Middletown transcript., 1891-02-05
As EAp|llAfit IifI i Il
's4biRE BRATFoN Oh 19 sll III iii
HK DID N0TfTRY To 8xz1HH Hl
CouHTb5AN HUTGHfN Nsd&*

G0UHEMAA hu1&<54 n ~ r
Levy Court Commissions D84 81
Hutchinson OF Appoquinilnin Hun
dred has made an affadavTt charging
Thomas Bratton Justics of tha Peace
ct Townsend and william Herber1
Of New Castle with trying 70 bribt
him to resign his seat 30 that thx
Governor could appoint q Democrat
in his stead A representative O
TEE TRANsCRIPT yesterday visited
thesoface ofsEsquire Thomas Brattor
at Fownsend in order to get ths
| ,Souire,s version OF the bribery case
IMr. Bratt@n is very intelligent
gentleman of about sixty years OF
age and man who is regarded by
his neighbdrs as thoroughly honest
and reliable. He holds an Office, that
of Justice of the Peace and Notary
public, which is not often filed By
unworthy smen. Mr.. Bratton wal
found in his Office attending to his
public duties, apparently oblivious
Of the sensation which the compre-
hensive affadayit Of Levy Court
Commissioner Hutchinson had Great
ed, but when that unblushing act o.
self-condemnation was mentioned
he frankly and honestly refnted it in
almost every point. One Of the first
weak points in Mr.. Hutchinson's state.
ment is the particularity with which
the time and date are mentioned as
s'about 7 o'clock in the morning OF
Friday, January Esd last. =
Mr.. Bratton can remember no
particular act done that day which
would cause Hutchinson to remem-
Der so distinctly the day and hour OF
his alleged interview with Squire
Bratton. Hutchinson also states that
on the same day Squire Bratton had
intimated that w. A. Scott would
contest his, (Hutchinson's), right to a
seat in the Levy Court; this Squire
Bratton emphatically denies and
declares he never mentioned any such
thing to Hutchinson. In his affa-
davit Hutchinson again declares that
on one occasion he entered the
,Squire's Office and sat down six feet
away from the Squire when the
Squire asked him to move nearer as
the talk. was Of very private nature.
This statement Squire Bratton de-
clares to be entirely false and re-
members that Hutchinson sat down
at the desk beside him when he first
came into the Office. In another
place Hutchinson swears that Squire
Bratton asked him if there could be
any inducement offered sufficient to
cause him to resign. To this question
Hutchinson swears that he answered
mo, nothing under the heavens. In
another part of the affadavit Hutchin-
son swears that when Squire Bratton
asked him If he could be induced to
resign, that he replied "Well ]
don't know, what is the amount ~
1t does seem somewhat strange that
q man whom nothing under the
heavens would induce to resign,
should go right back to the same
place and ask the same man the ques-
tion, what is the amount ~ In
every instance Squire Bratton
answered this question by declaring
that he had no authority from any
one to state any amount, that he
knew nothing whatever about the
offer of any money for any such pur-
pose, and that he supposed that if
Mr.. Hutchinson was interested and
could find someone who was willing
to pay, he might get $1,000, or even
$500. Then Hutchinson remarked
that $500 was +" q big pile of money 4
that he was poor man, and that
!" $500 would enable him to stock a
farm
Mr.. Bratton emphatically denies all
that part of Hutchinson's statement
connecting Mr.. Herbert's name with
the affair.
The way in which Mr.. Bratton was
connected with the supposed offer OF
money to Hutchinson is explained by
the fact that at the time of Hutchin-
sons election he was not free-holder
as the law requires, and in order to
qualify himself he had certain value
less land decided to him, and the deed
was acknowledged before Squire
Bratton. Hutchinson was informed by
the Squire that for certain reasons
the deed might not be legal and SO
cause him to be unable to qualify as
member Of the Levy Court. Hutch
inson then remarked that If that deed
was not sufficient he had another
which was, and Mr.. Bratton then adj
vised him to produce this deed which
was known to be good and to not
produce the questionable one. This
action on the part Of Squire Bratton
does not show a disposition to keep
Hutchinson out OF the Levy Court but
rather the reverse. In this connec-
tion it may also be stated that it
would seem that had Squire Brattor
or others had any evil designs against
Hutchinson they would rather have
prevented him taking his seat by
questioning this deed than by offer
ing him great sum Of money which
they were unable to produce.
Mr.. Bratton has cleared Mr.. Herber
from any connection with the matte
and stands alone. He is held blame
less by his neighbors and friends who
know him best and is regarded a
superior in every way, to his accuser
Loaf! $40 Reward!
Solitaire diamond ring.
THIS OFFICE.
state Items.