Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-05-01
THE RAILRoAD-PAGE TRIAL.
Bclated Jurors-Mr. Haven Takes the
stand and Explains Charges
Against Him.

Bclated Jurors-Mr. Haven Takes the
stand and Explains Charges
Against Him.
RUTLAND, Vt, April 2S-Owing to.
an obstruction on the railroad track
near Mt. Holley, two of the jurymen,
Messrs. Holden and Packard, could not
get here this forenoon, and court did not
go in until afternoon, the missing jurors
having driven into town meanwhile.
Mr.. Haven was called to the stand by
the plaintiff, and examined by Mr.. Bal
lard, who called his attention to several
instances where Gov. Page had testified
to certain things, which were contradict
ed by Mr. Haven. He repeated his form
er statement that he and Gov Page were
partners in exchanging dividend scrip for
the bonds of the company. This Gov. Page,
denied when he was on the stand MI
Haven produced Il memorandum, which
he SWore was made at the time and also
read from a book belonging to the com
pany, entries cOrrOhorating his statements
relating to II transaction in which Page.
got $500 worth of bonds and he got $1,000
| by exchanging dividend scrip for them.
He then explained the charges against
! him in the Baldwin statement. In answer
to the charge that he had $4,000 bonds OF
the Railroad he said that the bonds were
originally used as collateral security for a
sold ut 80 per cent par value, and he
bought them at that rate. Page request
ed him to leave $4,000 of them i'll the
railroad Office, as Page had made state
| ments about that amount OF bonds on
| hand to the directors. which made it nee
essary to keep the $1,000, and he gave
Haven Il receipt for them which Haven
still holds Other charges he explained
by saying that the proceeds of acceptancts,
| etc, had gone for the benefit Of the road,
and should he charged to him as treasurer,
instead of to him personally. He denied
that Page had found fault with him for
the way he conducted business, as Page
testified. Col. Walker began the cross
examination, and will occupy but Il short
time Wednesday morning.
Cross Examination of Mr. Haven-The
Plaintiffs Rebuttal Closed.
RUTLAND. Vt, April Cool. Walker
consumed the forenoon in his crOsS-eX-
animation of MIR. Haven. Haven admit
ted that he might be mistaken as to the
way the proceeds of an acceptance for SO
600 were used aud in reference to which
he testified yesterday. He stated that
when he said notes were discounted for
him as treasurer, he meaut by his per-
sOnal efforts. Many of the small items in
the Baldwin statement charged to him, he
stated Yesterday, were to pay coupons
airs ana cents came from coupons on even
hundreds of the bonds, he failed to cX-
plain il satisfactorily in all CaseS, but was
positive that those checks were not for his
private accounts with the parties, because
he never had dealings with them personal
ly. The checks for coupons were usually
marked &C, ~ and he admitted that some
of these were not so marked, but called
them for coupons because they appeared
Oh the books IN connection with several
pages of cheeks that were so marked
/ some checks he stated. yesterday, were
gwen Joel Il. Harris for little matters be
cause the Railroad owed Harris He ad-
mitted that he kept no account with Har-
riS, but kept memoranda in lead pencil in
the cash drawer of the checks given
Harris.
Haven was re-eXamined by Mr.. Ballard
in regard to the Indebtedness of Page to
Haven. He stated that Page owed him in
the vicinity of 5000, and paid him nothing
since 1850. Judge Dunton was next CAL
ed by the plaintiff and Intercepted with
reference to the same point. He stated
! that Page admitted in a conversation
with him in the spring of So that he owed
Haven about $1,000. Being asked hy Col.
Walker in crOSS-eXaminatiOn ii he did not
know that Page was an lndOrSer on notes
of Haven to the amount of $4,000 given
for bank stock, he said he never heard OF
it until then. but had heard that Haven
had indorsed some sort of accommodation
note for Page tor $4,000. Dr. Mead was
then called, and testified to the same effect
in regard to the Indebtedness of Page to
Haven, and also that Page said to him in
the same conversation in which he adj
mitted his Indebtedness to Haven, that If
Haven would take care of the stock mat
ters of the companies he would take care
of the deficit in the cash. Col. WALKER al
tempted to show Dr. Mead l,.aton, on
cross-eNamination, to the sale oI stock to
the Clements in 1883, but Judge Neazey
held that it was inadmisSible.
The plaintiff next called James Walden
of New York. He said he was a public
accountant, had been brought up in that
business, and gave instances of his cX-
perience since he came from England to
this country. Had examined public ac-
counts of Washington, ID. c., and of New
York city, and many private accounts,
His testimony was directed to showing
errors IN the Baldwin statement He gave
the details of transactions and showed
how Mr.. Haven was charged too much by
Baldwin in his account, which would be
ineligible TO readers only in connection
with the statement itself The plaintiff
closed the rebuttal with this witness, AND
the introduction of some papers.