St. Paul daily globe., 1894-03-15
BURNS HEARING CLOSED.
cONAISS SI0NERS MEET WEDNESDAY,
TO SISN THE TRANSCRIPT. 3.
LAvALLEE ANSWERS BURNS
The Commissioned Denies Em-
phatically Giving burns Au
the Heifer Story and shedding
Tears Will Soon Be in

Tears-Matter Will Soon Be in
the Governors Hands.
At the opening of the Burns investi0
CATION yesterday Mr.. Burns again took
the stand and identified the delinquent
list of personal property taxes as turned
over TO the clerk OF the court for 1890.
The list covers sixty odd pages of legal
cap, and embraces about 1880 names.
From This list 652 names had been erased
in lead pencil. principally small sums.
with no record Of any kind as to why
they were erased or on whose authority.
The taxes were almost invariably less
than s., many of them less than 81, and
the presumption Is that all We're prop
erly cancelled; but the claim of Burns
was that in order to check what SEEMED
to be irregular he had instituted the
plan of initiating, in order to- fix he re-
sponsiDility, and that he not only in-
itialed but made record and pub
liShed the record of those stricken
off by him. Clerk OF the Court
O'Connor was called to testify that
Burns first spoke to him about it. but
his testimony was not conclusive on
that point. He also wanted it done for
the protection of his office. Burns may
have mentioned it first. At any rate
| the plan was agreed upon before the
| list in question went into his hands.
He had not instructed Redding to call
Burns and ask him to initial those
stricken off by him. Lavallee also
| claimed that the initiating was in
stltIted by him for the protection OF the
committee. All conceded that the
matters had previously been conducted
| in loose and irresponsible manner.
| O'Connor identified the list from which
the 652 names mad been stricken i'll
1890 as the one filed with his
office. Mr.. johns offered fifty-two
witnesses to prove that they were able
to pay the taxes which had been caE-
celed by the commissioners, embraced
on the list of Cancelled taxes for 1892;
| but the chairman ruled out the evil
deRce, though Mr.. Edgert0n declined to
object, and Mr. Lavailee urged them to
put in the testimony, as the committee
was ready for the fullest investigation.
In rebuttaI, Mr.. Iavallee denied that
he had the conversation testified to by
Burns, OF any such conversation at any
time. Denied that he plead for himself
| or family or cried, but admitted that he
had a conversation with Burns, and
that he called him aside i'll the vault
| and told him that he had borne his
| SanderS and insnuatO ms as long as he
intended to do so. and that they must
stop. He denied that there was Jer-
sey heifer in the conversations; said
he did get heifer from Hill in
exchange for another about four years
ago and before the road mentioned by
Burns in his testimony was talked of.
He denied being in Burns office that
morning before the meeting Of the
board; denied having directed Burns
to strike Off any Of the names: denied
having any knowledge as to the names
having been stricken off until about
! three weeks ago; denied Burns having,
or having been given authority to strike
off evea those names abated by the
| state auditor; he swore that Jessrang
and Egan were either mistaken or their
testimony was willful perjury when
they said he was there; swore that
Scannell's was false. tie explained in
detail where he was and what he did
that morning, aud declared that it was
| in the commissioners room that the
name Of Gueren was stricken off, and at
the suggestion at that time of COmmis-
siouer Seng. 1t " as initiated in black
ink because he had laid aside his red
ink pen and took up another for
| 81, ua hot lnS n
talked with him about names two weeks
before this. He was positive that all
the names in blue pencil were erased
| after the list left his hands, and that he
never knew of it until three weeks ago.
He denied that he had raised or lowered
| assessments for personal considerations; !;
said he found Tibblls, corner Fourth
an d Colbert, with sworn return, claim
ing only $500 valuation. He raised MS
assessment to $1,000 and Tibbils never
kicked, but said he was glad they did
not raise it more; said Tibbils was car
rying stock Of $4,000. Wright, Bar
rett & Stllwell were on tile returns for
50. 700 and lie raised stheir assessment
to S27, 900. He knew more about the
abatements made to the wholesale
houses than he cared to tell; could give
them other Instances of raised assess
ments as the result Of his action if they
wanted it, and defied them to show any
corrupt action. On cross-examination
he denied that he had given
the auditor instructions TO strike
off the abated taxes; denied
his authority to do so without the
authority of the board; denied that he
had any authority even in case OF pay
ments of duplicate assessments, and
| admitted that it was the duty of the
clerk of court to enter the judgments if
not stricken off on the list as given TO
him, and that judgment would have
been entered in these cases even where
the taxes had been paid. He admitted
that most of the names stricken Off the
list by Burns were improperly on the
ist. and that he would have had them
stricken off by the board if his attention
had been called to them. Asked if he
intended to use physical force when lie
called Burns aside i'll the vault, he said
he did not; but if Burns had two arms
he would be disposed to stop his ISLANDERS
by physical force If necessary. Burns,
interrupting, insisted that he would be
enough for him even with one arm. He
denied that he instigated these charges
against Burns or any other charges or
caused him or his associates any trouble
through any proceedings instigated by
him. He said he did hold up the bills
of the board OF control for in.
vestigation, and refused to o. k.
bills for potatoes at 81 pei
bushel when they were bought in the
| market at As cents. The board thought
a contract was in existence which com.
PEELED them to pay 81 per bushel, but he
convinced them that there was not
They did not buy ice of him. He said his
interest in the ice company was S15(
and salary OF 800 per month. but ad.
mtted that Eastern parties held an in.
terest for him as collateral. He ad
mltted that McDermott and McDermotI
| .& KinSella were cuStOmerS of the Ice