Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-07-20
OF the Governor and Council.
Commissioner Beal Takes
the Oath Of Office,
And Will Enter Upon His Oflcial Duties
To-day.
Commissioners Appointed to Make
Transfer OF the States Property-The
Dr., Morrill, Pardon Case-Peti-
tions for Pardon Sewerage
Question at the State
Prison. &c.

, Beal, the new Commissioner of the Treasury
appeared and filed his bond for the sum o.
$500, 200 which was accepted and he wa
sworn into office. The following name,
gentlemen are his bondsmen; Edmund b
Mallett, Jr., Freeport; William H. Whit
comb, Norway; Henry NJ. Bearce, Norway
John Marshall Brown, Portland; Edward
Moore Deering.
Hon. L. c. Burleigh, the ex-Treasurer OF
State, was present and introduced Commits
sioner Beal TO the subordinates in the
Treasury Office as the new chief of the de-
partment.
Under section IS of chapter . of the Re-
vised Statutes, the Governor appointed by
warrant under his hand and seal, Hon. Tobias
Lord of Standish, Councillor from Cumber-
land county and Hon. Elliott Wood of Winth-
rop, Councillor from kennebec county to
deliver to Commissioner Beal all moneys
| Treasurer's Office.
Under this same section of law Secretary
Smith notified, by telegraph, Hon, $. A.
llolbrook of Freeport, and Gen. X. b. Shep-
herd of Skowhegan, two of the sureties on
the ex-treasurers bond that the formal trans
fer of the property would be made today.
| w. w. Harris, a treasurer of the board of
cattle commissioners, appeared before the
council to see if any arrangements could be
made to pay the accnmulatng bills for dis
eased animals killed by order of said COM
mission, the appropriation for that purpose
for the year having been virtually exhausted.
There seems to be no other way but for these
bills to lay over till the next legislature
makes an appropriation to pay them.
A petition was filed with the council for
the pardon of Charles G. Brown of Norway,
who was convicted of forgery at the term of
court held at Paris in February, 1888, aud
sentenced to two years in the State prison.
The petition sets forth that the forgery upon
which said conviction was based was an en-
dorsement upon a check for the amount of
twelve dollars; and that said endorsement
was written by said Brown while in state of
intoxication and under circumstances that
show no criminal intent, and that the sem
tenee is disproportionate to the crime com
mtted.
| Also petition for the pardon of Charles
+. Prescott, who is serving life sentence
for the murder of one Williams. The petit
TONERS set forth that said Prescott is lying
sick with consumption with no hope of re-
covery that he was an inoffensive fellow
with no great degree of intelligence and
that it is doubtful if he had anything more TO
do with the murder than to bury the body of
Williams after being killed by other parties
A very large number have signed this peti
ton, mostly residents of Biddeford. Hear.
ngs will be given on the above petitions al
future meetings of the council.
The secretary Of the board of health who
recently visited the State prison on invitation
of the committee of the council on State
prison, to investigate the condition of the
sewerage connected with that institution,
made the following report:
| MAINE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH
To the Honorable Governor and Executive
| Council
| DEAR Sins: In company with Messrs.
Hunt and Rand of the Executive Council, |
visited and inspected the State Prison Tues
day, the 18th inst, with reference to the
need of certain proposed changes within the
prison and the yard. The pond which fills
the deserted quarry has length approx
mately of $50 feet with width of l50 feet
In its deepest part the depth is said to be
thirty feet, and the contour lines of the plan
in the wardens Office would indicate that the
average depth is not far from twenty feet
This pond receives all the kitchen drainage
of the institution, that of the laundry, and
the daily excretions of the workers in the
carriage shop, an average not far from one
hundred persons. This artificial pond is
therefore, badly polluted with sewerage, and
from its proximity to the work rooms ant
even to the other parts of the institution is
constant source of offense and of danger to
the inmates. In view of these facts and tina
this danger is gradually increasing with tn,
increased accumulation of filth in the basin
! would earnestly recommend the drainage OF
the pond and the sewerage Of the prison.
Respectfully,
A. G. YoUSG,
Secretary State Board Of Health.
The report of the committee, of which
the above communication formed part
was accepted and ordered to be placed oi
file.
Evening Session.
The Governor and Council met in tn,
evening and took up the hearing in reference
, to the pardon of DR.. Elmer ID. Morrill,, VIII
is now serving out a life sentence at Thorn
aston. Implicated in an abortion case, h
was convicted of murder in the second de
gree under the old law. G. II. Morrill,
brother of the respondent, appeared befor
the meeting. At former meeting of tn
Governor and Council during previous ses
, sion, this gentleman plead in behalf of hi
brother on the ground that he did procure tn
abortion. At this hearing he took the ground
that his brother did not do the deed, that
: was done by some other party, and that tn
doctor was called in later TO attend tn
patient. He read portions of the testimon
, produced at the trial. DIR. Scott Hill, o
this city, was called in to explain certa
technical points in the written testimony o
the doctors who made the post-mortem exam
nation of the victim. The governor an
! council then went into executive session
The sentence was commuted from life to fiv
years imprisonment. The meeting then ad
, journed to meet August IA, at 10 A. NJ.
Notes.
The council will make an official visi
July 81 to the State Prison, and the day fol
/ lowing they will visit the Passamaquodd
tribe of Indians.
The committee to examine the accounts o
ex-Treasurer Burleigh will begin. their labor
: on Tuesday next.
. Governor Marble will return home thi
forenoon.