The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-11-19
DIRECTORS
ON TRAIL
West MahanOy School Board Cases Be-
ing Tried at POttSville.
DETAILED REPORTO ? PROCEEDINGS
The Prosecutor is Thomas H. Dee, Of Lost
Greek, WIT Charges the Members Of
the School Board with Misde-
meanor in omce-Many
witnesses.


EulbSNlllbi NOV lbs-lue case OF bue COUl-
monwealth against Patrick J. Ferguson,
Patrick N. Noon, Thomas E. Flanagan, Mar
tin E. McLain and John Donlin, members of
the West Mahanoy Township School Board,
for misdemeanOr in office, on oatL of Thomas
H. Dee, was called for trial before Judge
Bechtel at 2;15 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
John f. Whalen, Esq, of Pottsville; Nc
Henry Wilhelm, Esq, Of Ashland, and d..
M. Kaercher, Esq, of Pottsville, appeared
for the Commonwealth, and the defendants
were represented by w. A.. Mari, Esq, Of
Ashland, George Wadlinger, Esq, of Potts
vile, and NJ. M. Burke, Esq.
At4:25 p. m. the following jury was Sc
cured
WILLIAM K. KocHER, West Penn, carpen-
ter.
JOHN K. HoUsER, Tamaqua, carpenter.
JACOB o. SNYDER, Brunswick Township,
farmer.
WELLINGTON Helm, Eldred Township,
farmer.
DANIEL J. KRAMER, Wayne township,
school teacher.
CHARLES NJ. GERBER, MahanOy City,
laborer.
CHARLES BIGLEB. Pottsville, barber.
BENJAMIN BIxLER, Tower City, yoeman.
ARTHUR WHoMsLEY, Shenandoah, en-
gineer.
H. C. DEHAvEN, Minersville, laborer.
SAMUEL BOWMAN, Hubley township,
miner.
MICHAEL MoLICK, Pottsville, laborer.
Mr.. Whalen opened the case for the Com
monwealth five minutes after the jury was
selected. He commenced his address to the
jury by reviewing the contents Of the
lengthy bill Of indictment, which covers 1877
type written pages. In his remarks Mr..
Whalen covered much of the ground re-
Vowed in the O'Neill libel case, stating that
the Commonwealth would show that the
school teachers did not receive orders for
their salaries at certain periods, and that
their orders for pay for attending the county
institute were withheld. Also that the sec
rotary Of the school Board was paid more
money than he was legally entitled to, and
that in various other ways the indicted
School Directors illegally withheld and APP
propriated money on several occasions for
the purpose of securing and holding political
influence that would result in their re-
election to the school Board, and keeping
them there. The object of the prosecution,
Mr.. Whalen concluded, was to show the de-
PENDANTS and all others in office that a public
office is a public trust and cannOt be used
with IMMUNITY as a source of private gain.
P. j. Mcguire, of West MahanOy township,
said he would be % years old next May. He
worked for the School Board of that district
taking books away from the school houses at
the end Of the school terms this and last
year, and distributing books at the school
opening. He used a team that belonged to.
P. NJ. Noon Zone of the School Directors and
family. The team and wagon did not belong
to Noon, any more than to the family. Noon
and the witness are cousins. Mcguire said
he received his instructions to work from the
secretary of the Board and sometimes from
Noon. Witness had no contract for hauling
the books. He also hauled the school sup
plies to and from the school buildings. When
asked concerning order No. 1O1 dated Oct. 3,
1896, to his order for S35 for hauling books,
witness said he thought he wrote out an
itemized bill for the amount, but could not
tell where the bill is now. He gave the
bills to Noon to be taken TO the School Board
meeting, and sometimes Noon wrote out the
bills.
Was not this order Of Oct. 8, 1896, for the
carting of books to the sohools9
To and from the schools, / guess.
Witness was then required by Mr.. Whalen
to detail just what time was required in the
work Of taking books to and from the schools
and the witness said that if the books were
packed they could be handled in a day, but
if unpacked two days would be required.
That was for taking the books away from the
schools. To distribute them would take two
days also and both branches of the work
would consume four days at the outside.
Did you put in a bill for four days2
l put in a bill for what 1 worked.
You said that at the outside it only took
you four days2
But the new books came in during that
time.
How many did you take that year
The amount of days ! put in, ! guess.
How many2
l don't just remember.
This line of examination was conducted by
Mr.. Whalen for some time without any ap-
parent discrepancy appearing and Mr..
Whalen punched orders No. 101 Of Oct. 3,
1895, for $35, order No. 156, NoY. z, 1896, for
IS, and order No, 443, May l. 1897, for s.,
making a total of $4s for hauling in the
school term beginning June /, 1897, and then
asked witness what work he did for the
amount. The witness replied that in add
ton to the hauling of books he hauled All
kinds Of school supplies, such as chalk.
buckets, s%euttles, etc.
The witness had testified that he was raised
by the Noon family. When asked what dis
position no made Of the S48 worth Of orderi
he received he said he gave some Of the
money to Miss Annie Noone, in fact he gave
her all but So Of the money, which he KEEP
as spending money. Miss Noon is a schoo.
teacher. He gave the money to her in pre-
ference TO her mother because she was il
charge of the house. School Director Moor
brought the money on tho orders from th,
School Board TO Mcclure, Noon wen
around on the wagon with Mcclure when thu
former was secretary Of the Board. Wltnes
said he never received an order for $3.50 70
labor and material, issued March @, 1897, an,
never did any labor around the schools
except to deliver and collect school books an
supplies.
When court opened this morning MI
Whalen called Thomas E., Flannigau one O
the defendant School Directors, to the stand
Mr.. MARI asked the object Of calling MI
Flanagan and Mr., Whalen replied that
was for the purpose Of examining him as to Oh
issued in his name. Upon this statemen
Mr.. Mari objected on the ground that Nj
Flanagan was a defendant and could not b