The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-12-16
PAWTUCKET ASSESSORS
Probability That the Grand Jury
Will Find No Bill.
WERE THEIR RECORDS PUBLIC
Until Signed by the Board OF Tax Assess
ors?-The Grand Jury Expected to Re
port Tomorrow Morning
Circumstances.

H. is expected that the grand jury Of
the December term Of the Court OF Com
mon Pleas will finish their work this
week and return the cases which have
been brought before them to the court
with their findings tomorrow morning.
One of the most interesting cases which
has been considered by the grand jury
this term is the case brought at the in
stigation of Mayor Carroll of Pawtucket
against the Pawtucket Bond OF Tax
Assessors for humiliation OF the pub
lie records" Conservative citizens of
that municipality are inclined To think
that no bill will be found against the
members OF this body. The trouble arose
over the dropping from the tax list of the
names of a pua.bsr of persons who were
possessed OF no property, but whoss
names had been placed on the tax list be-
fore the present year and their taxes paid
by the political leaders to qualify them
to vote Tor members of the City Council.
Some OF these names the assessors erased
after having inadvertently placed them
upon the tax book. The warrant sworn
out by Mayor Carroll upon which
the tax assessors were apprehended
charges them with "mutilatlon of the
public records" Mayor Carroll, in his
haste, evidently overlooked the fact that
records in question were not public re-
cords at this time they were "mutilated,"
aud did not become public records until
signed aud certified to by the board of
tax assessors. From this view of the
case 1t is thought that the charge against
the assessors cannot be sustained and
that the grand jury will find no bill
Another case growing out OF the recent
city election in Pawtucket, regarding
which the finding Of the grand jury Is
awaited with considerable interest is the
case against James Conlon for illegal
voting In the Second Ward. He claimed
to belong in New Hampshire. and when
arrested on election day he said he had
been given So by Patrick McGeary to vote
upon the name OF john Casey in the
Second Ward, for Alderman Winters He
was bound over To the Court of Conmo
Pleas, but instead of being sent to Jail
Immediately he was held at the Paw
tucket police station as a witness against
McGeary, who was arrested the next day
on the charge of bribery and was to have
trial the following morning. That
evening, however, Conlon was bailed out,
Michael Looby of North Bend street being
accepted as his bondsman conseq uently
tue next morning the principal witness
against McGeary could not be found and
1T has been the general belief that he was
bailed out by the friends of McGeary and
spirited away. He has not been located
since, and the case against McGeary has
sequence.
Ii the grand jury should find an indict-
ment against Conlon he Will have to be
produced, or his bondsman. Mich ael
LOBBY, will have to forfeit the amou mt of
his bond. 1t is not certain that he will
lose anything personally, however, as
money mas been plenty in the now famous
Second ward election in Pawtncket.
There is also au indictment against
Conlon in the United States Court, as
the election at which he voted was also
national election. SO il he is produced
by his bondsman he will be- made a con-
spicuous character for awhile.
In this connection it may be said that
it is dougtful IL the charge OF bribery
against Patrick McGeary at Pawtucket
can be sustained, rs Conlon was not a
legal voter in Pawtucxet, and as Nc
Geary did not bribe a qualified voter
there is question whether or not his Of
tense can be called bribery.
The Civil Court.
In none of the cases assigned for trial
in the Court of Common Pleas this morn
ing were the parties ready for trial. The
defendants were called in two cases
New England Newspaper Union VS.. Ed
win A. Corbettt, ana Mary f.. Hunt vs..
Alfred Salmon. The cases were de-
fautsd, and Judgment rendered for the
plaintiffs for 81. 81 aud s22. SO espectively.
I'm the case broaght by Clemence Broth
ers against Charles A. Leach, appellant,
the plaintiffs were called and non-suited,
and Judgment rendered for the defend
ants for costs.
The jury in the case of Waldron, Wight
man q Go. VS.. the Oakland Beach Asso-
citation yesterday afternoon returned a
verdict of si9l. 81 for the plaintiffs.
Civil calendar for Monday: Assigned
cases, Nos. 6,373 aud 4, ,2SS; general calen-
dar, Nos. 4,073, 4,014, 4,076, Abb, Abs,
4, 1913. 4,137 and 4, 140.