News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1896-05-14
LEWIS PETERSON.
A B.II Boy Gives Some Evidence.

A BelI 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 a Van Ness
house bell boy good deal, off and on, since
1891. His examination continued
Q. 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 and such things! How did you do it
and what was the process by which 1t was
got to the guestsy 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 the line of 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 90 up and
answer the bell CALL and some of them would
ask us If liquor was sold in the house, if
there was bar; and told them ''no," not
to my knowledge there wasn't; then they
would ask us If we could 90 out out and get
it, and we said ''yes" we would, and we did.
G. What about the pay for it? A. They
would give us the money, the guest would
hand US over the money and we would go
over and get it and return the change.
Q. That was always the case' A. Not al
ways.
@. Where then did you get the money? A.
We would sometimes pay 1t out of our own
pocket, and they pay us back after we come
back.
Q. At other times, how? A. Well, we
would go to the office occasionally; if they
told us to 90 to the office and get the cash,
we would 90 and have it charged.
@. Charged on the book? A. Yes, | sup
pose so.
@. Did you nave anything to do with the
pay for 1t, then? A. No, sir; not unless
they paid us back, and we should give it
back to the desk.
Q. And when you went to the office, what
did you tell the clerkP A. Calling for the
money?
O. Yes. A. We would tell him that such
gentleman In such 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 1t was rendered
more than once? A. | couldn't remember
whether more than once or not. | couldn't
very fully remember now, so long ago.
Q. What is your best judgment about the
frequency with which you rendered that
service, and how would it average during the
period of time that you were there? A.
couldn't remember for fact
Q. Can you tell little better than you
have told us; tell us as well as you can re-
member ii how frequent you had TO do this
sort of thing-woud 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 numerOusg A. Well,
some days | can recolect, once in while
oftener than others, and other days never
one, at all, a few days we wouldn't 90 at all !;
In summer good many days wouldn't have
to go out at all.
8. And how other days in summer? A.
Have to 90 out once or twice.
Q. Once or twice day2 A. Yes, about.
q. Did the other bell boys render the same
kind of service? l see them 90 out; don't
know whether they came in with anything
| or not.
@. How many other bell boys were there
while you were there in the summer season.
A. Three, besides myself, and In the winter
there was two with the colored man.
@. At some stage of your service you had
some instructions from Mr.. Clark about this
business, did your A. Yes, sir.
W. Nueu was lhht Nh"b NuiN NhC WI
cunstances; what did he sayy A. About
the liquorS
@. Yes? A. l think 1t was in the summer
of '93 that MIR. Clark told me that the gov
ernor had given him orders not to have any
liquor charged on the books, no cash given out
and charged on the books TO the guests. II they
wanted any liquor, to pay us the money and
we should go out and get 1t ourselves; didn't
want any more of It charged on the books,
at all.
@. Were you alone when Mr.. CLARK gave
you these instructionsp A. No, sir, be-
lieve there was others.
@. How many other bell boys were called
up and told that same thing, togetherp A.
can't very well remember how many there
was-three or four
@. DO you remember who was with you
when you had that instruction given you?
A. | can remember only one that Is there
now-MaX Trombley.
@, He Is In the employ of the Van Ness
house today? A. ] don't know whether he
is or noe. | heard he was.
@. Do you remember any one else who
was there? A. Yes, one that is dead.
q. Who was he? A.. John Kelley.
q. And was there any one else except you
three2 A. Another one; he Is out Of town.
His name was Walter Cartier.
@. am asking now about these boys that
Mr.. Clark called up there and gave those In
struetions to. not other boys that had nothing
TO do with 1t. Who were the boys besides
Max Trombley, yourself and this one who II
dead. Was there another onep A. believe
there was, but wouldn't say for certain.