The Portland daily press., 1880-04-19
LETTER FROM JOHN BENSON, JR
Councillor Parker, and Produces Cor
roborative Evidence.

John Benson, Jr., ex-Deputy Secretary of
State under the Pillsbury government, pub
fishes in the Newport Times a sharp letter, in
reply to ex-Councillor Parker's denial of the
truth of the formers testimony before the
Hale committee, to the effect that early in
November, Parker met him at Bangor and in
formed him of an error in the Dixmont return,
and requested him (Benson) to go to Dixmont
and look after the matter. Benson says:
To substantiate by additional testimony the
truth of my statement, l would at this time
submit the following:
1st-That the hotel register at the Penobscot
Exchange, Bangor, bears upon its pages the
names of +. G. Parker and John Benson, Jr.,
as having both been at said hotel at the time
mentioned in my testimony before the COM
mittee. This fact is matter of public record,
and any person by inspection of the said regis
ter will observe the truth of this statement.
Id will submit the following:S
AFFIDAVIT OF THE TOWN CLERK OF DIxMoNT.
l, Perigrine White, resident of Dixmont in the
County of Penobscot on oath depose and say that
some time during the latter part of October, ear
ly in November, 1879, John Benson, Jr.,. of Ply
mouth, in said County of Penobscot, called upon
me at my house in Dixmont, and in my capacity as
Clerkof said town of Dixmont, an office which do
now and have held in said town, for nearly fifteen
the September meeting as held in this town. AS
the reason for so desiring access to the records
the said John Benson, Jr., declared in my pres
ence and hearing, that he, Benson, had been in
formed by a gentleman high in authority, and
member of the Cows Council, that the Dixnont
Benson, then and there told that he did not
know what the defect was but that he had been in
formed by said gentleman at Bangor that it acas
absolutely necessary to haze this return remeded, as
might ijure the prospect Of fusion victories in
ohe, toacns in the State, unless e mistake rec
titled.
I Would further state that unon tho conclusion of
the examination of the said record by the said
Benson, that he, Benson, told me that was not
at fault and furthermore 1 would say that
have never signed but return as required by law
to be sent to the Secretary of Sate but that some
time previous to the time Benson came to see as
aforesaid a certain person wrote me from Augusta
and desired that should send him new return of
our September meeting, and also copy of the rec
ord of said meeting. sent the copy Of the record
a new return have never sent.
Witness my hand at DixmOnt, this second day of
April, A. d. 1880.
PERIGRINE WHITE Town Clerk
Dixmont, April 2, 1880.
Subscribed and sworn to before me.
Don A. H. POWERS, Justice of the Peace
With regard to the point raised by Mr..
Parker, namely, chat had told a lie,' how
do we stand?
oath, and is substantiated by circumstantial
evidence and direct testimony.
Mr.. Parker makes a bare statement without
foundation either in fact or theory, and it
would seem that the gentleman, when pre-
sented with 4he choice that counting out"
ineUitdbly brings up, that of taking upon him
self as member of Gov. Garcelon's Council,
the mantle Of a EndUe or that of q fool, had
very unanimously voted himself the outer gar
mentS OF fool.
MIR. Benson says that Parker recommended
him (Benson) for Deputy; intimates that
Parker last summer agreed to support the Re-
publican nominee for Governor in case it
should not be Davis. denies that he ever was
paid or promised anything for his testimony;
says he has been and shall continue to be a
Greenbacker; and concludes by denouncing
contingent as a crime.
New England Association
The annual meeting of the New England
Association will be held at the First Free Bap-
fist church,, corner Casco and Cumberland
streets, commencing Tuesday evening. The
following will be the programme;
Tuesday evening; Service of Prayer and Praise,
led by Rufus Deering, Esq. Sermon, by W. H.
Bowen, D. D.
Wednesday will be devoted to consideration of
our educational interests. Wednesday evening, Ser
vice of Praise; Paper, Foreign Missions, by Mrs.
V. G. Ramsey; Paper, Our Mission South, by Mrs
f. S. Mosher.
Thursday, A. NJ. Service of PRAYER and Praise;
Paper, Temperance, by Rev. John Malvern Pa
per, More Laborers in India, by Rev. f. L. Wiley.
Thursday, P. NJ; Service of Prayer and Praise;
Paper, The Resurrection of Christ as Historical
Fact, by Prof R. c. Stanley.
Thursday evening. Service of Praise: Union
Communion Service; Addresses by several clergy