Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-10-06
Deposed Tufts
Says Is Innocent
and Time Will Tell

Boston, Oct Nathan A. Tufts.
who was dismissed from the Office of
| district attorney of Middlesex county
last week by unanimous decision of
the Massachusetts supreme court,
| tonight issued his first statement
declaring himself an innocent and
| misjudged man.
The court, which removed him
after trial on charges of misuse of
HE Office preferred by the attorney
general did not find him guilty of.
dishonesty upon any allegation, Mr..
Tufts asserted. saying:
Before my God and by all in this
world that ] hold dear and all | hope
for in the world to come I say that
! am as innocent of charges of con-
spiracy as when | was a babe in my
mothers arms
I'm the few other instances. and
they are few, where / have been
found guilty of reprehensible con-
duct or of misconduct or of other
things which mean the same, I sub
nit to the public that my worst Of
Tense is. that my hasty judgment in
the tremendous pressure of the bust
/
Judgment of other men. however
learned. who, with ample time for
calm reflection. review and study of
the law and the facts and for the ex-
ercise of 'hindsight' and the consid-
GRAFTON of facts and that I didn't
even know when the events were
hapening.s think now that something
different should have been done
II submit to the decision because
cannot help it. But some day when
the present hysIeria is over when
punishment is placed where it be-
longs, and not upon vicarious vic
TINS, ! shall hope that the public will
remind itself that | have not been
found guilty either of dishonesty or
| of corruption. When that day comes.
and | believe it will come, the public
will understand and l shall be vim
dicated
II have not been found guilty of
dishonesty upon any charge what
ever. The attorney general tried to
prove dishonesty on my part, but
failed utterly.
From beginning to end of the. de-
cision there is not a word indicating
any finding by the court that | was
dishonest. with regard to even the
minutest detail of my more than
four years of service.
Il have not been found guilty of
, corruption upon any charge what
ever. The nearest thing to it in the
whole decision is in connection with
the Stearns case. They have found
/ in that case that / entered into n
conspiracy to get evidence of Can
tain Stearns' habits so that his wife
could get a divorce
with whom is it said that I con-
spired? The court is silent. A man
cannot 'conspire' all by himself.
What the court has decided is q
matter of record. Judicially | can
not dispute the record"
MI. Tufts asserted that he had
expressly been found to be not
guilty on almost all" of the more
than 100 charges preferred against
nm by Attorney General Allen. The
state. he said, had admitted by legis-
latlon passed this year that if did
not give him enough court sessions
70 attend to the countys business
Il had frequently 40 or 50 eases to
dlspose OF in a single day." Mr.. Tufts
said. I'm the hurry and turmoil of
me business OF the Office there is no
doubt that made mistakes"
If [ had known as much about
these cases as l do now after hearing
all the evidence given at the trial T
should, have acted differently in num-
erous instances he added.
Endicott p. SaltonstaIl of Newton
was named today by Governor Gov
20 M out Mr.. Tufts unexpired time
IN the district attorneys Office