Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-02-26
MURDER WILL OUT
Ha1e's Committee Strikes a
Rich Vein.
ANOTHER SAD CHAPTER Of FUSION
MScAuTv.

| 0i. ANe 1usc>u8SAiuk .COuuaiAkee uSie
another session last evening, and succeeded
in unearthing more damning evidence of fu'
sion fraud. The committee first proceeded
to complete the evidence in the Brownfielj
case, which they left unccmpleted Tuesday
afternoon.
Eli Bean, one Of the selectnen of the town
of Brownfeld for the year 1879 was the frs:
witness called. Mr.. b. has been in business
| in that town 10. MANY years. and is acquaint-
ed with the handwriting of the town officers.
The return marked Exhibit t. was made
up in open town meeting and mailed to Au-
gusta. The return as it left the town clerks
hand was fatally defective there being
nothing upon it to indicate from whence i,
came. But, as in the case of Buckfeld. some
one of Garcelon's friends cheerfcily sup
piled the missing words. and the returns
were not thrown out. as Brow nficld gave q
fusion majority of ~.
The Addison Case.
| Edward Austin Of Addison, Washington
county, town clerk Of his town, was sworn.
He was present at the town meeting in Addl-
son in September, and assisted in making up
the returns. He examined the returns for
Senators. marked Exhibit L." and stated
that the body OF the return was in his hand
writing The whole number Of ballots given
in was 467 when it shonld have been 800 votes.
| The returns we're scaled up and sent to the
Secretary of States Office.
| On the Sth of November two of the select
| men of Addison came to his Office, having
with them the defective returns. which had
| been sent from Augusta by the Secretary of
State. One of the men. Tabbert, insisted
that the returns should be amended and sent
to the capital. Tabbert had a blank return.
which he wished filled up, intending to de-
| stroy the defective return. He Cranberry
| said he had been advised by George W. Dris-
co. editor Of the Machias Union, to take that
! course. An envelope also accompanied the
| return, similar to the original envelope in
which the first return was enclosed. Tabbert
also
| Threatened hina with Expulsion from
if he did not do as he wished. Addison gave
q fusion majority of &C, and the vote was
counted.
Another Case.
Asa w. Trickey, town clerk Of JonesbOro',
Washington county, said that he was present
ut the making up Of the returns for State and
county officers. The body of the returns was
filled up by him. The returns were sealed
up in open town meeting, and deposited in
the post Office. They were put in envelopes
~
the envelopes sealed, and put in the post
Office in less than half an hour after the polls
closed.
About the sth of November, lothian l..
Merritt, one Of the .electmen of JonesbOro',
came to his residence with the returns and
blank, which he said was furnished by George
W. Drisco of Machias, and wanted him to
assist IN making out new return.
The returns were defective. inasmuch as
the names of some of the officers thereon
were dittoed instead of being written out in
full.
New Return
was made up and sent to Augusta.
| The witness identified the return shown
him as the second return, basing his asser-
| ton on the postmark on the envelope and on
the fact that the first return contained the
signature Of all three of the selection, while
| but two names were appended to the "amend-
ed return. Even in the second return the
| "Jr" in John r. williams name was
omitted. The return was still defective, and
was not tabulated.
Herbert NJ. Heath
! of Augusta stated that he was employed by
Senators Harris and Bradford in August. On
| the 18th day of November, ! filed request
with Mr.. Brown that might see the returns.
and was refused time ard time again. On
the Sth of December I went before the cOun-
Gil and made an argument stating his right
to see the returns, and after an infinite deal
Of red tape he was allowed to see the returns
| from Washington county. noticed particu-
larly the returns from Jonesport; or rather
the envelope, dated September Sth. They
examined about two-thirds Of the returns,
and then went to dinner. Mark Harden, the
messenger, took the remaining third and
| l.t,o 20 ka Whon NJ
Heath returned from dinner, he found the
Jonesboro' return and two others gone, Al
ter q search they purported to find the Jones'
bOrO' return.
| Mr. Heath said: ''Of course we don't
count the JOnesboro' return, it being blank?''
| Gov. Garcelon asked the following ques-
ton: Suppose we have two returus from q
town, which shall we count?''
"You don't mean to say that was the case
in Jonesboro'?'
THAT makes no difference. would like
to have you answer my questions.
| Thereupon the Governor put ona
Sort Of jackson Lock.
| Mr.. H. subsidized.
| When they reached the return from the
town of Kossuth, marked Exhibit ~ it
was supposed that it should be thrown out as
the nRure0 we're Wr1tten opposite tne names
of the two candidates, perhaps indicating
that they had that number Of votes between
| them.
Gov Garcelon: The town will have to
be thrown out
Mr. Brown: +" 1t has been tabulated.'
Gov. Garcelon -" Then I suppose it will
have to stand
| Accordingly the returns have stood.
| In the return Talbot's name is spelled Tai
bart.
| In the return from the town of Talmage.
the names Of the candidates were written in
line, instead of under each other. Tab
bert's name on this return was written "Tab-
bot" But the Council said the iineention Of
the voters must govern. OF course they
meant democratic voters, A. the republican
towns of Mortified and Danforth. in the
same county. were rejected because the
name of one Of the candidates was mis-
spelled.
Pitman Pulsifer, stenographer of the com
mittee, stated that he was present in Portland
on the evening of the 3Oth Of last Deem
Der, when Councillor Fogg, one Of the mem
bers of Gov. Garcelon's council, made I
speech in City Hall. During his remaks h
lfourished blank return, which, - he is re
ported in the Press Of the following morning
he alluded to as follows: He showed what b.
..;d ga q return from JOuesDort. Washing