The Portland daily press., 1895-05-20

made no threats. When the council met,
Mr.. Smith filed the con fession, saying that
he had a pa per which would exonerate Mr..
Waldron.
Deacon Crockett had not been idle in the
meantime. He too had seen Mrs. Frost and
then Lawyer E. c. Ambrose went to see
her. Tho result was another paper, in
which Mrs. Frost, while admitting that she
lad written the letter 20 Miss Marston. de-
MED that she had written those to mr..
Waldron and Mrs. Crockett. She further
said that when Mr.. Smith called on her he
brought with him papers signed by Mr.. Nc
Corrison and Mr.. Waldron to the effect that
II she would admit sending the three
letters, she should not be prosecuted. AS
suming that these papers implied that, if
she refused TO sign the confession. she
would be Prosecuted. Mrs. Frost said that
she signed, being in fear of a law suit. To
this second statement, Mrs. Frost made
oath. These papers ali came before the
council and with them a ne another. That
was the anonymous letter which Mr.. Wal
dron admits that he wrote. 1t is not very
dreadful epistle. 1t was written soon after
| a meeting of the conference and was ad-
dressed to the secretary, asking him why a
service conducted by Mr.. Waldron WAS not
mentioned In report sent to a denomina-
tional paper. and intimating that it was be-
cause Mr.. Waldron was
!. =. "NOT IN THE RING.
| The secretary recognized Mr.. Waldrons
writing. explained that the service was not
| mentioned because it was not in the regular
exercises on the programme. and added
| that when Mr.. Waldron. wrote to the secre-
tary in future he should sign his name. Mr..
Waldron explained to the council that lie
had written this letter at the dioIation of
| one of his friends, who felt aggrieved on
his account, and that it had been sent with
out any signature, by mistake.
So the council had four anonymous letters
in evidence. One was that to Miss Marston
which Mrs. Frost admitted writing. One
was that TO the secretary which MI .WaldIon
acknowledged and the others were the two
on which the chaJ ges We're based. 1t was
complicated state of affairs, such as
probab bly, had never before been encountered
by council of that kind. Mr.. Waldron and
Mrs. Frost were both examined and the
letters were submitted to an expert ON pe.-
nanship of Portland. Hesgaye as his oinion
that Mr.. Waldron wrote the two let ers.
Mrs. Frost denied that she wrote them and
denied writing any anonymous letters e1-
cept that to Miss Marsfon The council also
found evidence that Mrs. Frost was not in
West Buxton at the time the two letters
were mailed there. They were thus led to
conclude that Mr.. Waldron did write the
letters. In their report they censured him
and admonished him O walk more ciroum-
specify in the future.
Many of the townspeople, however, re-
fuse TO endorse this finding and soon
paper expressing their surprise and dissent
bore numerous signatures. On 1t are the
ames of A. 4. p Lord, F. II. Hargrayes.
ex-senator Warren, Z. c. Weld, ESQ.,, Cyrus
f. Davis, John Bergman and many others
of the leading citizens of the town. More
than his. many of the church people united
in a all % Mr.. Waldron to remain as their
pastor, but this he declined to do. and is
now settled over q parish at Enosburg.
vt.
Hardly had the excitement over he find
ing of the council and the dissent of the
people died away. when there came another
sensation. That was caused by the arrival
of tine sheriff one day. with the papers in
the civil action of Frost vs. Smith ct ais. 1t
was the day when Mr.. Waldron was leaving
for his new home in Vermont. and he was
found by the sheriff at the railroad station.
Bail in the sum of $1,000 was imnedis steIy
furnished for him. SO that his journey WAS
not much delayed. The other respondents.
Messrs. Smith, McCorrisoL and Davis, gave
bonds in the same sum. Tina suit is for $1,000
damages. it being alleged. it is understood,
that the defendants conspired together to
injure the plaintiff by inducing her to sign
the confession which she afterwards
tracted. And there the matter stands. IN
the meantime West Buxton talks of it and
of little else. There is now no clergyman
in charge of the white church on the hill,
but some OF the people hold regular services
there. Others whc once met with them, stay
away. Lately. however. there have been
no anonymous letters. All told thele were
eighteen OF twenty received by peopleof the
| town during the past four or five years. and
as already stated they were of the same
generalsc scharacter. Some, ii is said by per-
sons who have seen them, were ccuched in
language more expressive than refined. I'm
| less it is Ics tpoIed. the law suit will be
heard Mt Aired this coming week, and then
| the story of the anonymous episfles which
have been the bug bears of West Buxton for
| years, will he told again.