The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-02-25
BY TELEGRAPH.
MORE FRAUD.
F0TgGriGS in the Oxford Re-
turns Proved.
A FUSION COUNTY ATTOR-
NEY IMPLICATED.
Defective Fusion Returns Cor
rected,
And Similarly Defective Republi-
can Ones Thrown Out.
And Similarly Defective Republi-
can Ones Thrown Out.

AUGUSTA, Feb. 24-The investigation before
the Hale committee to-day will show startling
| developments of frauds. The first matter in
| vestigated was the case of the returns from
| the town of Buckfeld, in the neighborhood OF
Scion Chase. This town gave Fusion major.
ity of 132, and was necessary to be counted in
order to elect the Fusion county officers. The
testimony before the committee conclusively
proved that when the town clerk and select
men, who appeared as witnesses, made up the
return for county officers, they accidentally
omitted to fill the blanks provided for insertion
of town and county. This omission was dis
covered by parties who came to Augusta about
the eighth of December, and the attention of
some OF the Council was called to the fact that
the return nowhere showed upon its face from
which town or county it came, and was pro-
nounced by them to be "fatally defective"
1t also appeared that afterward the return was
altered by adding the name of the town
"Buckfeld," and in this condition was count
ed for the Fusion candidates. No direct testi-
mony was offered as to the party making such
alteration. Afidavits in the handwriting of
A. S. Kimball, of Waterford, who has lately
figured as witness in the Hartman
bribery case, and who is Fusion county attor-
ney elect, were laid before the committee
for comparison of writing, and were
examined by the different members of
the committee with great interest
1t was also proved that Mr.. Kimball was in
Augusta few days after the return was ascer-
tanned to be defective. 1t is prybable that the
handwriting will be submitted to the examine
ton of an expert, together with othor cases be-
fore the committee. Evidence was also taken
before the committee of a similar omission,
and alteration in the case of the returns from
the town of Brownfeld Parties examined
The return in the early part of December and
found the name of the town and county omit
ted as in Buckfeld. This return has been al
tered by adding the name of the town and
county and counted for the Fusion candidates.
1t was also apparent that the name of Alfred
Kimball was originally written in the return
Afford S. Kimball, and since has heen tamper-
ed with so that it now reads Alfred S. Kimball
and the alteration was done in bungling
manner. The defective condition of this re-
turn was called to the attention of John B.
Foster of the Governors Council. By these
alterations and forgeries and counting the
votes of these Fusion towns the Fusion county
officers were declared elected. One of the
most glazing frauds examined by the commit
tee was the return for county officers from the
town of Hebron. In this return evidence was
taken showing that early in December this re-
turn was examined in the office of the Secre-
tary of State and found to contain the name
of Henry c. Walker, the Fusion candidate
for County Commissioner, whose real name
was Henry G. Walker.
This defect when applied to Republican re-
turns was pronounced "fatal" by the Governor
and Council, and if the same rule had been ap-
piled in this case the e votes received by
Walker would have been thrown out. To OBJ
vate this difficulty the letter G was changed
to G by striking line through the loop of G
and bringing it below the line, but so poorly
was the job executed that the forgery is appar-
emit at glance without the aid of glass
The letter Fl in the name of the Republican
for Judge of Probate appears to
have received attention from some hand, but
if it was the intention to change it to G it
was abandoned before it was completed. The
attention of the committee was also called to
other cases of alterations erasures and forger-
cries from Oxford county and the tabulation
of the votes to correspond with the altered re-
turns, but inasmuch as the witnesses who had
been summoned in these cases had not arrived
their examination will probably be had at
future day. These Developments Of crime and
fraud are more startling than were anticipat-
ed by those who charged a conspiracy in the
most pronounced terms. 1t is rumored that
other and more startling disclosures will be
made, especially in certain cases from WASH
ington county, where the evidence will more
positively implicate not only state officials but
prominent fusion politicians. The examina-
ton this afternoon was ably conducted by Mr..
Strout of Portland, Mr.. Hale, Mr.. Ingalls,, Mr..
Hill and other members of the committee as
sisting so as to bring out the testimony in the
fullest manner.