South Parisians

Barbara Carroll, 17, had a fine time in South Paris, Me. last week. She sold autographed pictures of the county courthouse for 25-c- the copy, received stacks of fan mail, including offers of marriage, posed fetchingly in play and bathing suits for innumerable photographs. With some of her tips from photographers for posing, Barbara had her brown hair waved. A climax to Barbara's happy week came when her mother, Ruby, walked up to Francis Carroll, 43, sitting dejected in South Paris' Oxford County Courthouse and impatiently tapped his shoulder.

Whispered Mother Ruby: "Barbara has an offer from a New York night club at $1,000 a week."

"That so?" shrugged Father Francis.

"Yes. Pretty good for a Carroll, isn't it?"

Pretty bad for a Carroll were the proceedings in South Paris court where twelve stern-eyed Mainemen had heard young Paul Dwyer, serving a life sentence for the murder of 63-year-old Dr. James Littlefield, accuse Father Carroll of the crime (TIME, Aug. 15). Father Carroll flatly denied his guilt. Confronted on the stand with the fact that his alibi (serving a summons) covered not the night of the crime but the night before, Francis Carroll stuttered, reddened, said he had mixed his dates.

Asked whether he had ever had improper relations with Daughter Barbara (the State contended that he had killed the doctor to conceal incest), Father Carroll hung his head, waited until his attorney got the question struck out.

When Special Assistant Attorney General Ralph M. Ingalls taunted the defense with their failure to put Daughter Barbara on the stand as promised, Defense Attorney Clyde Chapman replied that Barbara was "moronic," that her testimony would "befog the issue."

After more than five hours' deliberation, the jury found Francis Carroll guilty. Penalty (Maine's maximum): life in prison. Unless Governor Barrows pardons him, Paul Dwyer will stay in jail too.

Barbara was at South Paris' cinemansion watching a jungle film, Booloo, when the news of her father's conviction reached her. Mascara streaking her cheeks, she ran out sobbing. Next day, Boston announced that any night club contracting for her services would be closed.

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