St. Paul daily globe., 1891-06-17
ADMITS The PERJURY.
Ed Preston Says He Made a
False Affidavit for
Crieh.
Some Damaging Testimony
Closed the Case for the
Defense Yesterday.
Convention Of the Mutual
Life and Accident Insur-
ance Agencies.
4
Minneapolis Underwriters Are
Having Another Little
Row--City News.

Police Officer Fleming testified to see
ing Blake and Griffin together near
Crich's house the night it was burned
He heard them say something about
500, but did not know what it was
about.
A. a. Clothier, clerk in Christian &
Wagner's Office, stated that he exam
ined Crich's house the afternoon of the
night it was burned and found it empty.
The company had suspicious at the
time that an attempt was to be made to
cheat the insurance company.
Paul j. Rickard, bartender at 25C
Hennepin avenue. remembered having
seen erich, Griffin ald Blake in the
saloon in October. and heard the two
last say that Crich's house was to be
| burned that evening. He said the par
ties were not drunk. but "booZy." He
! afterwards connected the fire with their
conversation.
Police Officer Guemont told how he
saw the fire, and had difficulty in turn
ing in the call, owing to the alarm box
being plugged up with a piece of rag.
He saw some one running from Crich' S
house, but the person was too tall for
Blake. He said ne overheard con-
versation between Griffin and Blake in
Crich's barn, and heard them say some
thing about fire" and money"
Mrs. Blake next took the stand and
told how Griffin and erich called at her
house before the fire, and left a satchel
After the fire they wanted them, but
she would not give them up. Then they
asked to have them destroyed.
Dr. Ray, a dentist, Mrs. Houston,
| Mrs. Blake and George Probst testified
to hearing conversation between the
parties.
Ed Preston, who was convicted of lar
ceny last week, was brought from Jail
and put on the stand. He said that in
the presence of Attorney Barker, erich
and Griffin, an affidavit was drawn up,
which he signed, and for which he was
to get $3.50 if he swore to it on the stand.
The statement, after saying that he
had been resident OF the city for six
years, goes on to state that he is we'll
acquainted with both erich and Griffin,
as we'll as Blake, and says: II remem
ber the time when said Crich's resi-
dence, 222 Girard avenue north, Mime
apOlis, burned. 1t was on Nov. 2, 1889,
between and o'clock in the morning.
| was going home by the house before
it burned that morning. l saw the
said George Blake coming out of
said house at that time with picture
in his hand; he also had valise in his
hand. / said: Hello. George Blake
ing out of the back door with said arti-
cles. This was not more than ten or
fifteen minutes before the fire broke out.
l saw bright light flash upin the house
as Blake came out and shut the door.
The house | refer to was said Crich'S
residence
The statement was subscribed and
sworn to before Charles p. Barker by
Preston Cd Dec. 81, 1890.
rs this statement true?" Preston was
asked.
NO, sir, it is not. 1t was fixed up by
Griffin and l in a saloon. Crich mad
asked me before about the affidavit.
They told me the purpose of the affi-
davit was to implicate Blake in burning
the house. Crich and Griffin promised
me $50 for making the affidavit when
they got the insurance money. After l
SWore to the statement they took me
into their confidence, and admitted that
they had burned the house. | got S45
of the amount from them"
"You admit you periured yourself
when you made this affidayit?" asked
Barker,o on crosS-eXamination.
Yes, sir"
"You remember you came into my
Office with erich and Griffin and made
this statement to me which you signed"
"Yes, sir.
'Did you not send your attorney to
Griffin and demand money to pay your
lawyer in the recent criminal action
against yOu?"
Il did not demand the money, but as
| was in trouble. thought it only right
that he should help me out"
WAS it not about that time that you
decided to come up there and testify
against Crich?'
mo. slr: it was not"
''1f Griffin had responded to the de-
mand and sent you the money, would
you not have been teStifYing for him at
the present time?'
~ don't know. Perhaps 1 would
have been with him."
After recess of five minutes, Chief
of Police Henderson was called to the
stand to prove by the books the absence
OF Officer erich from duty on the nights
OF Oct. 81 and Nov. /. The plaintiff ad-
| mitted his absence on those nights, and
Maj. Henderson was excused.
The defense then announced their
evidence all in.
erich was again put on the stand and
SldlCu bldl MtIlI W GOl. duI WIFI Ills
wife to meet some relatives. They did
not arrive the first night, so he and his
wife went down again the next day,
Nov. l. When they returned home
on Nov. they saw their home was
burned down. Continuing, he said:
al placed the insurance with Wagner
at the request of Blake, as he claimed
to be an agent working on commission
and wanted me to help him along, as he
was an eX-policeman. l did so. As far
as my dealings with Preston were
concerned, he came up to Western
avenue and Twelfth street one afternoon
when was on duty and said Blake was
going to do me up. l would have
have nothing to do with him, but he
kept coming around day after day, until
finally [ got him to go before my law
yer and make an affidavit. A few DAYS
later he came around and said he was in
a hole and wanted me to lend him
money to help him out. l refused to do
so. Preston then said: 4 can unravel
what have wound as easy as l got 1t
up"
In answer to questions. Mr.. erich
said his wife took some of the things
out of the house. some of which were
enumerated in the proof of loss, and
number of things were burned which
were not on the list.
The Insurance policy was made pay
able to Mr.. Sale, who held mortgage
| of S1,050 on the house and contents.
"a Mrs. Houston testifies that YOU
| have number OF chairs on the list
which you never owned. Is that so?''
mo, she lied"
"That's right. that's the way to talk.
Of course she did," laughingly said
| Judge Rea.
"Did you ever pay George Blake any
| money for any purpose whatever?"
mo sir, never paid him a cent?
Court then adjourned until 10 o'clock
this morning.
THEIR SIXTEENTH ANNUAL.
Insurance Men Roast State Legis-
Iatures and Endowment Insur-