Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-05-20
lions in the lonely farm home which

lions in the lonely farm home which
housed seven other children.
After an all day hearing to de-
termine whether Woodward should
be held for the June sitting of coun-
ty court during which Lucille, her
father, her mother and Sheriff
George S. Farr testified, Judge AL
bert w. Dickins discharged the de-
PENDANT "for lack of evidence suffic-
lent TO warrant holding him for jury
trial"
States Attorney Wayne c. Bos-
worth at once filed complaint
charging the larceny of a blanket
from a neighbor of Walter Chatter
ton. Counsel for Woodward respon-
ded by requesting that he be admit
ted to bail and he was ordered held
in $50. Thcre was moment OF
silence when it was aske if anyone
in the courtroom would provide bail
for Woodward.
Then Llewellyn r. Perkins, profess
sor Of mathematics at Middlebury
College, arose, and offered to provide
surety.
There was a stirring demonstra-
tioin as Woodward was freed from
custody for the first time since he
child in Randolph, May l. Doubt
was expressed tonight that the lar
ceny charge would be pressed. Wood
ward was recently found not guilty
of larceny of the rifle he took from
the Chatterton home when he went
away with Lucille. 1t was shown at
that time that he had permission to
use te rifle and Lucille testified that
he meant to send it back. The blan-
ket, although not specifically desig-
mated was thought to be one used
by Woodward for sheltering himself
and the girl during the man hunt
through the forests.
The little girl cried today on the
| witness stand when she was called
by the state to testify. The quick
questions shot at her by counsel
confused her and she was further
alarmed by the strange surroundings
| the curious courtroom crowd and the
swapping of the cameras.
| At length she was prevailed upon
| to tell of her departure from home.
I'VE went to the sugar house and
then on to the mountain" she said,
and later explained that by 1--WE" she
meant Woodward and herself.
That evening-the night of April
4
| the first time plans for going away.
She told of how her sister. Linda.
was scolded for spilling syrup on the
| floor of the home and declared that
| her father was mad" at her (Lu-
cille), too, and said that he would
"kilr'. her.
Asked what Woodward's purpose
was in taking her away. she replied
! that he was going to put her to
school," She described how they
Slept in barns, in sugar camps and in
| the open, and fled across country I'M
| til they were found early one morn
| ing and surrounded.
While Sheriff George S. Farr was
| being cross examined he admitted
| that he, with Attorney General Frank
c.. Archibald and Deputy Sheriff
Noble j. Sanford. the jailer, had
brought Lucille to Middlebury after
the capture, and lodged her, so far as
he knew, without legal process in the
| Sanford home where she has since
resided. Although the authorities
have said that Lucille may be placed
in a foster home, there has been no
complaint brought against her par
ents so far or any legal effort TO re-
move her from their custody.
Walter Chatterton, the father, In
testifying today denied that the fam
lily meal was ever limited to potatoes
and salt. Mrs. Chatterton has testi-
fled that Woodward had given her
money for dishes and effort was
made by counsel to show that Wood
ward had spent 800 which he had
earned, on the family.
This Chatterton denied in his tes-
tfmony. He stated that although
Woodward had been employed by
him since last September he had paid
him but S24 and that the former con-
Wet was penniless when he came to
the Chatterton home.