The herald., 1897-12-10
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

the direct denial made to some Of the
statements Of Axtell, was favorable tc
webb, and the attorneys made the most
or 1t. AS to some Of the most importan,
facts In the case the statement made b,
Heilman was wholly at variance witt
what Axtell had sworn to. He denied
that his action In advancing the money
on which the debt owed by Axtell t.
Frank Savage was anything more than q
loan, and explained that his reason fol
retaining those notes after they had
been marked paid" was that he desired
to have in his possession some evidence
of the obligation due from Axtell. He
denied positively that any of the money
with which the notes had been paid came
from Webb. or that Webb had anything
to do with the payment. He detailed
the several conversations he had had
with Axtell after 1t became known thai
the latter was about to confess, and ad-
mitted hat he had advised Axtell to stay
at home and think over the matter be-
fore he made a confession. His interest
In Axtells welfare was due to the fact
that. prior to the present boards elec-
tion, Axtell had thrown thousands ol
dollars in trade to him. He denied al
remembrance Of his having told Axtel
that there were three or four persons
who were going to contribute to pay At
Tending Axtell.
HELLMAN'S STORY
Director Adams was not present al
last nights session Of the board. Messrs
Braly and Bartlett were also absent
when President Mathis called the meet
ing to order. After the usual prelimi-
narics, Mr.. Hellman was called to the
stand, and in response to Mr.. Gibbons
questions told the story OF his connection
with the matter. His first statements
were the same as made several days age
in connection with the McInerny plumb
ing matter, which were published In
The Herald at that time. He asserted
| that his interest In Axtell was due to the
fact that he was brother Mason, and
that he had thrown to him between $4,000
and $4,000 worth Of business during the
| entire time that the two had been
| friends.
When he was told by Axtell the even
ing Of the first session Of the investiga-
| ton that he was in trouble, Hellman
| suggested that an attorney be employed.
Axtell asked him who he could get, and
Hellman suggested Judge Mckinley,
| saying he would secure his services. He
| forgot the matter until too late, and then
| went to Marble & Phibbs, but as one ot
| the members Of that firm had had a dis
pute with one of the directors on the
| school board. they would not take the
case. The following day Hellman went
to the residence Of Attorney Frank
Davis and secured his services. He
agreed to pay the attorney II Axtell fall
ed to do so. The next day Axtell
came to his store. and, after going to the
bank, Hellman went to Attorney Davis
office with Axtell. The latter did not
desire that they be seen together, and
kept looking around as II he feared some
one would see him with Hellman. At
torney Davis did not know Axtell, and
Hellman introduced him. The attorney
then demanded the whole story of Ak
tell, saying that he must know the truth.
Hellman then left them in consultation.
but heard something Of what was said.
Asked as to his having paid the two
notes for Axtell. Hellman asserted that
he had advanced the money to Axtell
and considered 1t loan.
WHOSE MONEY WAS IT?
"Where did you get that money!
, asked Mr.. Gibbon.
Part of it borrowed and part OF 1t
had" was the reply.
Mr.. Gibbon then called his attention
to a conversation which Hellman had
had with him in q restaurant in which
he had been asked II Webb had not had
something to do with the money to which
an evasive answer tending to deceive
had been made and Hellman admitted
the conversation as Mr.. Gibbon de-
tailed 1t.
Did Webb pay you that money!" was
asked.
webb had nothing to do with the pay
ment of the money" was the response.
AS to the contract which the school
board had had with Harper, Reynolds
| & Co., Hellman stated that the contract
was for stove pipe and certain kind of
stove and some other things. He as
serted that nothing covered by the con-
tract had been purchased from him
through Axtell or the board while that
contract was in force, and as much as
said that the material furnished Nc
Inerny was not included in the contract.
He said in his efforts to secure the
present contract he had consulted the
city attorney on the subject Of the legal
lity Of the Harper Reynolds contract,
and secured from him an opinion that
the contract was not legal. After the
present contract had been entered into,
a representative Of the other firm had
examined the list Of prices at which
goods were furnished the board, and
had declared that they were fair whole
sale figures. He here admitted that he
had told Attorney Meserve a portion OF
his testimony yesterday when he met
him on matter Of business. Asked
why he had come as witness after say
Ii ing that he would not come, he stated
that he had received note from AK
tell asking him to come and he changed
his mind. He also admitted that he had
requested Mr.. Gibbon to keep his name
out Of the matter. but he had been told
that that was impossible.
GENEROSITY PERSONIFIED
Led back to the payment of the notes
he was asked who had given him the
money, and positively refused to ans.
wer the question. He was then asked
why 1t was he had taken as an evidence
of debt two notes that had been marked
paid. He explained this by saying that
Axtell knew they were debts, and that hi
had felt kindly toward him because o.