The Portland daily press., 1897-06-28

The adjourned meeting of the Deering
| city government was held Saturday eve
ming for the special purpose of approving
| bills and few matters of minor i'm
portance. Absent, Alderman Cobb.
| An order was introduced by Alderman
Cram that the committee on fire depart
ment be instructed to enlarge the hose
house at Aliens Corner, and it received
passage
A petition was presented by Alderman
Aver directing the committee to get es-
Inmates on the construction OF sewers on
Noyes street and Deering avenue.
| An invitation from the members of
Hose was presented by Alderman Gowen
to the board, inviting them to attend
lawn party and reception at their quar-
tiers next Wednesday evening, June 81.
| The same was accepted.
| In executive session, the city fathers
discussed the arrest of William z. Goss
Tor refusing to pay dog license.
| Marshal Clark did not wish to talk
when interviewed last evening, but Off
Ger lllsley, the man who was directed by
the marshal to notify the owners of dogs
| to appear and license them, said to the
| PRESS reporter II was sent by the
marshal to warn dog owners to appear
before the city clerk and license their
dogs. l called in the line of my duty on
MI; Goss, but that gentleman was not
at home. My ring was answered by
Rev: Mr.. Nelson, who boards with the
family. Mr.. Nelson said the family were
not at home. | then made known my
errand which was to the effect that Mr..
Goss, in compliance with the law, should
pay dog license to the city clerk. Mr..
! Nelson told me that he thought Mr.. Goss
had rather that the dog should be killed.
l told him it made no difference as to
whether the dog was killed or not as
the tax was due and if not paid the own
er was subject to prosecution. | report
| ed my action to the marshal and again
made visit about week afterwards.
This time the marshal was with me.
went to the door and lady answered my
Goss. l said, / have called to see about
the dog license, whereupon she replied,
We have no dog l reminded her that
they had one upon the occasion of my
first call, but l was now informed that
he had died few days before. The mar
shel reminded her that according to law
the dog being alive the first day of April
a license fee should therefore be paid
and requested her to ask Mr.. Goss to call
on the city clerk and attend to the matter.
Mrs. Goss then replied that the dog be-
longed to Arthur 1.-THE son. 1 was then
directed to call on the son at his place OF
business. l was told by him in sar-
castle way that he would not pay the tax.
This [ reported to the marshal and he
sent another officer who could not ac-
complish the desired result. / was a wit
ness at the trial and saw the assessor 6
books where license fee was entered tc
Mr.. Goss for keeping dog. Mr.. Goss
testified that the dog belonged to his son,
whom l remembered was on the asses
sor's books as minor. Mr.. Goss further
stated at the trial that his son was OF
age, whereupon the son was entered upon
the list OF tax payers. At no time was
any harsh language used by myself Oh
the marshal toward Mr.. Goss or his fami.
ly."
Marshal Clark reports that up to date
1853 dogs have been licensed. May Sth
orders were issued to the marshal to kill
unlicensed dogs and notice was print
ed in the Portland papers notifying the
owners or keepers of unlicensed dogs
that the same would be shot if a license
fee was not paid before the 22d of the
month. The law reads that a marsha
| is liable to a fine of not less than SO mol
more than $50 for failure to report to the
city clerk all unlicensed dogs up to the
first of April. The marshal assumes al
lreSpouSlDilIUleS ana Claims Unab he mas
simply been executing a law, which il
he had not done so, would have been a
breach OF duty as well as an expensive
one for him.
1t is understood that this in substance
is the statement of the case made to the
aldermen Saturday night and that they
decided that they were not called upon
to take action in the case.
FIREMEN'S LAWN PARTY.
The members of Hose company of the