Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-20
VOTE UNANIMOUS
Continued from Page ons)

(touttuuOu from rage Ouol
months ago the executive had dis,
persed by military force.
BY the removal of Governor wal
ton, Lieutenant Governor M. E..
Trap became governor. Trap has
been lieutenant governor two four )
year administrations and has been
acting governor since October 90.
when the senate suspended Governor
Walton after the filing of the i'm
parchment charges.
The vote followed with surprising
suddenness after the examination of
the last witness. f. w. Mariand, pres
ident of the Marland Refining Co., had
barely left the stand when w. e. Dis
ney, chairman Of the house board Of
managers which conducted the prose-
cution. announced that the evidence
was concluded.
A few preliminary 1naneuvers, and
then motion was made to. vote first on
article 10, The clemency charge. The
court sustained the motion and the
prosecution summed up briefly the tes-
timony introduced, in support Of the
charge. -
The court then took up the roll call.
The chamber was intensely Quiet as
voted aye" many with voices that
were kept steady with difficulty.
Twenty-eight votes were necessary
to convict.
Senator c. D. Leedy of Arnett was
the 2Sth man. With the determining
vote in his power. he told the court
he would vote mo" unless given au-
thority later to explain his ballot.
"All right; go ahead and vote"
'"Then 1 vote, aye" Senator Leedy
said, and burst of cheers and ap-
clause came from the galleries.
When the roll was complete the clerk
read the result of Chief Justice J. T.
johnson of the state supreme court,
who presided at the trial.. announced
the verdict.
Guilty as charged in article 49, the
chief justice said. More applause
greeted his words and brought a hasty
reprimand from the marshal of the
Senate.
Then followed in rapid succession
verdicts on each of the remaining
charges.
Those on which the governor was
convicted i'll the order of voting We're:
That he exceeded his pardon and
parole powers. Vote Al to 0.
That he placed his personal chauf-
feur on the state health department
payroll, 35 to 6.
That he padded the state payroll,
So to 3.
That he prevented the assembling
of a grand jury. 80 to J..
That he suspended the right to the
writ of habeas corpus, 40 to /.
That he issued $4,000 deficiency
certificate for the state health de-
partment when no deficiency existed,
81 to 4.
That he issued a deficiency certi-
ficate for $4,000 for a state negro or
phans' home in order to provide
salaries for two negro BARRIERS whom
he ordered placed on the payroll of
the institution, 40 to 1.
That he attempted to prevent a
special state election to be held Oc-
tOber, 81 to 8.
That he exceeded the legal limit of
election expenses, % to 13.
That he solicited gifts and contri-
buttons for expenses of his office aft
er he was elected. Vote unanimous.
That he is generally incompetent.
Vote SO to a.
The charges on which he was ac-
quittei were:
That he used his official position
to obtain personal property and
credit, % to IS (Lacking the neces-
sary two thirds ma jority to convict.)
That he received a $4,000 bride to
approve an appropriation for the
state business academy, 26 to Ia.
That he refused to permit the ex-
ecution Of the law providing capital
punishment. IL to 80.
That he illegally named large num-
bers of known criminals and ire
sponsible persons as state police, "a
to II.
That he illegally named Charles H.
Basconl. a member of the state legis-
lature as district judge, II to 20.
The trial ended with no evidence
having been presented for the de-
fence, the court previously having
voted to proceed with the hearing
when Governor Walton unexpectedly
withdrew with his counsel Saturday
after announcing that he no longer
could stand "the humiliation of an
unfair trial.
The board of prosecution completed
presentation of it's testimony today
with the defense, as unit, absent.
a member of the governors legal
staff was in the gallery, however,
and when the roll call on the charges
was started, ne look MS place at
the defense table. entering exceptions
to each vote of guilty as it Was an
nounced
After the formal verdict ordering
the governors removal had 3ern
rendered, +. E. Riddle. chief Of rie
defense counsel. entered the cham
Der and presented the motion for a
new trial.
Throwing a great sheaf Of papers
on the clerks desk. Riddle said:
Il hereby petition this court for
permission to present application for
new trial.
AS he made the statement, he
laughed aloud.
Immediately after denying the
petition the court adjourned.
Lieutenant Governor Trapp. who
became governor through the action
or the court himself had gone
through an impeachment fight. Arti-
Giles seeking his removal in 1921. Oh
charges of corruption IN ',ffice, were
stricken by the senate Impeachment
court which voted 81 to 16 to quash
the charges.
With the close Of the impeachment
trial today counsel for the denosed