The Portland daily press., 1896-10-21
THE METHODS AT FAULT.
Extenuating Circumstances Connected
With Postmaster Daigle's Case.

- naislng Money to Satisfy Claims Against
Him, and When He Has Succeeded
win Come To Portland and Give Him.
self Up.
Madawaska. October 20.-Postmaster
ana Register Of Deeds Arthur Daigle, the
Aoadian notary, sends word from his re-
treat at Edmundston, N. B., that he Is
proposing to settle the tangled affair be-
tween himself and the United States
government; that is, II he may be able to
do 80. He is now. through trusty agents.
collecting and raising money with which
to satisfy all claims against him and he
hopes that about $1,000 or $500 will do
it.
When he has secured sum appro XII
mating $1,000, Mr. Daigle. SO he sends
word, will return to this state and pro-
ceed dimotly to Por tland, where he will
surrendsr to the United States marshal.
He has avoided arrest in order that he
may arrange his affairs SO as to settle
matters promptly and he has no inten-
tioD of becoming fugitive from justice.
In fact, Mr.. Daigle appears to be an
honest nan, and he is SO considered all
along tie river.
For !ears the descendants of the
Acadian have made him their scribe and
the custodian of their affairs. He has
drawn their pap ers, witnessed their sig
natures written their letters and
handled their moneys. All people have
trusted him. They still believe that,
notwithstanding his present difficulties,
he always meant well.
The tlouble with Mr.. Daigle appears to
have BEN his archaic methods of doing
business. Along the river are numerous
veterans of the war and within few
years tfese men have been applying quite
generally for pensions. To Notary
Daigle. they have entrusted their claims.
Mr.. Dagle is a man who takes a warm
interests in his countrymen and in help
ing then to secure q pension he was both
notary and neighbor.
When the pension checks did arrive
each man was generally indebted to the
notary considerably over and above the
legal fse. But the balance was not usual
ly conSidered as debt on either side.
Mr.. Daigle made no figures against a
man for hospitality or neighborly kind
ness. But Of course each pensioner felt
indebted with all the ardor of the
volatile French nature. He always felt
like making the notary liberal present,
and generally did SO.
Thus it happened that Mr.. Daigle in
numerous instances received double the
legal fee and yet considering the peculiar
relations he had borne to the pensioners.
was scantiy repaid for his trouble after
all. 4
Everything was satisfactory until one
man evinced sn unwillingness to proper
ly reimburse Mr.. Naigle for his trouble.
Then the notary, who is also postmaster,
detained the pensioners check whom it
0 anne along. He said that he would sur
renderIit when the debt was settled. This
angered the pensioner and he com planned.
Soon secret service man was on the
ground and he made searching inquiries
among pensioners as to the amounts of
the fees they had been paying to Daigle.
They told, of course, bnt failed to ex-
plain how much they had been indebted
to the notary for favors.
Therefore the case against Mr.. Dazzle,
though it looks rather dark when reduced
to testimony. has, ..many exsenuating