The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1896-05-15
LEWIS PETERSON.
A Bell Boy Gives Some Evidence.

Lewis Peterson of Burlington was the
first witness called for the HERALD Wednes-
DAY morning. He said that he was nearly
Is years old and worked as Van Ness
house bell boy good deal, off and on, since
1891. His examination continued
@. With reference to the entertainment of
guests there in the hotel with intoxicating
beverages; what did you have to do about
that, what was the process, liquor, wine,
beer aud such things? How did you do it
and what was the process by which 1t was
got to the guests: A. Well, there was diff
ferent ways of course of getting it; don't
know what way you mean.
O. Tell us the whole story, anyway, just
as YOU did it. A. In .he line of a guest be-
Ing up in the room and wanted liquor of any
kind, they usually asked us down to the
office or rung the bell and we go up and
answer the bell call, and some of them would
ask us if liquor was sold in the house, If
there was a bar: and | told them mo- not
to my knowledge there wasn't: then they
would ask us if we could go out out and get
it, and we said eyes, we would, and we did.
@. What about the pay for it! A. They
would give us the money, the guest would
hand us over the money and we would 80
over and get it and return the change.
O. That was always the case? A. Not al
@. Where then did you get the money? A.
We would sometimes pay it out OF our own
pocket, and they pay us back after we come
back.
o. At other times, how? A. Well, we
would 20 to the office occasionally; II they
told us to 90 to the office and get the cash,
| we would 90 and have it charged
O. Charged on the book? A. Yes, sup.
pose so. =.
@. Did you nave anything to do with the
pay for it, then? A. No, sir; not unless
| they paid us back, and we should give il
| back to the desk.
o. And when you went to the office, what
did you tell the clerk? A. Calling for the
O. Yes. A. We would tell him that such
| a gentleman in such a room, such number
| would like so much liquor, and he wanted
| the money for it and have it charged to him
| to his account
How frequently during the whole COURSE
| of YOUR experience there was 1t that you
rendered service of this kind, would there
! be DAYS when you wouldn't render service
! of this kind? A. can't remember surely
| but think there was good many days We
| didn't.
Q. And other days when it was rendered
more than once? A. l couldn't remember
| whether more than once or not. | couldn'
very fully remember now, so long ago.
| O. What is your best judgment about th'
! frequency with which you rendered tina
service, and how would it average during th,
| period of time that you were there? \.
| couldn't remember for a fact.
| @. Can you tell little better than you
| have told us; tell us as well as you can re
member it how frequent you had to do thi
| sort of thing-would there be days when you
| had to do it often or several times day
| A. Not that can remember, no. sir.
| Q. And how would ii be in the summer
season when travel was numerous? A. We'll
| some days can recolect, once in whit
oftener than others. and other days nevel
one, at all, few days we wouldn't 20 at all
| in summer good many Gays WOULDN'T naN'
to 90 out at all.
Q. And how other days in summer? A
| Have to 90 out once or twice.
| O. Once or twice a day2 A. Yes, about.
l. o. Did the other bell boys render the SAINT
kind of service? | see them go out; dom
know whether they came in with anything
| or not.
while you were there in the summer season
A. Three, besides myself. and in the winte
| there was two with the colored man.
/ O. At some stage of your service you ha,
some instructions from Mr.. Clark about thi
business. did you? A. Yes, sir.
o. When was,that; what were the cir
cunistances; what did he say! A. Abou
the liquor?
O. Yes? A. think it was In the summe
of i93 that Mr.. Clark told me that the gov
| ernor had given him orders not to have an
LIQUOR charged on the books, no cash given GU
and charged on the books to the guests. If the
! wanted any liquor. to pay us the money an
! we should go out and get it ourselves didn'
want any more of it charged on the books
at all.
o. Were YOU alone when Mr. CLARK CAV
you these instructions? A. No, sir, l be
lieve there was others.
q. How many other bell boys were cale'
| up and told that same thing, together? \.
can't very well remember how many ther
was-three or four.
o. Do YOU remember who was with yoi
when YOU had that instruction given you
A. can remember only one that is Their
now-Max Trombey.
o. He is in the employ of the Van Mes
house today? A. | don't know whether b
is or noe. l heard he was.
o, Do YOU remember any one else VIII
was tbereP A. Yes, one that is dead.
O, Who was he? A. John Kelley.
q. And was there any one else except yol
three? A. Another one; he is out of town
Ills name was Walter Cartier.
.. am asking now about these boys tha
MIR. CLARK called up there and gave those IN
struclions 10. not other boys that had noihln
TO do with it.. Who were the boys beside
Max Trombley, yourself and this one VINO
dead. Was there another one? a. beheN
there was, but wouldn't say for certain.