Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-08-03
To the Editor Of the American

TeCoTu-
While thus ostentatiously informing US
of his own opinion OF his military career,
and of the opinion of his brother officers,
and making public the letters of Chaplain
Mason, asking political influence for the pro-
motion of his friend and superior officer;
which, by the way, forms the body of Mr..
Spurling's communication. he attempts
10 throw no light upon his record. prior.
or subsequent to his connection with the
army. trusting, perhaps, that private in
vestigation as TO his discharge OF the du-
ties OF civil life, and to his success a.
county officer, viii lead TO the same happy
result.
We have always been glad 10 testify our
appreciation of the services of our SOL
ders by giving them whatever offices OF
trust were in our power to give. No sol
der has asked for Office In the County OF
Hancock in vain. II was upon this ground
that the Office of Sheriff was once and
again given to Mr.. Squirting. with an OPP
position scarce worth the name. In re-
turn we have made the very reasonable
demand, that he discharge, with at least
ordinary faithfulness and credit, the duties
OF an officer and of a man. And we can
not help thinking that Sheriff Squirting has
wished 10 blind our eyes 10 his negligent
performance of these trusts, by the CLAM
our and daze supposed to be produced by
the 'strotting out OF his gallant con-
due: &C
In regard to this we imagine that other
services as glorious as his may have been
achieved, by half the officers who were
breveted at the close of the war. when
there were to be no more troops to COM
mand. and no more fighting. There is
nothing IN the record of Gen. Squirting
which may not be found on the records OF
hundreds Of other Colonies, who received
the empty honor Of a brevet, before being
launched back upon the country We
think there are other soldiers in the coun-
~, none the less deserving, but more mod
est, that would like I chance But il was
proper that the services OF Gen. Squirting
should be recognized. by his being twice
elected TO the Sherifcy.
As he is again in the field" it j. prop
er now that his four years record A. Sher-
III be made TO speak, for or against him.
The question is frequently asked If Gen
Squirting does not make a good Sheriff
and this by good men. who. II they knew
all the facts, would certainly not hesitate
upon the question OF his denomination.
The places toseck information are not the
corners OF the streets, but the books Of
the county, among the records the sheriff
himself has helped 10 make.
An hours examination of the records OF
the levys on real estate. as far back only
a. August 10Th, $50. discloses three LEWIS
which are worthless, as follows:
Volume 1877, Page 1856, c. W. MiHiken
aud w. c. Young. Levy August 18th. ls69,
Recorded December 10th. $50.
Volume 49,, Page les, PeletiAh Moor
and E, &. Joy. Levy Nav 2oth. 1870. Re
corded August 3lst. 1870.
Volume 1877, Page 1870. Otis b. Franklin.
Levy May 18th, 1870. Recorded August 18th
1870
The criminal carelessness displayed
above. in not complying with the statute
which requires all levys on real estate to
be recorded within three months, amer the
levy is made. deserves 10 be made public
In the levy OF Otis b. Franklin and OF
Smith vs. Jaimason. made May 10th, 1870.
Daniel H Saunders, the Sheriff ) own
deputy. WAS chosen one OF the appraisers
fact in Itself sufficient 10 invalidate the
levys, where the statute requires three
disinterested men"
II blunders, aud wilful blunders, like
these, appear on slight examination Of
the records of the fourth year OF Mr. Spur
lins's acts, what confusion may we not ex-
pect TO find in the records OF the three
proceeding years
Every lawyer in Ellsworth, even the one
or two who are supposed TO favor his re-
nomination, confess that Mr.. Squirting has
been a careless and inefficient officer, in
the collection of demands and in the ser
vice OF all legal process. Witness the APP
pointment OF j. X. Jordan. Esq. as con-
stable, at the united petition of the bar,
with power only 10 serve writs not larger
than one hundred dollars, and within the
city limits alone.
A Sheriff, without deputy, cannot full
ill his duty to the county while hanging
around the streets of Ellsworth, on the
watch fer luckless wlghts upon whom to
exercise his physical powers. And even
as City Marshall. Mr.. Squirting has sacri-
feed the county 10 the interests of his own
pocket 1t is well known, that while
drawing the salary of Marshall. he has
performed nearly all the Marshalls duty
as Sheriff, and received the fees Of Sheriff,
thus compelling the county to pay the Mar
shall Of Ellsworth. whom the city had al
ready paid. This sort OF business Mr.. S.
has found more profitable and consenial
than 70 collect executions and perform the
civil duties OF his Office.
At the January Term, 1870, of the Coun-
ty Commissioners Court, Mr.. S. presented
bill as follows: " % days nursing OF ].
s. Mayo, e4s.oo," which was allowed and
paid. J. S. Mayo vas q sick prisoner
The nursing was in tact done by Adam
Morse, of Deer Isle, then also I'm confine-
ment at the jail. The county has also
paid Sheriff Squirting a bill Of Is cts q
week, for eight months, for washing for
asother prisoner, when the prisoner says
he bad DO washing done at the Jail.
The man Morse, by means of whose
nursing the Sheriff has SO quietly taken
$500 out Of the county seems to have
met with a strange reward. 1t is not easy
for man when unfortunate enough to be
deprived OF his liberty to make his voice
heard beyond the walls of prison, or to
dnd an ear ready to credit his story Of
abuse and cruelty, however well founded
It may be. Without comment we subioin
IN extract from q writ in which Adam
Morse sues Andrew B. Squirting for five
thousand dollars damage:
And the said defendant, a. B. Spur
ling) within this said time previously