Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-01-17
REPORT
or the Mayor and Board Of Alder.
men
In Relation to Charges Made Against
Citv Marshal White BY the New Age.
The 1vidence in Full and Decision
Of the City Government.
The clp Marshal z xonerated,

sssO SsSV " % OsbGAb eAObu0b q lou
To the Citizens of Augusta:
Certain serious charges having been made
in the ''New Age" against City Marsha
White, and having been requested by the
marshal to investigate the same, We deemed
il proper in the discharge of our Official duties
to comply With the request. and give oppor.
tunity for all parties to be heard.
The request for Investigation was not con.
fined to any particular acts or charges, but
was for . thorough and searching investi.
cation into every charge made by said paper,
or by any person or citizen against my This /
official conduct" and further that the same
should be public.
In accordance with an order passed by the
City Council, notice of the time, place and
purposes of the bearing was published in the
newspapers of the city. In this notice we
asked all citizens who witnessed the arrest
of the two men on Friday, Dec. 20. 1888,
or who have knowledge Of any of the charges
contained in said issue of the New Age. par
ticularly in the article entitled "Was it MUIR
der?" to attend at the session of the Mayor
and Aldermen at the time and place mention.
ed, and give testimony of all matters relating
to said charges Of which they had knowledge.
The notice further stated that the investiga-
charges which any citizen may prefer against
the official conduct of City Marshal White"
The request Of the marshal together with
the order of the council and notice we're pub.
lished for ten days prior to the time fixed for
the hearing.
In accordance with the foregoing we met
at the Aldermen's Room, Jan. IA, at o'clock
p. NJ. The hearing was public and q large
number of our citizens were present.
The city solicitor was called in to conduct
the investigation on the part Of the Board
and after the reading of the notice published.
q request was made for any one present to give
the board information relative to the subject
matter before them, and it was then stated
that the investigation would cover all the off,
cal acts of the marshal and charges of any
misconduct might be made.
No one responding to this request, we
called on several citizens present to give tes-
timony. and they made full statements under
oath relative to the arrest referred to.
There was no substantial disagreement
among the witnesses Is to the occurrence,
and we append to this report the evidence
taken BY Mr.. Small, stenographer, and we
invite particular attention to, and careful
perusal of the same. that every citizen may
Judge for himself whether or not the charges
have any foundation in fact.
The following citizens testified: DR.. E. j.
Roberts, E. G. Storer. W. E. Potter, Geo.
E. NJ Boynton, Thomas Tibbetts, Ellery
Folsom, w. H. Libby, E. F. Pinkham, Mar
shall White, Dept. Marshal Breen and Police
man Grover. We also had the evidence of DR..
Sawyer of Gardiner and Geo. Wentworth,
city marshal of Gardiner.
From all the evidence before US we have
no hesitation in coming to the conclusion
That City Marshal White in making the
arrest referred to, under the circumstances
attending the same, acted in q reasonable
manner, and we find nothing to censure in
his conduct on that occasion.
That the death of the tramp was the result
of exposure while intoxicated, and the AFFAIR
in this city had no connection Herewith, and
on this point We call special attention to the
evidence of DIR. Sawyer.
As to the general charges made, that the
marshal was in league with rum sellers, and
that the liquor Law was not enforced, no evil
dence was produced to aubstant the same.
We have taken from the records of the munich
pal court Sta tement of the liquor prosecutions
under Marshal White and his predecessors,
and publish the same for the information of
the people, and from these undisputed facts
each one can decide for himself what founda-
ton there is for the statements made.
F. L. harrington, As city marshal from
March Is. 1885, March Is. 1873, five years,
signed 4l3 search warrants for intoxicating
liquors and made l62 seizures. Alfred Shaw
a. city marshal from March 10, 1878. to
March Is, 1879, one year, signed 129 search
warrants and made 90 seizures. Chas. H.
White as city marshal from March 10, 1879,
to Jan. 1, 1884, four years and nine and one
half months, signed TIC warrants and made
272 seizures.
We think it proper in closing this report
to express our most emphatic condemnation
of the practice of making wholesale charges
Of official misconduct and dereliction of duty
on the part of municipal officers with no evi
dence to support them, and after calling fol
full investigation, failing to appear to make
good the statements or to aid in any way In tint
investigation.
Our police have to deal with the wors
class in the community, and in making ar
rests, especially when resisted, they must &C
with decision and promptness. and if on such
occasions they do not conduct in way satis
factory to such parties IS are anxious to fin'
fault with them, it 10 not surprising. Ii
closing we again ask the citizen
to carefully examine the evidence presented
to them and see if the ipsinuation of murde
Is not entirely without foundation.
A. W. PHlLBRooK, Mayor.
GEO E. MAcoMBER,
d. A. CoNY, Aldermen
SAMUEL w. LANE, Of the
ALBERT J. BURNS, c;tv of Augusta.
D. B. SAVAGE,
II. c. HALLErT,
On motion of Alderman Cony, City Solic
itor Choate was callei in to conduct the In
vestization. Urgent Invitations were give'
to any persons knowing facts concerning tn
charges in the Age. to come forward an
give them; but no one appearing, numoe
| of witnesses we're called and sworn.
DR.. E. ]. Roberts, sworn, testified: Saw
| good part of the affair in question. Came on
| of INV Office, and in going across the stee
| INV attention was attracted by three me
strurrlinR. One was back to the street AM
attempting blows At another party whom
did not distinguish ut FIRST, and smaller pei
son clenched in behind. Just at that momeu
| -. an. heoks the small one away. and the