Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-10
STEN0GRAPHER'S BILL.
COST OF OFFICIAL REPORT

NleTh OF the Clty council. IL is as
follows:
WAsHINGToS, ID. c., June 8, 1885.
CIV. MEREDITH. Counsel.
To II. II. ALEXANDER. DR.. |
To services reporting and render
ing transcript OF the proceed
lngs IN Commonwealth Is, Clu-
yerius from May l1th to June
lst, inclusive. up TO the begin
nlng OF the arguments, 6593
Iohos az 2oc ........................ 81 .64s 25
The following letter of Mr.. Meredith |
accompanied the bill
To the Honorable the Members of the |
City Council Of the City Of Rich
moRd:
Herewith enclosed is the bill Of Mr..
II. II. Alexander, the gentleman who
acted as stenographer in the Cluverius
rcasS: The circumstances Of Mr.. Alex
ander's employment are as follows:
lie wrote me requesting that he be
employed as stenographer in the case,
and stated that his charge would be
twenty-five cents page of 100 words
for the copy Of the evidence to be fur
nished the Commonwealth. His re-
concentrations were very high. knew
his terms to be as reasonable as those
of any capable stenographer that could
be engaged in this city. The stenogra-
pher that | have had occasion heretofore
to engage in other cases charged sl0
per day in addition to twenty-five
cents per 100 words. 1t is true
he furnished two copies, but as both CO.
pies are struck off at the same time the
labor is no greater. AS the defence
were not disposed to employ stenog-
rapher | could not have gotten the
work done at less rates than the usual
ones Of capable stenographers. OF
course, an indifferent one would have
been worse than none. After getting
his letter interviewed both the Cover
nor and State Auditor and tried to get
them to agree to pay the expense out of
the State funds. They both declined,
stating that they had no power to do so.
Even before the trial the necessity for
stenographer was apparent. The ne
cessity was more fully apparent during
the trial. Without attempting to be
accurate, would say that the defence
made over one hundred objections du-
ring the trial. Without a stenOgrapher.
either the case would have to have been
delayed as each objection was made
TO allow q bill of exceptions to be
fled, or the Commonwealth wonld have
been forced TO have changed tbs order
which had been marked out for the
introduction Of her witnesses. Had
the first result followed there il
no telling how long the case
would have lasted. Had the latter re-
suit followed the effect OF the evidence
upon the jury would have been greatly
weakened. Without a stenOgrapher
the frequent discussions as to what
witness had said would also have great
" DELAYED the case: whereas. with
one, it was Immediately settled by ref
erence to his notes. Without stenog-
rapher the additional burden would
have been placed upon the attorneys for
the Commonwealth Of taking ample
notes of the evidence. | submit that.
looking at the circumstances surround
, ing the trial. they stood as much as
any man, with any regard for his
health, would care about risking.
1t is hard TO estimate the very great
value the stenographer'S report was in
presenting a proper synopsis Of the
evidence to the Court of Appeals.
Feeling the necessity for a stenogra-
pher, laid the facts before some
members Of both branches Of the Coun-
ell. | only had time to see few.
When | saw those members | did not
think that the trial would take so long,
and stated to them that | thought the
stenographer' bill would be some
where about $500. Those that saw told
me that they had no authority TO speak
, except for themselves, but that if a Ste
nographer was necessity had better
get one if | could get one who would
take the case, and look to the Council
for payment. | wrote to Mr.. Alexan-
der to that effect. lie agreed to come
on, 10 the work. and leave it to the
Council whether he should be paid.
That he did his work faithfully and eff
ciently no one will doubt, the long daily
sessions Of the court requiring him to
work late into each night in writing up
/ his notes.
have every reason to believe his bill
/ to be fair and correct one. | know
of no way of testing it accurately eX-
cept by counting each word in five large
volumes that, ! believe, contains over
$4,000 words. Such a test cannot be
expected of me. The five volumes
contain about 1926 pages. Having
counted the words on several pages, |
believe they contain, on an average,
$50 words TO the page. Such being the
fact. | believe that Mr.. AleXander's bill
!, correct.
| ask that the Council, under the
above circumstances, will pay the bill.
can but express the regret that |
made in my letter about Mr.. Wren'S
bill, that the city should be called on
to bear these expenses.
Ias,ure you they would not have
been incurred could they have been
properly avoided. Nor would ask the
city to pay them if did not feel posi-
tive that the State will not pay them.
I am, very respectfully,
c. V. MEREDITH.
Mr.. Alexander is one of the most
eminent men in his profession in this
country. He is an agreeable and plea
SAINT gentleman, and did his work well,
and almost at the risk Of his life. Some
days he was note-taking for eight or ten
hours in court. and up nearly till lay
break debating to his wife, who d the
tvpe-writng. With all that he vas
unable to keep up the writir out
work, and for two weeks after the rial
was ended he was engaged finish ; up
| tho tranccrintion of the evidence