The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-10
SpLAINE is ANGRY.
Says Town Must Set
tie or Take the
Consequences.
THOROUGHLY TIRED OF DELAY.
Takes Counsel and Declares
Money Must Be Paid
at Once.
THOROUGHLY TIRED OF DELAY.

North Brookfeld, Aug. 9.-Unless the
selectmen at their meeting, Monday
night vote to pay bill of SIS, which
the firm of H Splaine & Co. holds
against the town, David Splaine says
he viii bring suit against the town
to recover the money. Mr.. Splaine has
already consulted legal authority, and
says he will not delay proceedings.
The bill is against the town for
burying nine victims of contagious dis
eases during the recent epidemic here.
1t was presented to the selectmen
about fve weeks ago. and has been
before Them now for five meetings
without being paid. 1t has stirred MIR.
Splaine to make some very strong
statements about the methods of the
town fathers, and he made them to
The Spy reporter this Afternoon. He
characterized their ways as cowardly
and unmanly, and said that they were
ashamed in the first place to tell him
they had not paid the bill, but that
ne was put off with such statements
as that it was overlooked, and again
rnat the auditor was not present, and
so it could not be signed.
When the bill was first presented, it
called for $3.50 and included $3.50 for
returning IA births. Two separate bills
We're called for, and have been pre-
scented. The bill which seems likely ID
involve the town in a lawsuit, asked
Tor remuneration for taking to the
cemetery the bodies of Medrisis Mar
tin, Josie V. Stone, William c. Ber-
gen, Lena Martin, Della LafferrIere,
Make Boisclair, John F. Haggerty,
Rose W. Haggerty and Mrs. Bridget
Hart.
With the exception of Mrs. Hart, who
died Of scarlet fever, all We're victims
of diphtheria. After the selectmen had
ample time to consider the bill, and
when they found themselves in a
quandary as to what to do, the judg-
ment Of town counsel Timothy How
ard was asked, according to Fred NJ.
Ashby, clerk of the selectmen.
Mr.. HoWard's advice was that the
bill should receive the approval of the
board OF health before it was paid. MIR.
Splaine was made acquainted of his
turn of affairs, and presented his bill
to the health board, but here again
there was a snag. The board Of health
feared that the selectmen would want
to pay the bill out of the $500 appro-
priated for the use of the health off,
GERS and its signature was refused.
MIR. Splaine said this afternoon that
the chairman of the board of health
told him that he was owed the money,
every penny of it, by the town, and
that if the board of health knew the
bill was to be paid cut of the contin-
gent fund, the members would be glad
to sign it, but that they needed the
/ $500 for cleaning up about town, and
intended to look after that part care
fully. Mr.. Splaine gave his version OF
1.-THE matter to The Spy man this al
lternon as follows: That as a duly APP
pointed undertaken he presented his
BILL as he had a perfect right to do,
heYer anticipating that it would not
he paid Previously, Sexton John +.
Earey had presented the bills and Iii
Turn paid Mr.. Splaine for the work he
lad done. That when he spoke to Sc
Rctman John j. Howard about the bill.
Mr. Howard advised him to give 1T to
kr Carey, and that if the latter pre-
knted it, the selectmen would imme-
lately pay it. Then" said Mr..
blaine, Il told Mr.. Howard that the
III was mine and that l would col
III it, and that John P. Carey or no
her man would collect my bills for
If | could not do it myself.
kThey were ashamed to tell me to
face" he continued "that the bill
Is not paid the first time it was up
t. in a cowardly way, said it had
In overlooked, and again gave as an
luse that the auditor was not pres
Now I know that one of the Sc
men has said that the reason they
not pay the bill was because they
Z afraid | would put in a bill every
M my hearse took a body to the
s# etery. The law says that bodies
Which death was caused by conta-
disease shall not be carried to the
terry in the hearse, but that the
rtaker shall take them in his
n.
have consulted a good lawyer in
ester he added, and wish you
state in The Spy that / say that
lill be collected whether or not it
he'd by the board Of health.
counsel told me the town is re-