Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-06-09

concerned criminal proceedings
against the young couple became q
closed book with the action Of the
Cumberland County Grand Jury two
weeks ago in returning no true bills
with respect to both Kenneth and
Nettie .MacLean after q two day
consideration OF all evidence submit~
ted by the county prosecutor.
Says Kenneth Smothersd Baby
Tho alienation Of affection suit
against the elder MacLeans define
ates In some detail. IS does the d.
vorce complaint the alleged Killing
of the baby by young MacLean. He
is charged with having murdered the
infant by throwing q pillow over the
baby and by lying on the pillow and
placing his hand over the baby's
mouth to stop its breathing. The
whole matter OF the courtship OF
Nettie by Kenneth while they were
yet high school students and the
history OF their married life and re-
ing against them In the courts OF
Maine are related as sordid HIS
tory Of a children's love affair that
eliminated in tragedy Of alleged
gross brutality.
Supposed to Be Single
The divorce complaint further
charges THAT upon her arrival the
defendant greeted plaintiff affection
ately. kissed her and told her he
was glad to see her, but shortly
thereafter. upon learning that the
plaintiff had come prepared to re-
main for an indefinite period, the
attitude of the defendant immedi-
ately changed and the defendant in
formal the plaintiff that his mar
riage was not known in Brunswick.
that he was supposed to be single.
that her presence with their baby
was embarrassing to him and that
he would not be seen with her in
public. That the defendants atti-
tude and frame Of mind was q great
shock to the plaintiff and she begged
and pleaded with the defendant to
be permitted to remain in Bruns-
wick and offered to procure an
apartment in Brunswick, where she
and the baby would live quietly.
But defendant refused to permit
her SO to do, unless she would agree
to take quarters in the French dis
trict, so-called, and to live there a
life of prostitution: that for two
days following there were frequent
quarrels and disagreements between
the parties. the plaintiff insisting
upon her right to remain with her
husband and the right of their child
to the protection of its father, and
the defendant insisting on keeping
all information or knowledge that
he was father from his college as
sociates and social friends in and
about Brunswick. That late on
Wednesday evening, Feb. q, 1924.
defendant came to plaintiffs room in
the hotel at Brunswick and renewed
the quarrel and told the plaintiff
that he could not have her and the
baby in or near Brunswick; that IL
it were earlier in the evening he
would get rat biscuit and give 1t to
both the plaintiff and the baby, but
as 1t was too late to get the rat bis
| cult that night he would do some
thing else.
"Whereupon the defendant grab
bed a pillow and put 1t over the
baby's face as she lay upon the bed
awake and threw his body upon the
billow and put and kept his hand
upon the pillow and over the baby's
face. That the plaintiff was alarm
ed and terrified by defendants act
and fought desperately with all her
strength to prevent defendant from
injuring the baby, but defendant
beat and kicked plaintiff and knock
ed her senseless and unconscious. in
which state she remained for many
hours thereafter, that when she re-
| covered her senses she found the
baby upon the bed with the pillow
over its face that the following
morning the defendant threatened
to kill the plaintiff unless the plain
| tiff should conceal the acts of the
defendant and that her subsequent
course in taking the body to a Port
land undertaken and confessing the
crime Yves directed by her husband
and carried out in fear of him.
I'm suing her husbands parents
! for alienation of affections she
charged that since her marriage to
Kenneth they had attempted to
break up the union because OF al
legged differences in the social stand
ing Of the two families.