Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-08-10

q. What cuAn8o mas tuefc uccn hauo -,
the return since that times A. "Buck-
deid'' has been written In beneath the print
ed word '.SeloCt<nen."
o. Opposite thewrittten signatures OF
the Selectmen and Town Clerk? A. Yes
I called Councillor Fosters attention to the
fact that the name Of "Buckfetd' did not
appear upon the face Of the return, and he
examined 1t with me, and admitted that he
could not tell from whence the return came
by anything that appeared upon the face oil
the return.
o. Look at the printed heading OF the
return-the blank for the name or. the
county to be filed inland state whether
YOU find any attempt to Ill that upF A. IL
looks as though there was an attempt made
TO fill I'm the county-something that LOOKS
as though IL was intended for an 30.
q. An attempt made and abandoned!
A. II has that appearance.
q. Have you anything about you or IN
your possession connected with that event,
which fixes II further In your mindg A.
made a memorandum OF these errors that
| | found i'm the returns that examined, and
AFTER few days l seat communication 10
the "Orford Democrat" stating In sub
stance the errors that found, and l have
a copy of the paper.
The article he refers to is the one
quoted above in the Hebron case.
Here we have the testimony OF four
credible witnesses, one Of them "a fusion
town officer, to prove that forgery was
committed on this Buckfeld return.
The case can be made no stronger by
editorial comment,
Now for the "absence" of testimony in
the Bro winfield case. Eli b. Bean, one
of the Selectmen of Browntield. was sum-
moned by the Hale committee, sworn.
and testified. Mr.. Bean is well known
in Oxford County, and no one would
doubt his unsupported word. Here is
his testimony:
Question. What is your full name? An
swer Eli b. Bean.
Q. Where do you reside? \. Brown
Held.
q What Is your occupation? A. Trad
| or and farmer.
=. Whether or not you were one OF the
SeeCtmcu OF the town of Browniield FOR
the year eighteen hundred and seventy
niney A. | was.
o. Who wero tho other SelectmcnI A.
ID. Is. seayey second Selectmen and w. ).
Haley third.
Q. Who was the Town Clerk! A. Josh
ia Harnden.
o. Have you been In business at Brown
held for many years. \. have, quite a
number, :.
.. Are you acquainted with the hand
writing of the Selectmen aud Town Clerk
OF that town. A. Somewhat so-yes.
Q. Were you present ut the annual
meeting for the election OF State and Coun-
| " Officers last September? A. Yes.
O. At what time did the meeting com
mehce: 4. Il was called ut ten O'Clock.
q. At what time did the polls close. \.
About five O'Clock; do not recolIect the
exact time.
Q. Whether you made up the returnsl
\. wrote them up.
o. For the Clerk A. Yes.
q. Examine the return Cor County OH
GERS from tie town of Brownhed, marked
| Exhibit T., IL. u. b., Clerk ~ Committee,
aud state whether or not IL Is signed by
You and the remaining two Selectmen,
whether the signatures, yours aud sheirs,
are original! A. Yes, my signature, ana
the Others were signed In my presence.
O. Whether that return with the other
returns were made.up and sealed up IN open
town meeting 4. They were.
o. Were put into the mail AMI forward
edl A. They were put into the hands of
the Clerk, aud he told me he mailed them
and brought me the postage bill and paid
IL TO him.
O. Have you examined hy daylight this
afternoon, the return which YOU hold in
your hand, for County Officers! A. have
looked ut it In the Office below this after
noon.
Q. In the presence OF the Clerk Of the
Committee? A. Yes, Mr.. Bisbee.
o. | call your attention % the body Of
the return With the exception OF what is
filed into the blank printed headings;
whether 1t is in your hand writing A. II
is all in my hand writing.
q. now call your attention 70 the Word
"Bro,cadelF' IN the printed heading and
the word oxford" and ask you whether
or not they are In your hand writing! A.
do not think they are.
q. Is 1t in the hand writing OF any one of
the Town Officers OF Brownticld! A.
should say not.
ognize as ever having seen before! A. |
do not recognize 1t.
o. / understand you TO say you have
examined It: A. | examined It this after
noon; Nr. Bisbee handed II to me In the
Office below and looked at It.
o. Have you any doubt that the words
" Broicnfelf' and "Orfori' now found In
the blanks for the town aud county for
which the return is made up, have been
added since the return left your hands?
A. am satisfied Il Is not in my handwrit-
ing, but do not know whose IT Is, or who
could put It there.
Q. When were you FIRST iEiormed by any
person that this return was defective? A.
do not know the precise time, but some
time, guess, in December.
q. DO you recollect from what source
you learned it! A. / cannot be positive Ia
to that now but it was currently reported
there In Our town that our returns were
defective, and some Of them on that ac-
count-tbat the town and county were left
out in the blank. The question was asked
me by some one II ! thought It could be
so | told them did not know.
Mr.. Harrington also testified to this de-
feet. He went to Augusta for the express
purpose of examining the returns. made
notes Of the defects at the time, and hence
his testimony appears so often and is Of
such positive and valuable character.
He swore in relation to the Browpfeld
return.
Q. Iwish now to call your attention to
the return for County Officers from the !
town of Brownheld, in the county OF Oxford, |
marked Exhibit U, q. u. t., Nek OF
Committee" I nass Won the return for ex- |