The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-06-07
FOxCROFT STILL TALKS.
But Without Excitement and in Way to
Do Justice to All.
Special to the, PRESS.)

Foxeroft, June 6.-The excitement over
the sensational suicide Of Judge Hale,
for SO long the treasurer of the town,
and the following discovery of the Won
tierfu1 financial transactions which have
cost the town or the people hereabouts
$3.50, 600, has largely died away now. Of
course, the thing is still talked about
as it will undoubtedly be for, years to
come, and as the people take calmer
view of the situation they are correcting
some of the mistaken ideas prevalent
during the time when excitement was at
fever heat There was the report for in
stance that the reports showed a town
the notes held by Hon. John B. Mayo and
other citizens. Now as matter of fact, it
is said, it was not until this year that
the Indebtedness was SO reported AS
each holder of notes had no Knowledge
that others held notes, he was readily
deceived by the idea that this statement
that the town was in debt for less than
it owed him was due to the fact that
there were outstanding taxes to be col
lected which would go toward liquidat-
ing the note held by him Others made
the liabilities appear less than its face
So now when the people think these
things over they. ralize it was not SO re
markable after all, perhaps, that the note
holders died not take the alarm They
like everybody else, had implicit conf
dence in Judge Hale and were as much
surprised as was the entire town to learn
that for years he had been stealing the
public money.
Naturally, the first question the strang-
er asks when visiting the town is how
the loss of this great sum of money has
been borne by the people whose savings
its represents At first glance it would
seem that there must have been many
hardships to be- met, but this, except
perphaps in few instances has not
been the case. The money which was
lost, except that loaned by a few wealthy
men, was, it is true, lost by the people
in moderate circumstances and to some
of them the time may come when they
will keenly feel the need of their funds.
But it was not money for which they
the money put by for rainy day, and
therefore as long as the days are pleasant
life will run very much as before. ex-
cept that little luxuries may perhaps be
given up in the effort to make up the
deficit. in the stormy day fund.
AS yet no suits have been brought to
determine the question whether the town
is liable for the notes, but such action
will be commenced unless some compro-
mise is effected, which now seems to be
among the impossibilities The GENTLE
men Of the legal profession are much
more confident Of their ability to prove
that the town did commit itelf to the
payment of these notes than they are
that they can show the right of the town
to do so, under the constitutional pro-
hibition in regard to municipal indebt-
edness. 1t
Mrs Hale is living here quietly and
enjoys the respect of the community as
she always has. When people here speak
of Mrs. Hale, they take occasion to deny
another of the will rumors circulated
during the excitement That was that
last Christm as Mr.. Hale gave his wife
present of $4,000. That story is now
pronounced to be absolutely false. Mrs.
Hale owns the house where she lives
and a small property inherited from her
father.