The Portland daily press., 1897-12-07
THE CASE OF CHAs. F. WIGHT.

To the Editor of the Press:
Will you kindly allow me space in your
paper to correct some of the misstate-
ments in regard to the vagrancy case OF
Chas f. Wight of Otisfeld that has
furnished material for several sensational
stories in the papers for the last week,
about the abuse of an old soldier? In
the first place he is only a soldier by
courtesy, being a member of Capt.
Samuel c. WardwelPs Company, that
the Adjutant Generals report OF 1865,
pages 179 and 1888, says were never finally
mustered into the United States service.
Enlisting after the war was known to be
over they played soldier at Augusta for
few weeks and returned home covered
with glory and honor. Mr.. Wight has
been living in idleness at the expense of
the town of Otisfield for the last three
years, costing the town during that time,
'to say nothing of fourteen months' board
at the town farm" the nice little sum
OF S4S406, not including the expense of
his last pleasure trip to Aroostook county.
The only time that Wight has spent at
the town farm has been by his own con-
sent, and the town has always been ready
to furnish him with good boarding
place, only reserying to themselves the
right to say where it shouts be, and
among respectable people. On the 18th
of Jun last one of the selectmen carried
Wight to Norway to getshim some clothes.
A dispute arose and Wight declared that
he should not come back, but would take
care of himself. On the 14th of the same
month notice was received from the over
seers of Paris that Wight had called for
help and was boarding at the Grand
Trunk hotel at South Paris. On the
sixteenth he was brought to Otisfeld and
board hired for him at the house of Oliver
Small at South Otisfield. He stayed FIVE
days until the twenty first, when he left
and went to the house of j. f. Scribner,
who notified thu town to remove him or
Small's on the 22d, and left again ON the
23d, and notified the town that he would
take care of himself. About the 9th of
July the town received notice that Wight
was at Springfield, Penobsoot county,
and had called for assistance. The select
men brought Wight to Otisfield. A war
rant was procured and he was tried on
the charge of vagrancy, sentenced to 80
days in Portland fail. He was heard to
say that the town would have. further to
go 30 find him next time. AS the tim e
drew near for Wight's sentence to expire
arrangements were made with Sheriff
Plummer to furnish Wight with free
transportation to Otisfeld, but he de-
eIined to receive it, and Immediately
started for Houlton, where he called for
help on the next morning after his ar
rival. Notice was sent to Otisfeld, and
the selectmen feeling that forbearance
had ceased to be a virtue, procured O
warrant and Deputy Skillings was
directed to bring Wight to Otis6eld.
which he did, and Wight was brought
before justice court and again sentenced
to Jail. At the trial he refused the zassis-
tanoe of counsel that was assigned him.
and entered an appeal, but failed to pay
theSnecessary fee or. to- furnish sbonds and
was committed to Jail Nights record is
pretty we'll known in Cumberland.c county
e.haying served several terms in the
Portland jail, one of thirteen months for
resisting officers and other offences, and
the taxpayers of Otisdeld are feeling that
if service like Nights in the army gives
man right to commit almost any
crime, and receive only sympathy, or if
there ts no limit to the trouble and ex-
pense that the town may suffer, they may
as well know it first as last.
beg your pardon for using so much
space for SO unworthy a subject, and
hope that the truth may be as wide
spread as the error.
n. C. PINKHAM,
Bolster's Mills, Dec. 4. 1897.