Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-03-23
Majority Report in the Alleged
Bribery Cases.

1oro If January ~, lSCO, ~ uNc3tlB0te tie
orr s..,es of bribery and attempted bribery of
enar aSsrs of this House, have attended to
.u.;, duty and beg leave to submit their re-
port. o, ~.-o nreson.ad hae,-. ~.
...r;,tee and evidence heard, both in sup
eo and refutation Of the charges. The first
w. presented to your committee was that of
nI-.holomcw Wentworth of South Ber-
pa member of the House. who, as was al
- had been offered $500 in gold and $40
rs. day for forty days, by one Charles f.
p;atsr NJ North Berwick, which amount was
H. 10 Maid TO the said Wentworth by the said
p;aSer upon the conditions that the said
nM,an,ror,h would absent himself from the
~ w. hi. case but two witnesses appeared be-
..a the committee. viz: Bartholomew
,wy ,' and Charles z Kicker. In support
" ,he charge. Mr.. Wentworth was sum-
nod before this committee and testified,
Essentially that Charles E. Kicker, previous
- Mr. Wentworth leaving his home for Au-
.,,ts came 10 his house at two different
,;me. and first said, if he would make him
elf si.k the first two days ofthe Legislature
hs .honld have 5000; and the second time
's;d that he could have $500 in gold and $40
day for forty days. if he would absent himself
AMI not attend Itc oJiIl 1cSiSiatuIt.
Charles F.. Kicker was also summoned and
.oneared before the committee and testified,
arb.,antially. that he did see Mr.. Wentworth
A. HI, home at different times, previous to the
,.,emblinp of the Legislature. and that his
oh;.ct in going to Wentw orth's house was to
asec, an exchange of horses with Mr.. Went
xor,h: that he went for that purpose and that
o,lv. that at various times when he was at
Wen,worth's house there was conversation
ta,raen Wentworth and himself in
,sserence 70 the various rumofs Of bribery
wb;ch were said to have been published in
d;serent new spapers. and of the amounts
,ba, were said to be offered to members-elect
of the Legislature, upon the condition that
they would absent themselves therefrOm land
thai witness asked Wentworth why he could
no, get some money in that way. and that if
newspaper reports were true, he. Wentworth,
could make $500 out of it; and that witness
,old Wentworth that if he would remain at
home and employ his teams in hauling wood
for witness that with the labor of Went
worth and his son, he might earn $40 per
day.
Kicker further stated, substantially, that
he never offered Wentworth any money or
ever held out to him any pecuniary induce
ments to absent himself from the legislature.
nat ne Hiii HO W CAptuu ioi any SUN
purpose, and had received no money from
any other person for any such purpose. and
had had no conversation with any other per-
son in reference to bribing. or attempting to
bride any member-elect of the legislature.
That he had no wish or desire to have Mr..
Wentworth absent himself because he was
Of the same political persuasion.
he always having voted the demo-
cratic ticket until last year, when he
voted the grcenback ticket That his sole
object in visiting Mr. Wentworth was to eX
change horses with him, and that he did final
Iy make the exchange with Wentworth's son,
on the morning that Wentworth left for Au-
grsta. to attend the assembling of the Icgis-
lature.
In view OF all the testimony in the case.
and the yarions circumstances testified to hy
both parties, in connection Herewith, your
committee are of the opinion that the charge
Of attempted bribery, in the case of Bartho-
lomew Wentworth, member of this House,
ia not sustained.
The next ease presented before the COM
mttec, was that of Thomas b. Swan. of Mi
not u member of the House who charged that
he had been paid $1,000 by Wallace r.
White, of Winthrop. in consideration
of the payment of which sum, Mr. Swan
was to resign his seat in the legisa.
tnrc, in order that the fusionists might be
prevented from obtaining quorum at the
assembling thereof
Mr. Swan appeared before the committee
and testified that Wallace II. White. paid
him the sum of 81 900 for that purpose. and
that the money was paid him by White Mt the
Court House in Augusta. in the jury room,
on the 9Th day of January, 1880, and in the
forenoon OF that day.
The next case presented before the com
mittee was that of Moses Hartman. of Ken
nebunkport. member of this House, who
appeared before the committee and testified.
substantially, that IN the jury room of the
Court House, Mt Augusta, on the 9th dav Of
January last. in the afternoon, Wallace X.
White, of Winthrop, paid him the sum of
slooo for the same purpose as testified to by
Thomas b. Swan.
Mr. Swan testified that when the money
was paid over to him by White he and White
were together in the room. and that no other
person was present.
Mr. Hartman testified that he and White
were together in the room in the afternoon,
"hen the money was paid over. and that no
other person was present
Both Swan and Hartman testified previous
70 nearing the testimony of Wallace II.
White
Mr Swan testified that he was treasurer of
.he town of Minot: that after he received
'he $1,000, he purchased a check for the
same amount at one of the banks in Augusta.
and that subsequently, he deposited $500 of
mat amount in bank in Portland to the
credit of the town of Minot, and that with
Tue balance he purchased Canton town
oond OF brokers' firm in Portland for the
Nuking fund of the town of M:nOt.
Mr. Hartman testified that he had depos-
ued the money which he received, with
brother in Biddcford.
Nei'her MIR. Swan or Hartman exhibited
any money before the committee.
wallace X. White appeared before the
.ommittee and testified substantially. that he
c u meet Mr.. Swan in the jury room of the
sou.' house at Augusta, in the forenoon, on
'ne 9th day of January last, and that he did
a a.se' Mr.. Hartman at the same place, in the
AFTERNOON of the same day; that he had a
conversation with them as to the course they
;., sre 10 pursue in the organization of the leg
stature and that they were both of the opin-
~n mat the decision of the Supreme Court
maa Dc respected, and that both wrote state
a'ea's declaring their intention tn respect the
seVSion, and TO withdraw their connection
nSm the fusion members of the House. the
; ~ of which statements will be found
:" .ae testimony herewith submitted.