The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-09-04

1ioh as to why he wished mandamus to
Issue, Mr.. Chapman said he wanted to
nave the maudamus issue so that when
e'o' he went to the office in business
hours' the journal or papers might be
SHOWN to him. He wanted to see them
as we'll as others.
Jauge Strout asked him If he had ever
asAeo Tor paper that had been refused
him lhAt ls if not shown at the time
asked for it was not given at another.
W. onapman said YES and he named
.ne sreasuror's report and an appropria-
'ioh Dill, but admitted he saw the ap.
preparation bill afterwards because he
got IL from an alderman. Here adjourn
menu was taken to $50 p. IN.
al tne beginning of the afternoon ses-
SION Mr.. +. V. Matthews, the city sosici-
tor OF Deering, opened for the defense.
ne stated In substanoe that the records
Aau never been denied to. Mr.. Chapman
ana that the defense would try and
prove this by the testimony of witness
es.
MI. Frank L. Jones, the city clerk of
Deerlng, since March, 1892, said that he
was In his office every day during the
year and was only absent at brief in
tsrVals to attend to his duties. His office
hours wero from to 10 O'Clock and from
one to five. Mr.. Chapman had come to
MS office every week rarely missing
visit during this time and has come to
tnls Office up to few weeks ago. He
| in bo ri v l. Is of31 ho
way from half an hour to half day. He
asked on nearly all Of. theseyvisits to be
SHOWN various documents such as reports
OF the city marshal, marriages and births.
pllls against the city and various ordi-
nances and orders. On all of these coca
sions Mr.. Chapman had been shown
Whatever documents he desired to see
Once, however, he desired to see a bill
OF Officer Crocker which had not then
been approved by the CITY council and
witness refused to let Mr.. Chapman see
the bill as he did not consider it to be
public document untilat the City council
had acted upon it. Mr.. Jones had not
told Mr.. Chapman that he hid not have
the bill. On February 26, 1895, Miss Wy
man refused to show Mr.. Chapman the
vouchers for city bills during Mr.. Jones
absence and in doing so she obeyed In
structtons. When Mr.. Jones returned
Mr.. Chapman told him of Miss Wyman's
refusal to show him the city bills. Mr..
Jones told Mr.. Chapman that she had
never to give out any bill or document
outside OF the records Of births MARI
ages, deaths, mortgages and similar doc
uments Mr.. Chapman started to argue
this matter with him and Mr.. Jones
told him that it was useless for them to
argua about the matter. On this COCA
sion Mr.. Chapman said that he would
see whether he had right to see the
papers or not.
Witness had never gone out of the
office to avoid Mr.. Chapman On the
contrary witness hal endeavored in
every way to treat Mr.. Chapman court e.
ously and as he understood his position
as public officer demanded he should
treat any citizen of Deering. He had fire.
quently gone to the offie when he saw
I Mr.. Chapman's team IN front of 1t and
when he (witness) was out because Miss
Wyman. witness clerk, did not like to be
alaue in the office when Mr.. Chapman
Was there. Witness said that he never
left the office without good reason and
or business purposes. Mr.. Chapman had
threatened on one occasion to have wit
| ness indicted
| The witness said that on March, 1895,
he Lad refused to give Mr.. Chapman a
city marshal's report to the city council
which had Lot been approved by the
council and which witness did not con-
slider public document until the CITY
council had passed upon it. On another
occasion Mr.. Chapman asked to see the
city marshal S report and this was re-
fused for the.same reason. Sometime
later Mr.. Chapman came into the Office
and asked to see some printing bills. Mr..
Jones said that he was going out at that
time and was in hurry to catch a car
and asked Mr.. Chapman IL he couldn't
to him on his return. Witness said he
didn't want to let them go out of his
hands. The next day Mr.. Chapman
came in and sat down in such way in
front of the cash window that he blocked
the window. Witness told him that he
must move out of the way and give peo-
pie chance TO get up to the window.
Mr.. Chapman then moved the table over
into the corner and witness gave him the
printing bills. Witness stated that he did
not consider the manner of Mr.. Chap
man when in his office either gentle
manly or courteous, while he endeavored
to treat MIR. Chapman oourteously. Miss
Wyman had never been regularly ap-
pointed deputy city clerk.
Miss Hattie Wyman, Mr.. Jones assis-
tant, stated that she had be en- intructed
by Mr.. Jones to show anyone the public
records but not the original papers In
Mr.. Jones absence. She said that Mr..
Chapman spent more time in the city
clerks office looking over the records
than all the other citizens of Deering put