Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-15

 ON DECK.
Occupying Old po-
 sition at Bank.
Other Officials With Money and Valuables in Tenn porary Quarters--To Town Will Refuse to Pay the $I4,OOO.

This was the day set for the town of Watertown to settle up a matter of S14,60O with the Watertown Ma t1onal bank, but it was not made and according to information gIcancd by Democrat representative who wus i'll Watertown this morning, the bank will not receive one penny Of thai money from tEc town, unless the lat. ter is forced to do so by virtue of tiia command of the law.
 A peculiar state of affairs exists 1u the little town up the road to-day. B. H. Mattoon, the town treasurer, wle refuses to resign and who is under $9,0o0 bonds charged with embezzle. ment. still holds the fort at tlle old banking house. True, he has no books. or assets or securities with which to conduct a banking business, but he is at his old office doing bust ness in insurance and real estate and apparently the least concerned as to the outcome of the mix-up in the fi- nances of the bank and the town. Hs intimates that he is awaiting flevel- opments.
 A few doors away from inc old bank is located the temporary auar~ ters Of the bank established by the af1| rectors, who took the books, assets and securities of the old bank. The old bank had two stenographers. One of them still remains at her post isf the old bank and the other has been installed in the new financial center No banking business is being done in either place and all appeared to be re- ticent as to what the outcome would be
 Judge Charles G. Root of wafers bury was asked if he would say any thing as the town attorney for Water- town relative to the position that would be taken by the board of sc-s lectmen in regard to the payment of the fourteen thousand dollars. Attor- ney Root suavely waved the neWs- gatherer one side ard referred him fp the selectmen.A After chasing over many steep and icy hills selectman James Slilton was found in the post. office. To him was put the same. | question as to what the town Nas eg- l ing to do and at first the preyaiIisa reticence seemed to have alighted on him also He finally did say tla;Gt tho board of selectmen would meet with the town attorney .bis affer- noon and then would come some da veIopments. He finally was pressed closely for an answer as fo whether the town would pay that fourteen l thousand and he said emphatically that the town would not pay that money unless forced to do so. The town would make no movement to straignten out the tangle until the other side took the initiative. and he believed when that was done the whole matter would be unraveIled afd if there was blame to be placed 0Iz any person or persons the court would decide the question.
 Of course, in all cases of tliIs kind rumors play pretty good part in the story. Rumors were very rife fhis morning in the little town that instr- ance papers and other transactions conducted by the accused town treas* urer were not so situated fhat they could stand the limelight of fnyesti~ gation, but those reports seem to af- feet B. H. Mattoon just as much as do the other reports and accusations. He courts an investigation and from present indications the matter will be fought out, and fought out bitterly. in the courts There the whole ease rests. B. H. Mattoon is accused of embezzlement and is under So,000 bonds ts answer to that charge. flo holds the old banking office and is there during business hours. The di- rectors, headed by c. B. Mattoon, act- ing president of the Watertown Na- tionaI bank, who by the way Is sec ond cousin of the accused party, hold the books, assets and securities or tho old bank and have headquarters aY few doors away from the old bank The bank officials have demanded of the town the fourteen thousand dol lars due according to their books, and the town has refuse to pay that four teen thousand dollars as 1t has been paid according to their books. B. II. Mattoon is smiling and taking the sit nation coolly, the bank officials are uneasy and are determined to push the case to the limit. the townspeopie who have money invested in the bank are anxious, and the whole is sur rounded in much mystery until tho court unravels it.
 AMERICAN BAND FROM.
 Q'a oon,.rnyu Qynuiu1 fbn m an,.sfst< s.