The Portland daily press., 1896-07-02
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.T


| Saco, July 1.-Biddeford has long
claimed the credit of being the hottest
political borough in western Maine, but
Biddeford is dofflng its hat, tonight, to
| "staid, quiet, old Saoo."
For rip-roaring, hair-splltting. boiling
hot caucuses, the one held in Saco City
| hall this afternoon, bears off the bright
| blue ribbon. There was no spilling of
blood. but a CORY spectacle at times
| seemed imminent. A hand to hand en-
counter between deputy sheriff and a
| Saco city father was an exciting feature
OF the caucus, but still more lively
climax was the splitting up of the as
| semblage and the holding of two rival
| oauouses under the same call.
| The fight was all about the choice of
| delegates to the Republican county con
vention, to be held at Alfred, July 49,
There are numerous offices to be dealt
out on that great occasion, but the
sheriff's berth outshines them all. The
| origin of the antagonism of Sheriff Hurd,
who wants O denomination, has before
been mentioned in the PRESS. The
acknowledged leaders of the party In this
| section Of York county are arrayed against
him, and the same condition seems to
| prevail in the up-country towns. His
| chief lieutenant, Deputy Sheriff J. ".
Small of Saco, against whom County
| Attorney Emmons tried in vain to get an
| Indictment at the May sitting of the
grand jury, has been putting up q stiff
canvass, and is confident of landing the
| sheriff another term.
| The choice of double-headed delega-
| tion was the result of conflict over the
| selection OF a permanent chairman. John
M. Deering was appointed temporary
chairman by DIR. j. D. Cochrane, the
city committeeman, who called the
caucus to order.
County Attorney Willis T. Emmons's
motion that the temporary organization
be made permanent was vigorously pro-
tested against by ex-May or James o.
| Bradbury, who argued in favor Of ballot
ing for chairman. A heated controversy
followed, but Mr.. Bradbury's wish pre-.
vailed, and the caucus proceeded to ballot
! for permanent presiding officer, Mr..
Deering and Representative George T.
| Boothby being the opposing candidates.
| The balloting was accompanied by q
who. up to this time had been distribute
| ing tickets bearing the names OF their
| favorite candidates for delegates.
The suggestion that this was Repuh-
| lican caucus. and none other than Repub-
| licans would be allowed to vote, was
scoffea ut by one faction and cheered by
the other. The declaration of County At
torney Emmons that he should challenge
| the vote Of any Democrat who dared ap-
proaoh the ballot box, was promptly
carried into effect when Edward Kelley,
we'll known character, came mp to de-
posit his slip Of paper bearing the name
Of the Hurd candidate for chairman.
| A long and bitter controversy ensued
and Kelley, was allowed to vote.
| Mora challenges followed. Presently
there was stampede in the direction of
| Deputy Sheriff Small, who was olinohed
with John B. Stowe, chairman Of the
board OF overseers of the poor. In their
excitement these two men had met with
| a collision. and it developed into first
class SCRAP" Marshal Burns and his
officers took q hand and succeeded in
breaking up the fight, but not till score
| of allies had Joined in the fisticuff, and a
| half-dozen settees had gone down under
| the weight of the politicians who
mounted the seats in their sndeayor to
/ rx<f / L.
When order was finally restored, Judge
| II. FL. Burbank of the Municipal court,
and County Attorney Emmons, asked
the chairman to adjourn the caucus to
the city council chamber, and that none
but Republicans be admitted therein.
Following this suggestion, Chairman
| Deering declared the caucus adjourned
to the council rooms, and thisher de-
parted, with a long line of followers.
Arriving there, DIR. Cochrane read the
call and tine usual preliminaries were
gone through with, John M. Daering be-
ing chosen chairman. This list of anti
Hurd delegates was chosen, receiving all
but four of the 24S ballots cast: Albert
II. Gilman, Sumner O. Parcher, Amos
L. Marston, Abram L. Lord. B. Frank
Henderson, Richard L. K. Grant, Gran
vile M. Tarbox. Benjamin 6. Dame,
Moses P. Church, Charles H. Hanson,
William r. Thompson, DR.. ]. D. Coch-
rane Frank Hodsdon, A. NJ Coker,
| Augustus f. Lord.
| The Hurd faction continued the origi-
nal caucus in City hall, put George f.
Boothby in as chairman, elected new
balloting committee, to take tho places
Of the deserters, and then elected, by a
vote of 2o6 to 10, this list of delegates to
the county convention Alpbonso NJ.
Goodwin, George +. Boothhy, James o.
Bradbury, DR.. M. W. Follansbee, Frank
A. D. Rodman, John NJ. Milliken, John
II. Dennett, Prentiss Hill, Gardner Nd.
Skillings. Orrin Rollins, Frank Foss,
Charles Harmon. Albion K. P. ChellIs,
John NJ. Webster, Frank 81. Buswell.