Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-04-10

scrip, he said that he and Page, as partners,
bought scrip, converted it into bond and
sold bonds to n considerable amount
could not say just how much that he
understood by letters from gentlemen in
Boston that Page had engaged in such
transactions on his own account, but had
no personal knowledge of the kind. When
asked how he reconciled the suit by the
railroad against him for money he owed
the company with his claims against the
company, said that the suit was brought
while Page was still president.
Mr.. Haven finished his direct ex-
animation Tuesday morning by test
flying further as to the details in
his statements of Gov. Pages indebt-
edness to the Railroad and Mr.. Wal
ker began the cross-eXamination. In re-
gard to the item of $4,000 rent from the
| Cheshire road, which the plaintiff claims
Page had and never accounted for, Mr.
Walker tried to show by the witness that
the $1,000 check given him by Page in No
! vember of that year was meant to apply
on that Witness would not swear it was
not, but thought not. He explained how
money loaned Page from the funds of the
company did not appear on the bank books
where railroad funds were deposited, by
saying he might have loaned it from
the funds in the cash drawer, any
where from $1,000 to $4,000, and did
not charge it to Page at all. Being
questioned in regard to his connection
with overissuing of railroad stock he
availed himself of his privilege not to ans
wer, being under indictment for matters
in connection with that.
The witness stated that he was refused
access to the books by Page, because he
pressed him for a settlement or statement
of his indebtedness to the company, up to
that time he had been associated with
Page in church and in religious and chart
table WORKS. lie stated III his direct eX-
check for the American Board of Foreign
Missions that that was his usual
annual subscription. He admitted that
Page had never directed him to
make wrong entries in the books, though
he acted under Pages orders; also
that he never had kept any ac-
count OF balances at banks where he de
posted his personal funds to the credit of
the railroad and drew on them for private
purposes as well as for the railroad, but
was certain he had never overdrawn the
account, but that there was balance due
MN always.
A statement made by Mr.. Haven
OF deposits and payments from his pri-
vate funds for the benefit of the Rail
road was put INTO the case Wednesday
morning. Col. Walker asked Mr.. Ha-
ven under what advice or promises
from MS COUNSEL or anybody in regard to
tne disposition OF the Indictment against
MN, he acted i'll i'll testifyng before the
grand jury last September. Judge Yea
zey sald 1t was competent for them to
show that anybody acting in behalf of the
plalntlf mad tried to trade with the wit
ness IN That way, but it was not admissi-
PIE 10 snow any interference by third par
ties, even if he did not claim to be eX-
cuSed as matter of privilege from testi-
lying what his counsel had told him; and
The witness was excused from answering.
Col, Walker also asked the witness, if in
a certain conversation with Judge Prout
ne dld not say that Gov. Page had nothing
to do with the over-issue of stock; and
chat ne could not say that Gov. Page had
IN MS hands any funds belonging to the
railroad company. The first part of the
question ne was excused from answering,
Mr. Barrett stated that as Gov. Pages
name was on all those certificates of stock,
if the witness eXculpated the Governor,
ny implication he eliminated himself. To
the last part of the question, he said he
did not recollect any such conversation.
Some questions were asked the witness
IN regard TO the ability and Integrity of
Mr. Williams, who succeeded him as
treasurer of the road, because as Mr..
Walker said, the plaintiff claims that Mr..
w llllams had been imposed upon. The
witness regarded him as Il man of good
character and business ability so far as he
knew, but knew nothing of his compe
tency as an accountant.
In regard to the Snalley mortgage he
had no recollection about it except what
the books showed and could not remem-
Der that he had ever seen it, In regard to
the Central Vermont railroad stock which
he said was carried as cash on hand, he
could not say that the company ever lost
anything by that transaction; and they
might have appeared on the books in an
entry as cash and securities. "
In regard to his salary he said it had
varied from $1,000 to $1,000. He was re-