The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-02-26
The Oxford County Frauds
THE TESTIMONY BEFORE MR.. HALES
COMMITTEE IN DETAIL.
Forgery Proved Beyond Doubt.

were able to in yesterdays paper. The nrst
witness was Mr. Albion P. Bonney, who testi-
fled as follows:
Was chairman of the selectmen of Buckle Id
last year. and was present at the annual elec-
ton and assisted in making up the returns.
On examining the return for county officers 1
find the body of the return and the signature
in my writing. L saw the other selectmeh
sign it. The name of the town and county are
not written in. Some one has commenced the
letter so" in the space for the county at the
head of the blank, but it is not the writing OF
any of the sgners The name of the town OF
Buckfield is written opposite the selectmen's
names, also by some other person than the
sgners. There was nothing on the face of the
return to show from what town it was sent.
The filing upon the back is in my writing. AS
originally made out the name of the town and
county were left blank and no one to my
knowledge was authorized to write in the
name of the town opposite the selectmen. Am
Republican in politics.
TESTIMONY OF CLERK OF BUCKFELD.
G. G. Spaulding testified: I was clerk of
the town of Buckfeld last year. The sigma
ture on the return for county officers was sign
ed by myself. The word "Buckfeld" opposite
the selectmen's names is not in my handwrit-
ing or any of the town officers, and must have
been added since the return left my hands. l
sent the returns to the Secretary of States
ollie myself, properly sealed up and in open
town meeting. No one had access to them af-
ter the town meeting. for they remained in my
possession until I forwarded them. The other
returns were also sealed up and forwarded by
me. In the return for county officers find an
go" in the space for county officers in the
writing of some one unknown to me. Am a
Democrat. have no doubt the word Buck
field was written opposite the selectmen' s
, names since the return left my hands.
TESTIMONY OF GEO. D. BIsBEE, ESQ.
Geo. D. Bisbee testified: Am an attorney at
law in Buckfield, but am now acting as clerk
of this committee. After the September
election I was employed by a portion of the
county officers and the candidates for Senator
and Representative to come to Augusta and
examine the returns. 1 came December LIST,
to the council chamber and saw Messrs. Foster,
Moody and Fogg. They told me if would
come in the morning could see the returns
turns for county officers from such towns as I
had certified copies of the records with me.
Nowhere upon the return for county offers
did the name of the town or county appear. 1
noticed this fact particularly and remember it
distinctly from the fact that at first set out to
call the attention of the council to this omis-
sion, but on consultation with Mr.. Wing in the
anteroom, l returned and showed it to the
council. They made no remark1in regard to
it that l remember of. They allowed me to do
most of the talking.
On the third of December l went to Frye
burg where our court was in session, and told
Mr.. Enoch C. Harrington about the defective
condition of the return "Buckfeld'' has
been written in since Dec. I'd. The first time
1 was in the Council Chamber did notice the
filing upon the back of the return and had
some curiosity to know how they knew which
was the Buckfeld return, and SO when I iwent
in the second time observed the Council Sc
1ected it by the filing. About the first week in
January was here and desired to see the re-
turns, but was refused. In December / ex-
amined the clerk s return: the others were re-
fused. When L came here as clerk of the
committee, the town was written upon the re-
turn. If this return alone had been rejected
the Republican candidates for Judge of Pro-
bate and County Commissioner would have
been elected. Since coming into possession of
the papers [ have kept them in safe obtained
for that purpose.
About the 18th of December / sent to the
Governor and Council a written statement of
the errors fonnd, which has been found among
the papers turned over to me, as clerk of this
committee. On the tabulation for county Of
ficers the Hebron return of 70 votes was tabu-
lated and counted for Henry G. Walker; the
Brownfeld return tabulated for both Republic
can and Fusion officers, same as Buckfeld, as
if it was correct.
TESTIMONY OF HON. E. c. HARRINGTON.
Hon. Enoch G. Harrington testified: reside
at Fryeburg and came to Augusta, Dec. Sth,
to examine the returns from Oxford county.
1 first saw members of the Council at the Au-
guSta House. Mr.. Foster told me it l wOnld
go to the Council chamber he would show me
the returns for county officers, which he did.
/ carefully examined the return from Buck
field. Neither the town or the county was
upon it then The town has since been written
opposite the selectmen's names. called Fos-
ter'S attention to the fact that the name OF the
town was not on the return and asked him
how he could tell it was from that town. He
acknowledged he could not tell from its face.
1 made a memorandum of the errors noticed
and in few days sent communication re-
garding them to the Oxford Democrat tissue of
Dec. 10th.
When was here, 1 saw the return for coun-
ty officers from Hebron, and also the name up
on that. Frank Y. Bradley was the Republic
can candidate, Henry G. Walker the fusion
candidate. At that time Walkers name was
written "Henry c." Now it is &C." formed
since December by adding line to the &C..
in a different kind of ink. The original &C."
can be distinguished without the aid of glass.
l called tine attention of the Council to the
fact that Walkers name was written "Henry
c." instead of Henry g. and that he was
the fusion candidate. Ii the return had been
thrown out it would have made difference of
seventy-two votes. l think Messrs. Brown,
Monroe and perhaps Chase were in the Coun-
Gil chamber. have no knowledge by whom
the change was made.
also examined the returns from Brown
field the Sth of December. Name of the tow
and county have been written in since. l made
a minute of the omission and spoke of it to
Mr.. Foster. Holding the return on the table
so that he could not turn it over, I asked him
if he could tell me where it was from. He
said he could not On the back of the return
the name appeared. The name of Alfred S.
Kimball, the fusion county attorney, also has
the appearance of having been changed from
"Alford'' to 'Alfred." The erasure may have
been there then without my knowing it.
TESTIMONY OF HON. GEO. C. WING.
Hon. Geo. G. Wing testified: live in Au-
burn, and am one of the Republican State
Committee. came to Augusta to see the re-
1 made application then or not but did soon
afterwards. December LIST I went to the
Council Chamber with Mr. Savage to see the
returns, as 1 had received assurance to that
effect from Mr. Brown, Capt. Chase, and per-
haps Fogg. Saw the returns for county Off
GERS and took memorandum of them When
l requested to see the representatives returns
Mr.. Chase was willing, but Mr.. Foster wished
us to wait till morning. About $50 was pre-
sent in the ante room and waited till about -
O'Clock, without receiving any reply to the
verbal messages l had sent into the Council
Chamber. Finally 1 wrote this note to Mr..
Fogg:
W
endeavor to have us accommodated by completing
our examination, SO that we can leave town, as my
business at home is extremely urgent. If ! cannot
be accommodated will you obtain appointment
at day and time certain, in the future, when
be permitted to examine, when will return This
will seriously embarrass me, besides causing ex-
pense, when few minutes indulgence would finally
dispose of Androscoggin. Will you kindly attend to
this for me and acquaint me with the result?
Sincerely yours, GEORGE WING.
That this message was delivered to the
Council appears from the following indorse-
ment on its back, in Fogg's writing:
THAT the messenger be instructed to in
form Messrs. Wing, Savage and Bisbee that
the Council have decided not to submit an in
spection of the returns for Senators and Repre-
sentatives as no defects in the returns can be
changed"
Committees of the Valuation Commits
sion.
The valuation commission is divided into
standing committees as follows:
On Ncuigation-Messr Preble of Sagada-
hoe, Homan of Kennebec, Bryant of Knox
On ManottactureS-Messrs. Jones of andre
scoggin, Harrington of Oxford, Hall of York
On Banks-Messrs Knowlton of Cumber-
land, Pope of Washington, Houston of Wal