Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-06
POLICE HEARING
Continued from Page One.)

ne diSO dulUltteu tildl MI. w Hue Ddu
arrested him, once. When asked at
| what window Mr.. White raped when
he came to the Tasker place at night
| on which occasions Mr.. Pray claimed to
have seen him through the glass, he
replied that he saw him through the
glass that faced north on the south
side"
For the defence, the witnesses were
the defendant, Edwin L. White, Officer
Geto. F. Fletcher, Special Officer Her.
bert Ellis and George NJ. Perry. Officer
Fletcher being the first called.
MIR. Fletcher's testimony was some
what of u surprise, inasmuch as ne
saw Mr. Magee at the polIce STATION
at about midnight, June y, the latter
appeared to be under the influence OF
liquor and that when he first saw him
he thought that Mr.. Magee was some
oiI,. that the officers had taken in for
into1ication. When asked by MIR. Fish
or what made him think that Mr.. Ma
gee was intoxicated, Officer Fletcher
said that Mr.. Magee staggered when
he walked.
Mr.. White took the stand, saying
that he had lived in Augusta for 10
years, and was a mason by trade. He
had served on the police force for near
~ eight years. Previous to the night of
the trouble, he had been down river for
several days, arriving home, that even
ing, on the steamer Gardiner. He men
toned several Of the Augusta people
who were on the boat, naming MI
Fisher among them and said that in the
course of conversation Mr.. Fisher had
remarked to him that the mayor would
like to get rid of a couple of policemen
He then went on to tell of his move
ments during the evening, up to the
time of going to bed. and of how Off
Ger HARDWOOD had called him up in the
night, on account of the trouble at the
camp; of what transpired from that
time until the close of the incident on
the following morning. and frankly an
swered all the questions that We're
asked him. When asked about taking
shotgun 10 the camp, he said that
his reason for so doing was because
his revolver, club and irons were at
his home in North Augusta. where he
had left them on going down river.
The shotgun referred to proved quito
an important factor in the hearing, as
i'll the Magee charges it was stated that
While in the camp. Mr.. White had.
through excitement, nervousness. fright
or something else, thrown the breech
block up 50 that the cartridges fell on
the roor and that Mr.. Magee had
picked them w from the floor and put
them in his pocket. When, however,
the gun ra,,ie in for mention in Mr..
Whites testimony. it was ascertained
that the wen vas an old-fashionc1
mlzzlc loat!o' 'NIhlp barr1led. and
carrying q ramrol. HIN above state
ment proved orc of the scnsa tons of
the evening.
Mr.. White also told of Mr.. Marco.
getting on the wrong road when start
ing for Stacey's camp. by going up the
Brook road, and that when he (White)
called to Magec and told him he was
going in the wrong direction. that gen.
tleman turned his team around and
came back and in passing the team
containing the two officers, his team
locked wheels with theirs and that wit
ness had to get not and separate the
teams
As to the Pray charges, Mr.. White
admitted that he had raped on the
windows of the Tasl1er saloon and that
he had sometimes gone into the saloon.
but that he had never taken drink
therein. He said that he had tapped on
the glass to notify Tasker that it was
time to close and that he had had his
instructions from the city marshal. In
regard to the feeling between Pray and
himself, Mr.. White said that the lat
ter had not spoken to him since he had
arrested him.
Special Officer Ellis stated that he
was on duty on the night of the
trouble and saw Mr.. Magee at about
midnight. Mr.. Ellis would not say that
the man was drunk, but he was making
some talk and among other things that
he heard Magec say was. in reference
to the police. that it was "a pretty
G. d--n police force"
The last witness for the defence was
George M. Perry, who was employed on
the night of the trouble aud now is at
Hayes lunch room. He stated that both
Mr.. Magec and Mr.. White were in the
lunch room and that Mr. White did not
act in any way unbecoming to an OIL
Ger. If Mr.. White was intoxicated, wit
ness said that he did not notice it. Mr.
Magee, he said, was boiSterOus and cx-
cited
Following the testimony Of the above
witness. came the argument for the de-
fence. 1t was not Il long one. but in it
Mr.. Williamson claimed that none of
the charges had been substantiated. No
evidence, he said, had been introduced
to show that Mr.. White had been drunk
while on duty and rs for the charge of
swearing. if the mayor was going to
discharge every police officer who said
damn" and every city official who said
so. he would not have Il quorum on the
| board of aldermen for the next 20 years.
| As to the charge of neglect Of duty.
MI. Williamson said there was not the
| slightest evidence. He further said that
the city did not half appreciate the
work which the police force did. He
then interposed the query as to why
Mr. Magee was not present to back up
his, charges. instead of leaving the
| bTunt for some one else to bear His
argument was an able one, and closed
with the plea that Mr.. White be exon
| Grated from one and all charges as not
one of them had been substantiatcd
| ne