The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-15
DURNAN,s WITNESSES GIVE THE
LIE DIRECT TO HALVORSON
AND RICHARDS.
WHO ARE THE PERJURERs?
TEsTIMoNy IN THE CASE TOO CON-
FLICTING TO BE RECON-
CILED.
ALDERMEN TAKE THE STAND
without Exception They Tell 8
Straight Story i'm Favor OF the
Defense.

Defense.
| 1t was cheerful to note the alacrlty
with which the aldermen who lined UP
! in favor of "day labor" in the reser-
voir deal stepped to the stand yester-
day and spoke their little piece all in
the same key. Some of them went so
far as to say that they never, no. never
| had discussed vote with Durham rel
alive to the measure, and others ACTUAL
| ly swore that never In the history ol
the city hall had committee meeting
taken a recess in the afternoon
Probably the most startling, not TO
4 saw sensational evidence of the day,
! however was when Durham and Jen-
4 'nings, both champions of labor in the
Third ward, swore that they had re-
fused to take $4,000 in cold cash, to oil
vide between them, which they could
have had in ten minutes after they had
said yes 1t will cheer their friends or
| the Third ward to know that they were
SO sorely tempted, and yet that it was
no temptation to the two bearers OF the
standard of the people, for they never
for a moment wavered. The people OF
the Third ward will probably do much
for these great men, to whom 5000
bright shining plunks was not as much
as a cigar to the ordinary alderman OF
| commerce. The Third ward can proud
ly hold up it's head and to Kilchl say,
| There are Others.
| The audience was aStOniShed to mark
that the defense had evidently changed
| it's line of proceeding. Certainly Mr..
Harrison had asked for impeachment,
certain questions which led the people
| to suppose that he would try to show
| that Durham had said something about
that $40, 900, but that 1t was only that the
contractors should put it up with the
city clerk, and they would get it back.
He had even made the leading question
as to whether he had not said $124,0OO,
instead of $4,000 which was with the
city clerk, which might be the amount
of certain certified checks, but when the
defendant was put on the stand. there
was fiat contradiction of everything
testified to by the two complaining wit
! nesses and that was all. There never
was any asking for any bribe, or any
$4,000 mentioned, except that he could
not get it for 100000
| The thing now SINNERS itself down to
| fiat proposition. Either Durham and
Jennings have deliberat ely perjured
themselves, or else Halvorson and
| IllCIldluS nave utllOSl pei Jul GU
| themselves.
| The proposition is too fiat to admit Of
such thing as forgetfulness, Or of be-
ing mistaken, or slipping of memory.
There are two stories SO Numerically
opposite, that they cannot be recon-
ciled Now the question comes to this:
Will the jury believe Durham and Jen-
Richards? Will the public believe the
former or the latter? 1t is a question
of reading and taking your choice.
A great portion of the city council
was on the stand during the day, and
only Messrs. Harvey and Nordeen hes
+ itated and were not quite certain of
events Thegothers spoke right off the
reel, and denied with the utmost aban-
don, showing that their memories were
| far better than the three members of
the council present, who could not tes-
| tify SO glibly. When the evidence
closed for the day, the defense had
started with evidence showing the rep
utation of Durham in the community
in which he lived for honesty and in
tegrity. The defense thinks it has a
cinch on that kind of evidence from the
| Third ward, where Mr.. Durham is well
known, and it can completely smother
| the state in any such line of testimony.
| 1t is probable that the state will not
/ try any evidence to contradict this
knowing how difficult it would be to
find any one who would say the repu-
! tation of Mr.. Durham in the Third
ward was bad
Lars M. Rand was the first of the
aldermen called. The witness said he
was present at the meeting of the CITY
council April 5, 1895. when the reser.
voir matter came up: He could not
say the exact date, but he knew of the
meeting. He knew there was a motion
to advertise for bids and there was a
discussion over the matter. Witness
said Mr.. Durham never attempted to
influence his vote and that he did net
try to get an adjournment of the COM
mittee for that purpose, and no ad
journment was taken. The witness
denied several minor points in the evil
dence relative to Mr.. Richards testi-
mony especially as to having met him
near the door of the Office Of the city
clerk. Witness admitted that he was
friend of Durham, and that he took
the same stand as Durham on the res
ervoir.
Aid. Rhodes, Drew, Phillips, O'Brien
McAllister and Harvey gave unanimous
testimony as above. In the afternoon
after some unimportant testimony by
Col Adams and Aid Nordeen, the de-
l PENDANT was called.
DURNAM'S STORY.
81 was born in Brooklyn town." HI
said. II am forty-one years of age
and live at 1929 Lyndale avenue north
/ have been in the horse business near.
ly all my life, and kept livery anG
feed store at Twentieth avenue north
I was a member of the council wher
the reservoir question was proposed
and was elected on the issue of day
labor for the work, which I favored
because four-ffths of the people in the
world were slaboring people. They helC
meetings, with the object of gettina
the work done by day labor as against
contract. I always favored day labor
in the council. I was not member OF
the special committee, but it was ap
pointed at my motion. I could not be
on it, for I was travelling with a race
| horse or two and had to attend to that
II first saw Halvorson May 2, 1895
I knew Peter Nelson eight years ago
May 2, 1895, first went to the feeG
store, then took the car and went tt
the Midway transfer to the horse auc
tons. I returned from there at abou
2:30 p. M, and then I went to the city
| hall, where I remained few minutes
then left. I usually made the city hal
my loafing place. Then I started III
Nicollet avenue as far as the rubbe,
store. when I met Mr.. Nelson and Hal
vorson. I was introduced on the side
walk as Aid. Durham. Halvorsor
asked us in to have a glass of beer, ani
we went into the White Elephant sa-
LOOM We all went to the bar, where
we ordered beer, and Halvorson sale
he was one Of the bidders in the reser-
voir and said he hoped would helI