Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-09
SUPREME COURT

IUOTJlI1S InS
opened at o instead OF at $50 and
the first half hour was occupied with
divorce hearing before the judge. At
$50 the following jurors were drawn
to hear the case OF State VS.. May
Parsons of Madison, who was charg-
ed with arson Of the buildings OF
Levi Topper on Garfield street in
Madison: Il. j.. Sampson, foreman,
Skowhegan: J. Wilson Boston, Ca
naau; John Hudson, Fairfield; Geo.
j.. Greenleaf, Starks; l.. G.. Bryant,
f'almyra; Lester G. Stevens. SHOW
began; Eugene CovelI. Fairfield;
Manly Mason. Athens; Perrin French,
SCION; Melza A. Eames; several jur-
ors were challenged by the attor-
neys.
After the jury was drawn to hear
the case. all other jurors were eX-
cused by Judge Deasy. who said
that he thanked them cordially for
the court. the county and the State
and that he knew that it had been
sacrifice on their pert to render
their services and it was the price
they had to pay to live in the best
country in the world. He said he
thought that they had been sincere
in their attempt to arrive at right
and Just Verdicts and in only one
case had their verdict been different
than he would have decided had he
been member OF the panel
The case of State VS.. Parsons was
opened by County Attorney James
II. Thorne of North Arson repre-
senting the State, who told the story
OF the case, which briefly is that
Mr.. and Mrs. Parsons and family
were living in the lower apartment
of the Levi Upper house at l. Car
field street, Madison. during the
summer Of 49,; and that they moved
into the house only u few things
and that Mr.. and Mrs. Topper. who
were passing the summer at farm
which they owned on the car line
between Madison and Skowhegan.
Mr.. Topper worked III Madison and
| as he did not let the stable to the
Parsons ne kept his team at the
stable during the day time when he
was at work in Madison. The Tup-
| pers had the right to go to the
| house and get their things when
! they wished. The Parsons were
| building Il new house on Western
! avenue near the Topper house, and
were not willing to get out as soon
as the Tuppers wished, ana hard
| feeling arose between the two fam
! lies. On October 2G the Tuppers
moved and Mrs. Topper packed
| things onto n team and with IL bow
drove away from the upper house
ABOUT ~ O'Clock. after picking up Il
! Kitten aud putting it into the house.
"A rev minutes after Mrs. Tuppcr
| had driven away, Mrs. Louise Bur
ton. who resided upstairs, smelicd
smoke and she went down stairs and
! Found the curtains drawn in the
windows and the doors locked. She
| called to Il neighbour. who came over.
ana Mrs. Burton went to another
| neiEhbor'a, Mr.. ana Mrs. Edward
| Wescou. and told them there was a
| IRE ana Mr.. Wc5cott. who is q MEM
per oil the fire company. sounded the
alarm ana came to the fire. Mrs.
| Burton found Il KY which Womb
unlock II door and they entered and
| found some smoke in the Kitchen
coming from cupboard under the
CHIMNEY aud saw smoke Coming, ont
around the pantry door, and when
opened the cellar door, which was
IN the pantry. the smoke WAS so
dense that they could not see down
| stars
ono thing brought ont in Thornc's
, opening was that Mrs. Parson had
had an $500 insurance put on furni
turo in the Upper house before tho
lire ana tho furnishings were real,
MIR. and Mrs. Tuppcr's.
me state claims that this fire was
set and that Mrs. Parsons and no one
else had an opportunity to do il.
me hre was in cupboard in the
cellar beng in the upper part of
the cupboard, and also burned the
Of Ia
and there was another fire in the
upper part OF the cupboard in the
kitchen.
There were Is witnesses called for
the state and they were Deputy
Sheriff Horace l.. Crockcr. Canaan:
Levi 5. Tupper. Madison: Sheriff
John \. MooerS. SkoWhcCan; Mrs
Louise Burton. Madison: Mrs. Emma
Clark, Madison: Eldon =. Clark.
Madison: Daniel NJ Clark. chief OF
the Madison fire company; Mr.. and
Mrs. Edward Wescott, Madison.
Deputy Sheriff Ernest II. Cook. Attn
ems: Julian conroy. Skowhegan; and
Hery Crowell
The first witness to testify was
Henry Crowell OF Skowhcgan. who
made the charts used in the case.
| and he explained the arrangement
w 'hc MUSE anu inc CnlmnGN, and
the cupboards and the parts he
found burned or smoked whom he
went 10 the home to make the
charts. and he was also questioned
IN Discrimination concerning
| electric wiring.
The second witness called was
MIR. Topper. who told of the ar
engagements of letting the Jumpers
| into the house and eXplaincd about
the arrangement of the cupboards
and the wiring ard the fire. 'Ehc
third witness was Mrs. Louise Bur
ton, who lived upstairs and who
discovered the fire and who in her
testimony told the story much the
| same as given by Attorney Thorne
in his opening.
The fourth witness WAS Mrs.
Emma Clark. neighhor, to whom
| Mrs Burton called when she dis
| covered the fire, and she said that
she went over to the house. and de-
scribed the fire us she found il when
she got there. Mrs. Edward Wes-
! colt Il neighbor who resided across
the street. was the fifth witness and
she said she went over and found
the conditions the same as the other
ladies', much smoke in the cellar.
| aud fire in the cupboard in the
kitchen. and that the fire company
was called.
1 The sixth witness was Edward
| Wescott. who was n fireman and
| early at the fire. and said that there
was a blaze coming out of the cellar
when they opened the door. Norris
! Preble, another fireman, was the
! seventh witness and fold a similar