The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-03-17
THE GREAT FRAUD.
Attorney General Mcclellan Boasts
Of "StitfGning Up" Garce|0n.
Garcolon Further Discourses Of
Those Little Bills.
His Council Makes An Expen-
sive Trip to the Liquor Agency.
GARCELON THINKS THERE WAS A
JUDAS in THE CAMP.
He Speaks a Good Word for Fogg.
THE TESTIMONY ALL IN.

AUGUSTA, March 16.-This morning James
S. and George F. Hartman, attorneys at law
at Belfast testife before the investigating
committee that November 9Th, Attorney
General Mcclellan stated in the oyster house
of f. w. Pote at Belfast, in their presence
and that of M. 7. Marshall that he had lust
been over to see Garcelon and had stiffened
him up, and he was then all right; that the
Republicans had passed law in 1877 making
the Governor and Council a returning board
and they proposed to count the Republicans
out. Mcclellan offered to bet $25 that Danie
F. Davis would not be the next Governor
Gov. Garcelon was again before the com
mittee this evening. His term of office expired
January 7th. Capt. Black had charge of GER
tain men at the State House. Do not recollect
giving him any special authority. called up
on several gentlemen to furnish list of men
for public duty. They were said to be enlisted
as military This Iobjected to and said wanted
them sworn in as police. Did not know that
the law Of last winter limited the night watch.
men to two men. We had police force Of
some thirty or forty men outside of Blacks
men. Black was under the direction oil
Leavitt. Up to the Sth of january all these
men were paid.
Q.-Have you paid any bills since of the
so-calle d Fusion government?
Al have paid bills since JAM It'll
Q.-Then you did it as private citizen?
A.-PerhapS so.
Q.-Was it not your bounden duty to dis
possess yourself of the States money when
yOu- term of Offico eXpired?
Al could not do differently in this matter
as felt held for these bills. did pay the
bills from the States money in my hands
These men wanted their pay.
Q.-Under what law do you claim to paw
them you having retired from the governor
chair with state treasury running?
A-None perhaps except common sense. Ger
tain men had put in charges for services and 1
felt under obligation to pay them.
Fogg advised him to pay the bills and he
acted under the advice CT the Council He
would admit on the whole perhaps he did
not act strictly under the law. He confessed
to drawing warrants on appropriations outside
of matters for which appropriations had been
made; He supposed that was the practice un-
der all administrations, certainly it was under
his. Mr.. Foster, of the Council, who had
been connected with the government many
years, said it was done.
Q-Have you ever seen the roll of Captain
Blacks men?
iunt General.
He was here shown list of jail and State
prison convicts who had served in the State
House police, among whom he recognized the
name of one whom he had pardoned out of
State prison.
Q-Governor, have you brought your vouch-
ers with you?
Al have done so.
Q-WIl you produce them?
Al will.
They were shown the committee in SUBJ
stance as follows,
$50 paid r. w. Black, Jan. 7th, for services
OF several men.
1924 paid B. f. Lancaster, Jan. I'd, for DO
lice force for protection of the State House.
$36 paid to Rollins and others.
$3.50 paid B. F. Lancaster, Jan. 9Th, for ex-
ira police force.
1855 paid John Benson, Jr., for services in
the State House from Dec. 2Sth to Jan. 18th
$281 paid B. f. Lancaster, Jan. 9th, for
special guard at State House.
.S25 paid to G. H. Osgood for five days SER
vice.
$14 paid to D. B. Hartwell for watching at
State House.
$5O6 paid to B. F. Lancaster, Jan. Goth, (the
bills being sent him.
$181 paid to B. f. Lancaster, Dec 2Sth, for
special policemen.
$1M paid B. f. Lancaster, Jan. 1.
$500 paid B. F. Lancaster, Feb. Goth, for ex-
ira police under Gen. Chamberlain.
$1,000 paid s. d. Leavitt, Jan. 7th,
$1S paid FL. HASKELL order of B. F. Lancas-
ter.
$50 paid M. M. Folsom for services at State
House and as Assistant Adjutant General
from Jan. LIST to Jan. 10th.
1857 paid Benz. Bunker, telegraph operator,
for extra services to Jan 20.
1858 paid l.. d. Haskell, Jan. 8th, for special
police duty.
800 paid G. W. French, clerk in Adjutant
Generals office, Jan. 10Th, for staff and other
duty.
The whole of vouchers is 1914. Garcelon
said said he received $4,000 from the treasury.
$1,000 was paid Leavitt and refunded which
left $4,000 dollars in his hands to be disbursed.
TO account for this he had paid Gould $500 for
which he had no receipt but would get one, so
that there remains balance of $2256 which
he proceeded to account for as follows, but for
which he had no vouchers: $500 paid Gould;
S465 on his memorandum paid to members of
the Council; $106 paid to three gentlemen
from whom he had taken no receipt but could
procure them; 500 for sundry items, express
charges, &c; $129 for money paid out for
teams and sundries. The whole aggregating
$1,000. Deduct this fromithe S2256, it leaves a
balance of 1856, which he said was in his
hands ready to be paid oveI to the State.
Garcelon continued: Shouldn't suppose that
over $50 had been paid for detectives. This is
all the money have known of being paid.
Q-Were not affidavits taken?
A-Not to my knowledge.
A warrant for Pillsbury was produced for
$1,000. No voucher connected with it. Gar
celon said he supposed it was for printing
The understanding was Slfat there should be
vouchers.
Odd Black act as common policeman?
Al suppose he did. He was to keep order
and see that men kept order. He had no
special authority.
Q-Do you not know that these men took
an oath to obey Black?
A-No.
.Q-Had you no knowledge that these men
signed the roll?
Al had none; Think Capt. Black, DR..
Martin and Col. Morton went to work getting
approval. Blacks services were paid for the
time he was here as policeman. He was not
under orders of the Mayor. He was what we
call captain or chief of police. Must be some
foreman about all these matters. Members of
the Council advised me to pay the bills. Lam
caster approved the bills.
Q-What authority had you to set up state
police?
Add not know of any special law, but
old adage says necessity knows no law" He
thought he had acted under the general stat
utes that the Governor had authority to call on
citizens, and looked at the statutes on the
point at the time. Did not enter into the con-
sideration of legal points. Consulted council
in every step. If we acted illegally the people
must rebuke us.
Q.-The law of last year says that the
superintendent of public buildings should en-
ploy but two night watchmen. Did you know
that Governor?
Ale said he enlarged the force under his
direction. The police here took arms and
went through mock drill, but wanted no
show of arms and advised against it. Kept no
list of the men employed. Had no personal
knowledge of the men. Took the word of
Lancaster that the bills of the men we're cor
rect. There was also a time keeper.
Q.-Receipt shown of Lowell 4 Sons, Boston,
for S42 for police badges, policemen's clubs
dated Jan. 9th. Did not know of ttat bill
before?
A-Suppose it had been paid blythe Adjutaut
Generals department. Various bills were
paid amounting in the aggregate to 1888,
which he had paid out to different parties
after his Office had expired. The various
book checks spoken of yesterday were shown
each bearing the name as endorser of Alonzo
Garcelon individually. He said he drew the
money to have it handy to pay bills. think
previously to this paid bills out of my own
pocket.
Odd you have fears that the payment of
these checks would be stopped that you were
in hurry to cash them?
A.-Never.
Q-Where is the balance you have in your
hands?
A-Safe in its original package. He was
surprised on reckoning up to find it come out
so near.