The Portland daily press., 1897-03-22
LIMINGTON's TREASURER.
Lively Discussion Over His Alleged
Deficiencies.
Committee Appointed To Examine His Ac-
counts.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.l

AlIulugUUu, AdfCu IL WA sohO
US long, ANA there is not likely to be
much said. All there is to do is to
choose committee to investigate the
shortage"
This prediction made by town officer
to a correspondent of the TIMES, just
before the beginning of the town meet
ing, held this afternoon for the special
purpose of taking action relative to the
sensational discoveries In the official
records of ex-Treasurer Leonard J.
Strout, proved very wide of tine mark.
The $50 citizens there Assem- bled spent
more than two hours in heated debate
before an investigating committee was
raised and its duties defined. Sarcasm,
insinuation and open denunciation fig.
ured in some of the speeches. Town
officers, ex-of1oers, prominent lawyer,
business men, manufacturer, county
off1cor and well-known educator were
the chief disputants In the prolonged de-
bate.
The meeting promptly divided itself
into two factions. One, composed prin-
oipally Of Mr.. Strouts' ohurch friends,
business associates neighbors and prom
inent Republicans, pleaded for fairness
AMI absence of prejudice. in behalf of
the accused man. The other faction in
cluded most of the present town officers
and two-thirds of the Democratic voters
named on the checklist. They proved
to be in the majority, and proceeded to
carry out their formula, electing their
moderator and the investigating CON-
mittee whose ballots were written before
the meeting opened. But their every
move was vigorously opposed and the
house bad to be "polled" three times to
on motions presented.
HOW THE EXCITEMENT BEGAN.
|. Town Clerk George r. Strout callsd
the nesting to order at 2 o'clock, and
read the call, which had been so skill
fully worded by the selectmen that the
name of the accused et official. did not
appear. nor was any definite reference
made to his alleged shortage.
The meeting Immediately proceeded to
ballot for moderator, and Theophilus
votes cast.
George A. Foss was promptly on hand
with motion that they proceed to elect
by ballot a committee of three to inves-
tigate the finances If the town. The
moderator was temporarily fioorsd by ex-
Councillor j. +. Brackets amendment
that the comm ittee consist of the present
board of selectmen, treasurer and town
auditor. A debate over the question of
whether the original motion or the mo-
ton to amend had precedence. The mod
dator allowed that he was "no lawyer"
and that he didn't know which to take
the first vote on. After time he deoid-
ed that 1t would be all right to put the
amendment first. Before the vote was
taken Mr.. Brackett, in behalf of the
Strout sympathizers, made a statement
thar it was not their desire to dodge or
cover any error in the ex-treasurer's &C
counts, or to wink at any misdemeanor,
but they wanted fairness and candidness
shown the accused man. The town
officers have the books, and they can
make the Investigation in less time and
with less effort than could any special
committee.
Joseph Webster got the floor long
enough to say that Selec.man Jesse g,
Harmon, who is q near neiahbor of Mr..
Strout, would decline to serve II he
should be placed ON the committee.
County Commissioner S. L. Puring-
ton wanted to know if Selectman Har-
mon wouldn't be obliged to serve, If SO
ordered by; this meeting. "We elected
him for this very thing added the
county official as clinoher to his ques-
ton.
81 don't know about that" shouted
Isaac Lombard, prominent citizen
from the east end of the town. .'We
hired minister over at the Falls t'other
day; but we hired him to preach, not to
dig POTATOES"
This sally caught the crowd, and some
body hurrahed for jeff Davis.
We've got no potatoes to dig, gentle
men, SO be quiet" was the modsrator's
rejoinder, as he fercely pounded the desk
with table-leg, which he welded in
lieu Of gayel.
The vote on the amendment to Mr..
Foss's motion was SO very CLOSE that two
counts of the hands were necessary, and
then somebody insisted on polling the
house, which was done. The amendment
was lost.
Then came the vote ON the motion to
elect committee of three to examine
the treasurer's accounts. That was car
ried, without disputes. Ballots already
distributed. bore the names of Treasurer
William a. Sawyer, seleotmau f. l..
Chick and ex-Sslectman George Brag-
don. They iwere elected as the investi-
eating committee, receiving the total
vote. Very few of the men who had
stood out against the original motion con-
tributed any of these ballots.
LAWYER MAKES A REQUEST.
Ex-Mayor James o. Bradbury of Saco
appearing in the absence of his client
ba &C. ~