Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-10-02
|Sk0WnEcAn LOCAL news
Somerset County Headquarters Phones, t:,s., -! =;
SUPREME COURT

OOfhEME COURI
Wednesday morning Clifford Vigue
OF Waterville. who was the respon-
dent In the case of State VS.. Cliff
ford V1gue against whom an indict
ment was found charging operation
or motor vehicle while under the
lnnuence OF intoxicating liquor in
which the testimony on both sides
was put in Tuesday afternoon.
changed his plea of not guilty and
plead nolo.
The first case for hearing Wednes-
day was that of State vs. James
Brown. aged so. of West Athens,
charged with setting fire on August
END to buildings in West Athens,
owned by David Corson and recently
occupied by Dennis knight. The
state was represented by county at
torney James H. Thorne of Madison
and Brown by Judge II. H. Brazzell
of Fairfield. The county attorney in
opening explained a diagram on the
board showing the Location of the
foCse burned, which was formerly
school house and stated that the
state would prove. that Brown was
seen coming from the place after the
fire was discovered and that Brown
had threatened to set fire to the
building and that he stated the
morning after that he had set fire to
the building. The following jurors
were drawn to hear the case: Alfred
7. Bigelow. st. Adams. foreman; Levi
Martin. Madison:, Clarence Brooks,
Pittsfield: Leland l.. Smith, Skowhe-
, gan: Frank w. Hilton. Bingham
Willis f. CIough, Madison; F. Merle
Foster, Canaan: Virgil: c. Holt. Ca
naan: c. w. Luce. Arson: Bert C.
Fletcher, Skowhegan: Harold Dun
ton. Cornville; William F. Austin,
Madison.
The following IL witnesses were
called for the State: Lucinda Brown,
Bessie futile. Dennis Knight, An
drew knights, Arthur Corson, Jen-
ME Whitman. Lucy. Corson. Ivan
Avery. J. c. Kincaid. Dell Brown,
Mamie knights, all of West Athens.
and sheriff John a. Mooers of Show
hogan. The following witnesses tes-
titled: LIST, j.. c. kincaid. who told
of selling Brown matches on the
afternoon proceeding the fire: Lu-
cinda Brown. who saw the fire about
1905 and an object going away
from the buildings: Mrs. Bessie Tut
tie. who saw Brown late in the af-
ternoon going toward Kincaid's
store with an oil can and later saw
him go into the school house with
the can: Dell Brown. who had heard
James Brown threaten to burn the
building; Ivan Avery. who stated
that James Brown the morning af-
ter The fire had told him that he had
burned the school house. Brazzell in
the defense said that they would
n,.oxr 1t
that night and that he did not burn
the building. Only three witnesses
were called for the defense. James
Brown, the respondent. Mrs. Mary
Avery and Luther Collins. all Of
West Athens.
The defense was very short. Each
attorney used about five minutes in
argument and Judge Wilson about
three in his charge. The jury after
being out half hour returned a
verdict of guilty.
A. X. Stanley of Richmond, for
merly of Skowhegan, against whom
an indictment was found charging
him with cheating when he passed
worthless check at the store of
Smith and Casey. local grocery
store when arraigned plead not gull
ty, changed his plea and plead gull
ty. Stanley was represented hy at
tcrney Judge H. H. Brazzell of Pitts
field.
Late in the forenoon the case of
State VS.. Henry Cookson of Detroit
was begun. In the indictments
found against Cookson he is charg-
ed with larceny of one logging chain
valued at 81 on June /. 1924. from
Calvin Atkins of Detroit. County
Attorney Thomas representing the
State and Cookson represented by
Attorney Harry r. Coolidge. The
following jurors were drawn: Fore
man. Alfred p. Bigelow. st. Adams:
Mrs. Annie Wescott. Skowhegan;
Fred Drury. Scion: A. w. Stanley,
Norridgewock; John w. Ford, Lex
ington: Deroy Gilbert. Madison:
Wilburt Walker. Anson: X. Irving
Davis, Canaan; Charles NJ. Sewali,
Fairfield: Herbert w. Perkins, Madi-
son: Willis E. Clough, Madison; Levi
Martin. Madison.
The first witness for the State was
Calvin Atkins who stated that he
recognized the chain which the Of
ficers found hanging in Cookson's
barn: that it was one he had used
for number of years and that 1t
was left in the field hanging over
the harrow. Walter r. Sawyer of
Detroit, stepson of Calvin Atkins
was the second witness. He told
of the chain being left in the field.
The third witness was an important
one for the State. Frank Mcfarland
of Detroit. aged 16 years. He stated
that he had known Cookson for
three or four years and that Cookson
told him that he knew where two
chains were and that II young Nc
Farland would go with him TO get
them that he would give one to him
and he said that they went and got
them one night about 10 O'Clock;
that he hid mis-. and later took, II
back to Atkins telling him that he
was sorry that he took it. Atkins
wouldn't receive the chain and told