St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-14
RAYS EXAMINATION.
The Case Of the "Cool and
Collected" Ex-Lieense
Inspector.
Aid. Gray Puts His Oar Into
the Municipal Lighting
Scheme.
North Dakota Railroad Com
missioners and Minneapolis
Elevator Hen Confer.
Young Mr.. Bailey as a Strad-
Young Mr.. Bailey as a Strad-
ler--Judge Emery's Lee
ture.

urer MOdisette, G. E. Crosby, his cash
Ter. and j. F. SorenSOn, the bookkeeper
in the city treasurer's office, were on
hand as witnesses. Chief Bracket was
also occupying a seat in the court room.
AS soon as the case was called County
Attorney JamiSon announced that he
desired to have Ray arraigned OH new
complaint, which charges Ray with
having taken the money from the Bern
heimer Wine company, the complain
ant, as bai!iff, not as trustee. Ray
seemed to be the most disInterested
person in the room as he stood up be-
fore the bar industriously chewing
piece of gum while the complaint was
being read. When the clerk had fin
ished he retired to seat behind his at
torneys and resumed the masticatory
process.
Charles E. Bernheimer. manager of
the Bernheimer Wine company, cor
poration formed for the purpose of do
ing wholesale and retail business in
wines and liquors, and located at 26
Washington avenue north, was the first
witness called. Mr.. Bernheimer, a
medium-sized, red-mustached and prom
manufactured German, took the stand
and told a clear story. He has been in
Minneapolis but three or four months,
and has known Ray as license inspector
nearly three MONTHS The dates upon
which he met Ray he could not remem-
Der, except that it was on the 14th of
July that he paid Ray the $500 which,
in the complaint, Ray is charged with
having wilfully, unlawfully and felon-
iously made away with.
'WhaU passed between you and Mr..
Ray at that time?" asked County Attor-
ney Jamison.
cray came to me-" said Bernheimer,
''and told me that it was time to pay in
my money for license. told him that
l understood persons taking out a
license had received favors from the
city officials and that. if such was the
case, would like to enjoy portion of
the favor. He said that L could pay
him $500 Oh the license then and $500
later. when | could better afford it. l
picked up my check book. to write a
check. Ray said the check wonld have
to be certified and suggested that |
had better give him the currency. l
told him to return i'll an hour. In the
meantime L went to the Flour City bank,
got the $500 in paper money, and when
Ray returned paid it to him."
The receipt which Bernheimer took
from Ray was here introduced in evil
6ence.
when did you again see Ray" con-
tinued the city attorney.
Il can't swear that | saw him again
until last Saturday at the Jail, when
told him that | was ready to pay the
other $500 and that il he would return
my money | would give him the receipt
and then take out my llcense."
That was substantially all of Bern
heimer's testimony and the attorneys
for the defense took the witness, Dona-
doing the coaching. Nothing new was
brought out in the cross-examination
except the point which will undoubted-
ly be urged by Penny, revealed in these
questions:
"Have you ever gone to the city treas
urer's Office and demanded your
money?'
NO." Bernheimer replied, as if he
had never thought of that.
do you know that there is still 81, 500
in cash in the treasurer'S Office in Rays
tin box, and that your $500 may be
THEREOF
II had heard such an amount was left
there"
That was all, and Assistant City
Treasurer Modisette, who has occupied
that position for five years, was called
Ray closed the maStication of his gum
as Modisette told his straight story, and
the muscles of his face worked as if his
teeth were set hard. Modisette went
over about the same story as that here
tofore published in the papers about
the famous tin box. Ray first brought
this box to the treaSurer's Office about
three months ago, the pasteboard box
used at first having been replaced by
the tin box, at Cashier Crosby's request,
ten weeks ago. The box was always in
the burglar-proof vault except when
Ray wanted it, Modisette and Crosby
being the only ones who had access TO
the vault or knew the combination of
the safe. He also told how his atten-
ton had been called to Rays having
the box unlocked on July 10.
'Was there anything unusual in what
Ray did with the box on that day?" in
CURED Jamison.
"Yes," replied Modisette. always
before Ray either gave the box to
Crosby or called his attention to it when
through with it. On this day he did
neither. He pushed the box through
onto the counter behind Sorenson, the
bookkeeper."
"Was Ray in your Office after that?''
'Not to my knowledge"
"When did you see that box again?"
''Not until it was examined by the
chief of police on July 31.''
''Was the safe ever left open, or could
any one get to that box? Had the safe
been tempered with?"
"The safe was always kept locked
whenever Mr.. Crosby or myself were
away from it. No one else had been or
could get to the box"
"How much money was in the vault
with the bOX?"
Anywhere from $4,000 to S6O,ooO."
On cross examination the defense
tried to show that any one of several
extra employees or other persons who
had been in the city treasurer's office
could have had access to that box. but
Modisette said they could not unless
they drilled through three inches of
chilled steel.
"What fixes it i'll your mind that it
was Oh July 10 that Ray last used the
tin boX?" asked Donahue.
because on that day we advanced
Ray $50 on his salary"
On redirect examination Modisette
swore positively that Ray had not been in
his office since the 10Th of July. He had
no doubt as to Rays honesty, which
was the reason he did not send to police
headquarters to notify Ray of his care
Iessness instead of waiting until Ray
| should come in.
Cashier Crosby was then called. Ray
resumed the chewing of his gum.
Crosby said that he had been in the
treasurer's Office for four years. AS to
the circumstances of Rays bringing in
| the box for deposit, the manner in
which the box was handled and re-
turned, Crosby eorroborated the testi-
mony Of his superior, Modisette. On the
18th of July the box was locked when
he gave it to Ray. 1t was not returned
directly to him, but was left on the desk
back of Sorenson, he not Noticing it
until Ray had lett the Office. The cir
cumstances of finding it unlocked were
testified to by him es by Modisette.
Ibid Ray come into the Office after