Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-09-29
BANGOR PHYSICIAN NOT GUILTY
Of RECKLESS DRIVING IN CASE
Result OF Death AGED VICTIM

The defense presented q strong line
OF testimony tending to prove that
William Chamberlain, the aged VIC
tim of an accident on Riverside
Drive on September II. was of a
habit Of walking aimlessly and err
radically on the highway and cleo
trio car tracks. paying no heed to the
warning horns of motorists and the
car whistles, and that though DR..
Thompson did everything in his
power to avert striking the man.
the accident was unavoidable. DIR.
Herbert Thompson of Bangor, the
respondent. arraigned before Judge
Cony. Friday morning. on a charge
of reckless driving was found not
guilty and discharged.
Accident Victim Died
Mr.. Chamberlain, who was "a
years of age suffered such injuries
at the time Of the accident that he
was removed to the Augusta General
hospital, where he died a week la
ter on September II, from complica-
tons resulting from his accident.
The warrant against DR.. Thompson,
was served the next day and he was
arraigned on the charge, the case at
that time being continued and the
respondent was released on $4,000
bonds. There was great array of
witnesses both for the State and
for the defense on hand at municipal
court Friday. County Attorney
Walter NJ. Sanborn conducted the
case for the State and the respond
ent was represented by attorneys
Herbert E. Locke and James B. Per-
kins of Pattangall, Locke & Perkins
of this city.
City Marshall Investigated Accident
The first witness called for the
State was City Marshall William j.
Skehan, who testified that on the
morning of Sept. IL he received a
telephone message shortly after $
o'clock notifying him of the accident
and that he went at once to the
scene, arriving within quarter OF an
hour of it's happening. Chamberlain
had been taken to his home at the
Mcleod place and Mr.. Skehan at
once sent for the ambulance and had
him removed to the hospital. Later
he made measurements on the high
way where the accident occurred
Marshall Skehan testified that the
scene of the mishap was level
stretch of highway. with clear and
unobstructed view in either direc-
ton for a distance of about thou
sand feet.
The marks of the wheels OF the
respondents car showed that DR.
Thompson started swinging to the
left side of the road as he proceeded
in the direction of Wateryille at
point 102 feet from where the mar
was struck and that the Thompson
automobile continued So feet beyond
the point of the collision before being
brought to a standstill in the ditch
on the left side of the higway. The
marks on the macadam road showed
that one wheel dragged more than
the other when the brakes were APP
piled. The road was dry on the
morning of the accident. The Mar
shall in redirect examination said
that he did not believe that 80 miles
per hour was too fast for an auto
mobile to be proceeding where the
accident occurred, as though there
was a curve, it was very slight and
wide swinging.
William A. Stilkey of this city, In
spector for the Motor Vehicle De-
partment of the State. who accom-
panied City Marshal Skehan on his
investigation of the accident testi-
fled substantially the same as to
measurement taken.
Walter D. Maxim who lives on