Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-09
THAT HORSE TRADE.
Mr.. Trask Tells His Trouble to the
Joint Committee.

"A fit or not ht?" that is the pues-
tion-or rather that was the question:
last evening, in the TrdSk W. City case
Nhich was threShed ont before a special
joint committee of members Of the city
council The rooms in the CITY hall
We're crowded when the committeeman
took their places. Those on the COM
mittep We're Aldermen Douglass anu
Filings and Councilmen Lawrence.
p.iIe ana Cunningham. The principal
Witnesses we're Charles f. TraSk, Z
hors. dealer. ana DR.. Pickering. COM
missioner If streets of Gardiner. There
were other witnesses summoned py
botb siIes. Mr.. Trask told his story in
detail ~ recited Monday evening be-
fore the board Of aldermen. MI TASK
rnut.nded that in the horse deal in
which he "Swapped' n par OF young
horses for a pair of ancient SterdS (anh
the modest cash sum of S"3W, he was
not treated with honestly ana openly.
Mr. Trask accused DR.. Pickering of
misreDresenting Il bay mare. This mare,
according to Mr. TraSk'S story, was
subject to commissions which, it was al
legged. Dr. Pickering concealed from
Mr. TraSk. \ few days after the deal
was made. Mr.. Trask said the horse
was seized with 4 fit, in which il re
NAMED FIVE hours. Mr. TrIst ordered
an agent Of the Humane Society to kill
the animal, and now Mr.. Trask wants
the city to pay him So in cash for tn"
dead horse.
DIR. Pickering was called rs n Witness
for the city and he argued that Mr..
Trast was wrong in his accusations OF
fraud and Misrepresentation. DE-.
Pickering testified that during tho five
years in which he had charge of the
bay mare he never knew said mare TO
be afflicted with fits or commissions. at
is true" said Or. Pickering, chat TN"
mare was cast and at time when she
slipped or lay down on the floor she
could not get up without the aSSiStanr"
Of several men. I told Mr.. Trask the
facts, and he said that he could use her
if nothing else allied her. I know that
the mare never had a fit or CONFUSION
during the time that | hud her in the
city stables"
In support Of his testimony pr. Pick
ering called several witnesses. The first
was Charles EIWell. Il teamStcr em-
Jloyed in the street department. Mr..
FlWell said that he had driven the am
nal i'm question for years. He sad: Il
never knew her to have fit ana
feel pretty sure that she never did nave
one While in the barn" Next witness
called was H. +. Booker, an emrl"ye 81
the street department. Mr.. Hooker
cnrroborated Or. PickernG's story
Nessrs. Boiyer. Ward ana White. all
emnloyes Of the street department. tts-
titled that the horse WAS known to
them and that they never knew the an
| imal to have a fit.
Mr. Trnsk off red only one witness
in his behaIf-a Mr.. eastman. AN EN-
Move Of the TraSk stable. Eastman
said that he saw the bay mare lying
In a box stall on the day Of the aiIH%ei
| III "I thought the old mare was dead
SIRE thing-but she came around al
right" he said Mr.. eastman did not
saw that he thought or believed that
the mare had fit or CONFUSION, as
claimed by Mr.. Trask. The committee
mon examined each witness and at VIZ
o'clock. the hearing was declared closed
Nv Alderman Douglass. The members
of the committee retired and probably
settled uuOn 4 decision. which VIII not
he made known until the next meeting
of the city government.