The Portland daily press., 1895-04-04
STILL GROWING.
Judge Hale's ID efalcation VIII Exceed
$I5O,OOO.
NO Theory is Advanced to Account for
the Crime-The Debt is Serious Blow
to Foxcroft.

| 10 fOxcfo1t.
toxcroft. Apri! 3.-The develouments in
the case OF the late Judge Hale, showing
him to be a defaulser to the town as repor-
ed, on Tuesday. have caused the iiveliest
sort OF a sensation in this section and little
else is talked about. The high standing of
Judge Hale had caused him to be implicitly Y
trusted and the developments of the past
few days have been great shock to the
community. =
1t is supposed that the defaIcation covers
perion of years and it was only when he
saw discovery inevitably before him that
he took his own life rather than face an
| investigation.
| During all these years that he was trea-
surer. Judge Hale had never shown the
BOOKS OF the loan account. but on Monday
| the selectmen went anddemanded the books
FROM his administrator and are now en-
gagged upon them.
The holders of the town notes have been
pouring in the last two or three days, and
1t Is thought the whole amount of outstand-
| ing loans will reach the sum, of SlOO. .OOo
when all the notes are heard from.
| Judge Hale was one of the most pro,ui-
nent citizens in the county, and up to the
time of his death was universally respected
and esteemed. He was a venera BILE look
ing. genial gentleman and always had e
pleasant word for his acquaintances.
What he did with the money is subject
of much controversy. To be sure he had al
ways aept up an appearance of wealth,
wlthouta a great amount of visible property.
but it never suspected that he was living
| in excess of his income
| Many conflicting stories are in circ ulation
here and the exact stnte OF affairs cannot
be definitely ascertained at present. 1t is
considered probable, however, t hat his prop
erty was much smaller than was generally
supposed.
The fine family residence in Foxcroft is
said to be in his wifes' name. Besides this
he owned some store property in the village
and real estate in this and adjoining
| towns.
The instant addition of 100000 to the
DEBT or the town creates great deal of de.
preston among the tax payers. Some peo-
4 pie who have contemplated building house
| this year are now changing their plans,
/ fearing that it will not be possible for them
under the added burdens of taxation to
i go forward.
The debt Of the town which has now sud
denly accumulated to proportions large as
Ecompared with the valuation of the town
lsls not of course. destructive to the future
prosperity of municipality.
Built is a serious blow beoaus that the
i late treasurer so far as is know, had no hab.
its of dissipation. and thus it is inferred
that he must have been drawing for these
thirty years for the support of a generous
style of living at the expense of the tax
payers and without their knowledge OF con.
sent.
THE LATEST WORD.
The defaication will prove to be over one
hundred thousand dollars. This is the
amount found by the selectmen up to this
| forenoon. II is thought that his may pos
sibly be increased ten or fifteen thousand.
The Hale defalcation notes have reached
one hundred and fifty thousand dollars
and the town is in great excitement. The
town government will contest. The select
men have been in session all day, an6
Hudson will act for the town. in March
1894, --an order was entered by votes that.th
treasurer was not to have sthe entire con
troll of the floating bonds. 1t was to be il
tie hands of the selectmen and treasurer
jointly, but during that year S22. 600 wortl
of notes were floated without the know
ledge of the selectment. People invested
in this, trusting him implicitly sto evadt
taxation, although knowing it was illegal
They will lose all they put in. The bonds
men for that year, i. 6. Mayo and Vain
wright Cushing, for the sum of $12, GOO viii
not be held except for the notes with sig
nature Of the board OF selectmen and trea
surer. He was reqested 10 show the LOAF
book by the present officials, but refused
ami threatend to resign if forced. The sc
lectmeL fearing the popular feeling of re
spect for him, did not urge, and put it tx
the fact that it was an old loan's whim
Hale's chief reason was that people who in
vested. not caring to hayer their names
known. The town voted to liquidate the
entire debt the present year, ssthe debt be.
ing $1.25. The defalcation would come out
| anyway, and this fact caused the suicide
All the property except the post office
| block. one farm in .Foxcroft. ana a little
land ut Brookline. Me-, is in his wife's name.
1t was here originally. and all evidence, as
| papers and will have been destroyed. There
| is no prospect of the town having to pay
| the deficiency.