The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-01-31
BELLOWS FALLS.
rrhe Annual Corporation MeetinS-The
Years Best Circus ut the Opera House.

The opera house had for its attrat
ton Monday evening the corporatio
meeting and it proved to be the sta
event of the season. For the past fey
DAY there has been considerable In
tercst manifested by the friends q
both II. ID. Ryder and Geo. a. Weston
present members of the old board
hailitfs who were to air their griev
ances Of the past year before the voter
of tho corporation. \ rumor was II
circulation yesterday OF the finding O
some irregularities in the managmen
of the finances of the street depart
ment by the street commission y
80 the bell rang and the curtain was
raised and the fun began. Geo. A.
Weston as moderator called the meeting
to order and the warrant was read by
Clerk Bodies. The first article taker
IN was the election of moderator.
J. Ii. Blakeley nominated A. N. Swair
and Geo. A. Weston was nominated by
u. i. Keefe The result of the ballot
takensshowed 156 votes cast. necessary
for a choice 49, OF these Jas. IL.
Williams had l, A. N. Swain SO, and
Geo. A. Weston &c. and Mr.. Weston
was declared elected. The second
article called for the report of the
various officers of the corporation for
tina past year. A motion was made
by some enthusiastic worker that the
report be accepted by reclamation
which caused loud peal of laughter.
1t was then moved that the auditors
report be taken up by sections which
motion prevailed. First came the re
port of the water department, which
was considered and approved. Next
came the report of the street depart
ment and at this time Mr.. Weston
stated that bill of A. L. Adams had
not been approved amounting to over
$3.50 Ryder he said had signed an
order for the payment of the same but
that he and d. p Higgins the third
bailitf refused to do so. He himself
considering the claim too high and an
improper one. ID. z. Higgins at this
time arose an stated that the reason
he refused to sign the order was be.
cause Adams had charged 70 cents for
crossings and GO cents for walks per
square yard and he understood that
another party had agreed and offered
to do the work for 10 cents per square
yard Al this junction the fun began.
Z. 5. Moore, street commissioner, got
the floor and stated that this was a
false accusation and said man by the
name OF Pike from Lancaster, n. H.,
had some talk with him about con
creting. On Investigation he thought
that Adams work WAS the best and so
engaged him. Mr.. Weston then stated |
that one man had offered to do the |
work for 80 cents and he had an |
affidavit of Mr.. Pixies in his pocket to
the effect that he had offered to do |
the work for 40 cents and according
to what Mr.. Moore told Mr.. Higgins,
Pike had said if there was 5000 III
the job there would be 5000 for the
officers. - At this stage of the play
S. j. Cray requested that the whole
then produced an order for si2Ol. 30
bearing date of December, 1894, made
payable to A. l.. Adams or c. S.
Moore and signed by II. d. Ryder,
David Savage and j. A. Eaton He
further stated that the .or c. S.
Moore was in different hand writing
from the other and that e. S. Moore
alone had endorsed the order and
drawn the money Suspecting that
something was wrong he showed the ,
order to Mr.. Eaton who claimed that
the order was tempered with after it
had been signed by him, Mr.. Savage,
the other bailiff. corroborating this
statement. After this statement it !
seemed as if a bomb shell had fallen
them and you could almost
hear pin drop. Ryder at this time
got up and said that the thing was |
done for a political move and claimed t
it was dirty politics. He said that
the words "or c. S. Moore" had been t
inserted by order Of the bailiffs and he
believed he did It himself, and that it 4
was done to facilitate matters as Mr..
Adams was out of town. He said that t
the order was all right and that it was h
only preconcerted plot to kill Moore
to give the job to one of his constitu d
ants that wanted the job. The report p
Of the street department was then ac h
,epted and DIR. X irkland moved that II
] Judge Read be appointed to investigate r
The insinuations against Mr.. Moore. b
Mr. Weston then stated that he wanted
t understood that he made no charges g.
against Moore for corruption but was e
striking at the old board for irregu
arites as much as anything. Mr..
RYDER said there had never been SO t.
many irregularities as were made by S
he present board At this time o
notion was made by F. P. Bail to ad- b
ourn until next Monday so that Judge S
Read could investigate and make a n
eport. There has been a bitter con n
est going on and what the result will l.
,e next Monday is hard to say but it "
s our opinion that no officer on the St
'oard will be re elected. ... "
Death OF James DiggIns. n
James Diggins, one of the earliest d
IRISH settlers in town. diedat his home
q Green street MondaJ evening, aged
3 years. Mr.. Diggins was born in \,
reiand and lived there until he was M
S years of age when he came to this y
ountry and has lived here ever since VI
nth the reception of few years p
'hen he resided at Keene, N. H.. and 81
hester. His funeral was held from d; q!
i. Charles church Thursday morning, n
he Rev. Father Reynolds performing VI
he last sad rites of the church. The =
nterment was in the old Catholic =. u,
emetery. His loss is mourned by pI
idow and five children who survive 80
i'm, Thomas and James Diggins of ",
Worcester, Mass, Mrs. W. j. Wheeler w w
Philadelphia, Mrs. James Tuly and w
rank I. Diggins of this place. w w
Accidents. s i'
Mrs. Patrick Shaughessy fell one
ay this week and received bad frac- IN
ire of two ribs. w,
Local Thought and Movement. n;
The eighteen months child of Mr.. to
nd Mrs. Dan Keefs on George street &C
led after a weeks illness Sunday te
ght. The funeral took place Tues pa
~ afternoon with interment in the sc
atholic cemetery. co