The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-14
Searching for Corruption Among
License Commissioners.
CHAIRMAN MYRON FULLER'S UNFAIR RULING
Stopped Commissioner Burnham's Cross Examination of a
Very Glib TOngued and Ready Witness.

| place at the corner OF Plain and Bishop
streetsY"
~ have, responded Mr.. Nixon.
"Will you please turn to It., " continued
the attorney, and he then followed this
question up with another or two whether
Mr.. Nixon had the original petition for
the transfer of the license. Mr.. Nixon
replied that he did not have the applica-
tion and in answer to other questions
stated that the petition was for a trans
fer of a license belonging to +. j. Con-
nell TO Tobias Burke and that this petit
tion was signed by +. J. Connell. This
information MIR. Nixon read from his
record.
''Is that all the record you have Of
fhis case?'' demanded Mr.. Mccarthy.
"Well, there is the date when the trans
ter was ADVERTISED the witness explain
ed, pointing to another part of the page
in his book. But this did not satisfy the
examiner and he told Mr.. Nixon that he
! desired to know the date when the appli-
| cation was made.
81 don't know" was the answer.
''There is the date when we advertised It.
! II was on Sept. 20, 1885"
Here Committeeman Burbank came in
with an inquiry as to which the application
was filed, but the witness could not give
the desired information. He explained,
however, this by saying that applications
were received ten, twenty or thirty days
before they were advertised, but that he
made no record of the date of receipt.
Then Mr.. Mccarthy wanted to know
what his record did show. To which Mr..
Nixon answered that il showed that j.
f. Connell of AZ Chaffee street had Pc
| titioned the commissioners TO nave his
license transferred to Tobias Burke at 272
| Plain street.
1T WAS ADVERTISED IN THE NEWS.
chad Connell ever used that license?"
| questioned Mr.. Mccarthy.
"Yes, SIR"
"Was the application for transfer adver-
tised?"
'sIt was"
"In what paperf"
"THE News
"For how long?"
"For two weeks"
every day?"
"Yes, sir.'
care you certain?"
Eyes, sir.
"Did you read the paper every day to
see that the advertisement was in it,"
"No, SIR"
"Then why are you certain 1t was adj
vertlsed every day of those two weeks?"
Swell, Pm as certain of 1t as / am that
| the sun rises and sets"
, Then Mr.. Mccarthy wanted Mr.. Nixon
| to swear that to his knowledge 1t appear
ed every day, and when Mr.. Nixon de-
clined to do so positively, was proceeding
TO press him further on that point when
Committeeman Burbank ~interposed with
the question:: 'sWas IL ordered advertised
every day for two weeks?"
at was" responded Mr.. Nixon, and
thus that point was settled.
Then the examination proceeded for a
short time on direct lines.
"Was the transfer granted?" was asked.
"Yes, sir; 1t was"
"Have you a record OF itF
"Yes, sir.o
'tLet us have 1t, please"
The records shows that the transfer was
granted on November Is, 1885,"
Chairman Fuller: "Read the whole
record of the transaction
"Under the head of transfers granted
the record is, IT. j. Connell, AZ Chaffee, to
Tobias Burke, 272 Plain street and No. so
Bishop street."
HE DID NOT VOTE.
"Do you keep any Other record-a rec
ord of the votes taken?"
"No, sir"
"Nothing to show how the several
members of the board vote on applica-
tionso
"No, sir; we never keep a record OF
that"
At this point Chairman Fuller became
impressive: "You are under oath, Mr..
Nixon,n he faid, and / want you TO tell
us as a matter Of fact whether or not you
voted on tina transfer
81 did not vote on it."
"Yet you are a member OF the board;
why didn't you voter"
81 was busy with the records. My
mind was more on that than on v%oting.0
"But how would it be IL nobody voted7"
swell, IL the chairman announced that
the vote had been carried and no.one OBJ
jected, j think 1t would be rulable TO call
1t an affirmative vote"
'That is to say, Mr.. Nixon, that 10 all
the members were present when a ques-
ton was put, in the affirmative form,
and ell those members kept their mouths
shut, it would be rulable to declare it an
affirmative voter"
Ibis sally by the chairman was created
with a burst OF laughter, and when it
bad subsidized Mr.. Mccarthy resumed the
examination. He wanted TO know il the
record presented was the whole record of
the transactions of the board. Mr.. Nixon
answered that IL was.
'ln whose handwriting Is it?p de-
manded the questioner.
1.-The original Is IN mine. This is the
handwriting OF a young man l employed
TO copy it,
No sooner had Mr.. Nixon made this
statement than Mr.. Mccarthy, addressing
NV NhhA liuht utllhilutd iudl INC
original record be produced, and the
chairman promptly ruled that Mr.. Nixon
should present II.
THE ORIGINAL RECORD.
Mr.. Nixon proceeded TO the office OF the
commissioner on the first floor OF the
city hall and after an absence of seven
or eight minutes returned with the de-
sired volume. When he had taken his
place again Mr.. Mccarthy resumed the
examination OF the witness.
Have you the original record there,
Mr.. Nixon2'
81 have sir; we call 10 the blotttr.n
docs IL contain a full record II the
action OF the board on this Transient"
alt does.
"What is the record? Read IL IL you
please
alt reads: 1T. j. Cornell. AZ Chanee
street to Tobias Burke, Plain street; j.
!. Crandall, Richard Burke; completed
Dec. Is, 1851
what are these two names there?"
hlhey are the names 81 tho auroifoa -