The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-02-17
..e.s EXPRESS Emphatic Opinion in Largely Attended
Meeting-Railroad Vote is Rescinded
With Vengeance
[rp 50 NAlIrIEs USED FREELY BY LAWYERS
~ Calvin Hooted Down at the Close of Debate on the
Hooker Corser& Mitchell Remarks of Martin
Ant in Turned Tide Against Town Authorities and Their
Attorues-Galvin Not To Resign.

$4,000 was not made part of the order
II the public service commission when the
order was made TO abolish the grade cross.
ng and to construct the overpass. MIR.
Barber in an imprisoned speech SAID
hat the public service commission had
nothing to say or do with the proceedings
ii Brattleboro town meeting. lie hoped
hat Mr.. Stafford's amendment would pre-
opposition against it.
L. w. Gibson said he thought sections
? and of the Estey resolution ought to
be adopted and such action was taken
The third section OF Col,
Estey's resolution was laid upon the table
upon the motion Of Clarke G. Fits.
The moderator then asked II there was
any other business to come before the
and John L. Kaine said he wished
TO say a few words about the tax suit
brought against the Hooker, Corser X
Mitchell company by the selectmen, two
weeks ago. He said that the people OF
knew that the suit had been
brought against three entirely innocent
men and referred to the present owners
of the company, with the exception OF w.
ii. Proctor. Mr.. Kaine struck the keynote
OF sentiment and was wildly applauded
when he said this is not a matter Tor the
courts to settle but one to be settled here
and now" He offered the following reso-
luton:
Resolved, That the selectmen are
advised that it is not the sense OF the
town to further continue the suit start
ed by the seectmen against the
Hooker, Corser & Mitchell company,
on account of taxes, SO far as said
suit relates to time previous to the
present management OF the company.
That, as to so much OF the suit as
relates to a time under the present
management of the company, the Sc
lectmen are advised to act their. own
Judgment and take the responsibility
for their acts.
The Kaine resolution and the author s
statement that then and there was the
time and place to settle the matter brought
the fighting blood Of ii. q. Barber TO the
surface and he proceeded to take the bark
off of everything in sight. lie prelaeed
his remarks with the statement that ne
was counsel for James r. HOOKER, W. II.
Corser and c. d. Whitaker. MIR. Barber
challenged the sincerity of the demand
of Clarke C. Fits, attorney and stock,
holder in the Hooker, Corser 4 Mitchell
company, for the prosecution oil W. r.
inc false tax inventory. Mr.. Barber went
one more step and accused Mr.. Fits OF
being attorney for the Hooker, Corser 4
Mitchell company when the alleged false
inventories were made, and insinuated that
Mr.. Fits was responsible and not MT
Corser. He said that during the period
in which the town was seeking TO recover
taxes Mr.. Fits was the. Encouragement
and countenanced this attempted dougne
OF taxes. 1t was at this point that Mr.
Barbers argument lost some OF Its force
as it was plainly evident that he was los
inc his temper and was making his per
sonal feelings toward Mr.. Fits paramount
to the matter under consideration. lie
said that the town would protect y; l.
Martin, John Knowlton, l.. f.. Holden
and III. r. Brown, the new stockholders
and that Mr.. Fits knew that the new
stockholders could protect themselves II
this suit, Mr.. Barber suggested that Mr.
Proctor be sued for the entire amount
which suggested that the speaker INTENDED
to fight into the last ditch to sustain M
contention as set forth in the writ IN whicI
the company was sued two weeks ago. MI
Barber said "let us stand back OF our OWL
town officials" He said that the town o
Brattleboro had had one OF the CREATES
of frauds perpetrated upon 1t and ne movet
70 amend the Kaine resolution with thu
following:
Resolved, that the motion of, Mr..
KANE be laid on the, table, ana the
selectmen be instructed to insert ID the
town warrant for the next March
meeting an article to see what lnsIruc'
tions the town will give to the select
non in regard to the suit OF the town
against the Hooker, Corser Mitchell
company.
Clarke G. Fits, speaking as = STOCK
holder and as attorney LOT tne NY r.
Corser & Mitchell company, SAID that n
was not going to oppose any resolution
He agreed that every citizen ana ever.
corporation should pay their. share OF TN
taxes. Without passion yet IN volc
loud enough to be heard in every. par
Of the crowded hall Mr. Fits said ,withou
The least reservation that Mr.. Barber ha'
stated an untruth when he accused hin
Of being counsel for the Hooker, CoT se
& Mitchell company from l9O3 to lSOS
He said that he did not become attorne
for the company until he became STOCK
holder in 1909. He said that ne ana a.
company were willing that any 1air 9uas
of values should visit the compahys a. q,
termine whether the town had been az
franded nv means of false inventory y
the wear 1910. Mr.. Fits said ne woul
not permit the counsel for Messrs HooKel
t,orser and Whitaker to make such an es
animation but he would be glad TO ieav
- 70 Tho Judgment of Postmaster Haskins
.fudoe James L. Tyler, Judge r.. !
Waterman or to any fair judge. i don
want to be sued for what someone els
has done" said Mr.. Fits. He then SAL
that the selectmen had known LOT i4 IN
time Of the financial condition OF Tn
H fi Corser & Mitchell company an
vet had made no attempt to collect thes
hack taxes alleged to be due. lie Gale
attention to the fact that James !
Hooker. C. D. Whitaker and ". q
t,orser each owned attachable real estat
IN Rrattleboro for long time after IN
se,ectmen became acquainted with tn
financial condition of the company an
,,at No ATTEMPT was made to compel tines
men TO nav up. Mr.. Fits said that IN
Hooker. Corser & Mitchell company en-
Moved $50 persons and had an ann4i
ppa Uy Of approximately $15O, OW.- II
| ccia;med that his company had been ser
onslv injured by the bringing OF TINS SUI
NV The selectmen. He reiterated his INV
tstion to the selectmen to have exper'
examine the taxable property OF ms con
nany He said that all his company wan
ed was to have the citizens express tnen
selves in the matter and to DO SO at tn ,
meeting rather than wait two Wees
more and allow competitors to sprea
still further among the trade me sta.'
ments that the Hooker, Corser q Mi'cne
wash Those Pimples OF.
AT