St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-13


Burns Sticks to His Text and
Declares He Was Ordered to
Strike off the Names-Iist Of
the Stricken-Reardon Takes
the Stand.
In the Burns investigation the fore
noon yesterday was consumed without
concluding the examination of Mr..
Burns, who was at times decidedly
sensational in his testimony. He charged
corruption on the part of Lavallee in
the abatement of taxes for wholesale
and business firms, and in the improve
ment OF the road out to Jim HIPS farm.
Asked why he had not preferred these
charges before against Mr.. Lavailee, he
said Lavallee had Kept him SO busy
with charges that he was without time
to give him attention; that Lavallee
came to him two days before this in
VeStigation commenced and asked him
to step into the vault, and he then and
there told him he would swear anything
he desired if he would not bring up the
matter of the Jersey helfer from Hill or
taxes for business Inns, or attempt TO
show corruption on his part. Later in
the investigation he was asked why he
brought the Jersey heifer in, and he re-
piled that jim HIPS hired men brought
the Jersey in. Burns said that the
blue pencil was run through four
teen other names by him under
the direction of Lavallee on that
morning of July 8, and that only
the five had been selected for the pur-
poses of these charges because they
were special friends of his, but even in
these cases Lavallee had motive in
ordering the names stricken from the
roll, and he would show that he had in
each of the other cases if given an
opportunity. He said none of the four
teen had been abated by the boord, aud
he was prepared to show further list
OF sixty eight names where the taxes
had been abated i'll like manner wi h )ut
the action Of the board. He charg ID
that before he went into the office it
was the custom of clerks in the office
to strike Off the names of their unces
and cousins and auntS, or any one they
saw ut, from the tax rolls, and that
there was no record to be found of the
names so stricken; that for the first
time III this case the list in question
had been published, and for the first
time the initials had been placed oppo-
site the names stri cken off in order to
fix the responsibility and make record
of the facts-Of the reasons why they
10 a,.fa
justification Burns called attention to
the printed record of attachments, and
said 1t was printed in order that
the people might know what was
going on; that he taIke d with
commissioner Seng about the abate-
ment of taxes OF the firm he was inter
ested i'll and told him it looked bad. and
Seng said he had no knowledge of it,
He again SW0re positively that LavalIee
directed Seng'S firm to be stricken off.
and that, as to the entire list, he acted
only as clerk and did what he was
directed to do by Layallee, he being in
authority over him. Asked as to his
knowledge of what the law required, he |
said he would refer all such questions
to the legal department; that he re-
qulred written oninion before he /
would act: that the wholesale firms en- |
braced in the list were stricken off by |
order of the state auditor, backed I'D the /
opinion of the county attorney in writ |
Ing TO the effect that the board had |
right to abate the taxes without his |
concurrence. He did not req uire a
written order from Lavallee to strike |
from the list, because the whole |
matter was going before the board
within fifteen minutes, and did 90
before the board, and every name |
was read to them and approved by
them. Burns admitted that there was !
bad feeling between him and Lavaliee:
he said Lavaliee was concerned each
time IN the charges against him, but
charged that Layallee was a standing
candidate before the commissioners for
his place: said he would not allow him
in his Office where there were records
unlcSS:he or clerk We're there to watch
him, and that this feeling existed at the
time he alleges Lavallee directed him to
strike the names from the list. He pro-
posed 10 put O'Conner on the stand to
show that it was at his Burns0 request
that the initials were required to be
placed opposite attachments in order
that the responsibility might be fixed.
and the fact that they were not placed
against the names OF those stricken off
by him until requested by Redding was
purely an oversight. Burns again swore
that all of the names were stricken eff
In the presence of LavaIlee and under
his direction, and that the certificate
was affixed then and there. and within
fifteen minutes the list as 1t HOW ap-
pears, excepting names afterwards
stricken Off in black. concerning which
there is no controversy. as it is claimed