Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-08-10

cali in the morning should see the returns
from Oxford County. did call In the
mornine, Tuesday morning, the second
day OF December, and they gave me adj
mission To- Che Council Chamber; and,
after some consultations, they decided 10
allow me TO see the returns for county
officers from Oxford County, such as had
certified copies of the records OF. There
are some thirty-seven towns In our county;
and | only had with me then certified
copies OF the records of some eighteen
towns among them had certified copy
OF the record of my own town or Buck
field. Mr.. Moody, and I think, Mr.. Chase,
OF Portland-one Of the Council-showed
me those returns, and among them, this
return from the town Of Buckffeld, which
hold in my hand, for county officers.
o. Is the return you hold In your hand
the return marked Exhibit r, q. ID. b.,
CLERK Of Committee"p A. Yes.
0. The same one Mr.. Bonney and Mr..
Spaulding testified about! A. Yes; saw
that return that day, and examined 1t care
fully: and nowhere on the face OF the
return did the name Of the town or county
appear.
O. call your attention TO the blank In
the printed heading of the return, LETT Tor
writing in the name OF the county, ana ASK
YOU to state whether there was any writing
there, or any attempt TO write; or whether
there was Clean blank when you saw III
A. examined It very carefully, and dis
covered nothing there.
Q. I call your attention tn the word
"Buckfeid," which was written against
the signatures OF the town officers? a. II
was not there that day.
O. You are positive: A. | know IL,
because | opened the return. went IN
the first time and saw the return, and
noticed that defect or omission and there
was query In my mind whether | would
call the attention OF the Council 10 that
fact, because, as i understood the law OF
eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, sup.
posed IL the town was notified of the fact
the return could be amended by substitute
ing the record; IL was Democratic town
and would count in portion of the Repub.
llcnn county officers II thrown out, aud
decided then not 10 call their attention Ia
the fact. | retired TO the ante-room aud
had a consultation with Judge Wing, OF
Auburn, and then decided that would call
their attention To the fact | then wcpt
back into the Council Chamber and called
for this return, and showed it 10 Mr. Moody
aud some others Of the Council cannot
name Who they were. think Mr.. Brown
saw IL. but would not say positively that
he did; Mr.. Brown was a stranger to me.
called Mr. Moody's attention To the fact
that the name OF the town or county did
not appear In the return, except the Hing
on the back of II.
Q. Did you look especially at the sigma
lures when YOU were here: 4. Yes.
q. You would have been likely 10 have
seen that? A. know should, because
opened IL. The first time | was in the
Council Chamber did not discover the
ding on the back Of the return, and it was
question with me how the Council knew
what return 10 hand out To me when
called tor the return OF Buckneld. The
mode they proceeded In this was; took
my certified copies and arranged them III
alphabetical order; when | came 10 the
town OF Buckheld, | notified them ! had
that copy, aud they Immediately got this
return. The second time when | went
into the Council Chamber | examined IL
with more care, and discovered TIE hling
on the back. aN that satisfied me that WIS
the way they knew which town II was a
return from.
O. Is there any other fact within your
knowledge affecting that return 4.
cannot say how heard IL, but Just about
the time the Governor and Council were
issuing certificates Ia county officers, q
rumor came 10 our town, both ways-that
this return was 10 be counted and that 1t
was not 10 be counted; we were In sus-
pensc about it-and | was down here, ]
think. the first week the Legislature met,
which met the first Wednesday in Janu-
ary,-apd went e Ar. Cove aud asked to
see the returns again; | then had not seen
the Representative Rd Senatorial returns I;
but they did not allow me 10 do II, and /
never saw the returns again till they We're
placed In nv hands as Clerk OF this Com
inittee; then found this word "BUckfeid'
written in,
q. Whether or not IL is precisely IN the
condition now that IL was when 1t came
into your hands rs Clerk OF the Committee
a. 1t is.
WITNESS There Is one more statement
/ wish 10 make in regard TO the Buckheld
returns. On or about the thirteenth of
December, sent by mail, directed To the
Governor and Council, written statement
of such errors in the returns As | found
while was there, calling the Governors
aud Councils attention particularly To the
fact that the name Of the town or county
did not appear IN the return for county
officers from the town OF Buckiield; sent
it by mail directed to the Governor and
Council. Since coming here, among other
papers that have been found and turned
over to me, was that statement or protest
that filed with the Governor and Council;
IL was found among other papers and
turned over TO me; | think IT bore date
the thirteenth Of December or the fifteenth !;
at any rate it was dated Friday before |
the certificates were TO issue
the next week, about the seventeenth. In
that paper [ called attention to the fact
that the name of the town or county did
not appear in the return from Buckiield
for county officers, and TO certain other
matters.
Mr.. Harrington was also summoned
and after speaking first of his visit to Au
gusta, as quoted in the Hebron case
above, he proceeds as follows:
Answer. came here On Monday, Dec.
eighth, for the purpose of examining some
of the returns from Oxford county.
Q. What was the cause OF your coming?
A. There had been good deal Of contro-
versy in regard to throwing out some re-
turns, and Mr.. Bistee had come TO my town
and told me the condition that he had
found some of them in; that he had not
examined them fully, and so l concluded
to come down and give them critical ex-
animation II could have access to them;
left the following Monday for that pur
pose, and came here
Q. Did you go to the Office Of the Secre-
/. =. - Stota aud N tho CanDpil Chomharr