hanging up and one deer
Mr.. Witham was represented by S. n.
Shumway, Esq. ami Douglas and Page
by a. X. Butler. Esq Mr.. Butler
moved for the discharge of all three
men as he claimed the state had not
been able to tell which man had pos
session of the skins and Mr. Shumway
also moved that the respondents be
discharged. County Attorney Thorne
who represented the state thought the
state had made out a case as he be-
lieved that the beaver had been in
the possession of some OF the men at
least, while Judge Sawyer refused TO
dismiss the petitions Of the respond
ents attorneys as he stated that all
that was neCessarv was for the state TO
establish probable cas- Mr.. Witham
stated that he was trapping in Deer
Pond in No. II Township where the
camps were located in which the game
warden had found the skins, He
stated there had been no business ar
rangements between him and Douglas
and Page that he simply cooked in
their camp and stopped in another
camp nights. He testified that he
had never seen any beaver there and
that they had used the rope such as
Mr. King had seen there to twitch
up wood with.
Benjamin ". Page of Eustis, a
guide and trapper stated that he went
into the woods to the camp where the
skins were found ON October %; that
the camps were located on a road and
that people were trapping in that SER
ton; also that people had been oe-
Cupying one of the camps shortly
before they went there. He testified
that he and Douglas had been catch
ing various animals but no beavers.
Supplies had been lett in the camp by
previous occupants
Marshall Douglas OF EGstis also
guide and trapper had been at the
camps since October - and last year
had trapped there from october To
NAV. He stated that he had caught
and killed no beavers and that the
camp had been occupied Just before he
and Page went there. nder cross
examination. Douglas admitted that he
had been convicted of illegal trapping
because Of having set a trap to near
a house through mistake. He stat
ed that the wardens had examined his
traps twice before this season.
At the conclusion OF the evidence
Attorney Shumway moved that Mr..
Wthdm be dismissed as he had fail
ed to show any connection in the
beaver skin episode The County At
torney also moved the discharge OF
Witham but he felt there was sufficient
evidence against the other two. men
to hold them for the higher court.
Judge Sawyer was Of the same mind
and accordingly discharged Mr..
Witham, holding Douglas and Page In
$3.50 bonds. The necessary surities
were furnished by Percy Day and Les.
ter Sylvester