The Portland daily press., 1897-11-10


To the fifth charge of causing city
teams to be used on the property of pri-
vate persons Mr.. Staples said:
have swept Franklin and Central
wharves because 1 thought it was for the
credit Of the city that they should be
clean. Have thought that there might
be some liability tosthe Ecity if sthey
were not cared for. 1t has been open and
no remonstrance ever made.
These are all the wharves have swept.
To the sixth charge of purchasing hors-
es of John D. Murray without ascertain
ing If better purchases could be made
elsewhere, Mr.. Staples said: I have not
purchased horses of John d. Murray have
no authority to do So Mr.. Fernald has
purchased the horses with member of
the committee on streets. I have neve
made any trade nor determined what
horses to buy. The commission and the
committee have always determined these
things and there have been no exception.
To the seventh charge of causing his
teams to be employed in the name OF
John d. Murray he said: Have not
caused to be employed my horses in the
name of j. D. Murray. I used some of
my teams in an emergency last Fourth of
July, but got no pay for them.
Did not haul city property to private
dumps. Dump at foot of Wilmot street
is a city dump. Have exercised no pri-
vate control over it. Have never used
any of 1t for my own private purpose.
Now all material is hauled to behring's
Oaks Have not soughfsto promote the
interest of any private Individual.
/. AS to the charge of using tools of the
city for his own business:F
had accumulated large stock of tools
when I was in business as private con-
tractor. The city has had the use of
many of these tools without pay. Some
times 1 have used cart belonging to the
city and two or three times jigger.
did not use the cart much. The city is
very largely in debt to me in the ex-
change business.
With regard to alleged transactions
with the Sanitary company, whichgcon-
stitutes charge 10, Mr.. Staples said:
We have always borrowed from and
lent to the Sanitary company. We Dor
rowed one cart and kept it three weeks. 1
loaned a dump cart but it had nothing
to do with my sale of horses to them. 1t
was in good condition when returned.
Paint carts every spring. I neither
stipulated for nor received any private
advantage from this transaction. We
borrowed and lent back and forth, with
out charging the other. zss
To the 18th charge of failing to sus-
Npend or discharge intoxicated employees
he said: gssgs
Never failed to suspend Or discharge
men intoxicated. Know nothing about
the case testified to. Men have been sent
home and lost their time. The charge is
not true! tf
The twelfth charge was ruled out be-
cause the alleged transaction took place
before Mr.. Staples present term of office.
To the thirteenth charge he said sheghad
never appropriated or taken any city
property. Did take two collars but they
were to replace two I left on two horses
I sold the city. They were not worth SO
much as the onesSI furnishedsthe city.
Never took any other collars. 1 never
took any blankets belonging to the city.
In regard to charge fourteen of entering
on books hire of horses in Murray's name
when the horses belonged to him. witness
said nothing Il the kind ever occurred.
To the fifteenth charge that of causing
to be hauled to his own dumps city
property. Mr.. Staples put in general
denial. Never had got any private adj
vantage out of hauling to dumps.
Never caused any sand to be hauled to
his son house ms alleged ina specification
Is. Hauled cellar rock to his sons house,
but it was rock he had purchased of the
pany and hauled it with his own teams.
Mr.. EStnples exhibited the bills and the
freight receiptssfo this rock
Had never swept any private property
as alleged III charge II except Franklin
and Central wharves, and did this for
the city's good. Thought the wharyes
unkept and would be a disgrace to the
city
With regard to charge Is tnat he ne
elected to properly guard hole on New
bury street. Mr.. Staples said that the man
whose duty it was to do so had failed to
report to him and he supposed it had
been properly attended to. The negli-
gence. if any, was not his work.
He had never caused sand to be hauled
to the Grand Trunk elevator. None had
been hauled there by city teams.
He had never bought musty hay or oats
as alleged in charge 90. All the feed
bought for the horses was of the best
quality, bought in competition in open
market. He and Mr.. Fernald examined
samples of grain submitted and selected
best. Did not know to whom the samples
belonged when they made the. selections
and picked out what we deemed the best
and at the best price. We do not know
whose grain we are buying. All the
testimony about musty oats is false.
| have done the best 1 could.
In answer to Judge Symonds he said