Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-31

| u
ing the II months of the year in order
10 insure their appointment on the po-
lice force. They inundated the voters
they oppressed the candidates, wrang-
ling and disturbance took place at the
caucuses When the time came for the
regular meeting $50 politicians, ward
heelers, the scum Of the earth, Were
We're sworn in as special police Of
bcers Those officers swarmed around
the ward polling places. opposing the
legal voters and intimidating others,
becoming intoxicated themselves and
! leading others to intoXication, riots
| prevailed, a fair vote could not be had,
a fair vote was not had. Immediately
preceding the Introduction OF this
| ms assure to the Legislature in 1899 an
| election was held. Prior to the time of
that election it was discovered that
| there We're 300 illegal voters III the
city CT Biddeford. 1t had been the GUS
| tom of the municipal courts in Bid
deford and Saco and other municipal
| courts having no jurisdiction in the
| matter to issue certificates of natural
ization: upon those illegal certificates
were registered and voted. At that
| election it was determined that thise
300 illegal voters should not vote. An
attempt was made to stop them, and
| the result was riots. The county was
| appealed to ana sent a number of dep
! uty sheriifS there in order to protect
| the peol lie of Biddeford, and the result
| was another riot. The special officers
| appointed by the corrupt city council
| arrested the deputy sheriffs upon their
| attempt to regulate things and they
| We're taken to jail released by bail
| commissioners, the deputies arrested
| the police officers.
| Coming dowr to the March election
| in 1898, While the bill was pending be-
| fore the legal affairs COMMITTEES, at
which hearing statements were made
similar to those which | have made
here, only much stronger. that under
| the existing conditions of affairs fair
vote could not be had, the opponents
| of the measure said it was all nom
sense. They said they were peaca-
bic and law-aDiding community The
| legal affairs committee took the meas
| urc under adViSement, the election
| was held in BiddefOrd and quote from
local newspaper as follows:
"On this particular election day a
| crowd of rOughs. all drunk and ugly
spe mt the afternoon between the poll
| ing places on Water and Washington
| streets They We're almost constantly
fighting Vile and abusive language,
| mixed with the fumes of Intoxicating
liquor filled the atmosphere along their
| course. Up and down the street they
surged, rolling in the gutter. blocking
the sidewalk, assauting each other as
well as decent people who tried to get
out Of their path without disturbance,
and keeping that end of the city i'm an
| uproar Attracted by the excitement
troops Of boys and girls sWarmed
about the drunken men. jeering ana
hooting at them Thus We're their
voun,r minds being trained for the du-
| ties of good citizenship.
"By a o'clock the riotOus behavior OF
! the mob had become so gross that
something had to be done to duell 1t,
and the city marshal with a dozen otfl-
cors drove to the scene in an express
pung, hastily pressed into service Tor
| the mission. The officers and the mon
| FLASHED on Main street, near FOSs. Tn"
instant the city marshal. club in hand
steoDAd from the pung, he was felled
on his back in the street with a blow
I "e''
mob. Several of the officers met the
same treatment and for the next 10
minutes there ensued one of the WIG
&c. a,counters ever seen in 3iddefOrd.
The officers piled their leaden weight
cd ch,hs right and left with all their
strength Whenever a blow landed on
a mead it split the scalp and the blood
burst forth This treatment as might
,,t
Of the mob out of the fight by laying
them unconscious in the snow. Whll'
their fellows took to their heels IN the
allevv avs. When the smoke OF the pat
flo had lifted several senseless meh
were thrown into the punS ~ lhe ON
ce,.s and driven by a back street to the
police station. .
Thi., is the condition that prevailed
while the matter was pending before
the legal affairs committee. Wheh
knowledge of that fact came to the
committee it was the decided drop
in the bucket which turned the scaie
of ,,stice and the police commission
was born. Those in brief are some VI
tho conditions which prevailed PRIOR To
the enactment of this law
viii now read two affidavits which
[ have mere. ,o
Riddeford March -. 1909.
T. James Mogan of said Blddef"ro'
make the following statement; nave
heen n police officer of the city OF BIO
doford in active service continually for
the last nineteen years sixteen OF WHICH
has been under the present ponce COIL
mission. AZ an officer before tne p"-
lice commission was established h''u
to nav one hundred and Twenty-Five
(Slo5) dollars for the POSITION ana one
hundred and twenty-five (Sl2') COLLARS
annually for political expenses. MANY
officers would be intoxicated during the
hours which they were on uutv ana
spent a great deal of their time AFTER
| 10 o'clock at night in the rum SHOPS
and left their beats unprotected was
often sent TO seize Intoxicating liquors
AT depot and to take some ana nave
some. was instructed who to take
from. Since the establishment of the
| notice commission none OF the ABOVE
| conditions have existed and l am not
allowed to engage in any political work
or to be assessed any amounts 81 mon
L lalS. hoo