The Portland daily press., 1897-10-02

Al OAiO WIN WooAL w RSlAOSc4y 4CSAb1-
mate"
"Didn't 1t occur to you that it was
very peculiar bond this company re-
quired of man who was to handle
large sums Of money!" asked Mr.. Libby.
"It did after got home, but had
then signed the bond" said Waite.
II did not say in the Preble House that
| held up d car between Reading and
Lynn, that / had set fires in Portland,
that had removed bricks in the build
ing of the Mccarthy block and set fire
with kerosene and a candle between the
walls. didn't say any Of these things
that 1 can remember of. was not un-
conscious at the Preble House, but 1
didn't know all that was going on In this
room that afternoon. did not say that
the fire in the Congress Hall came near
being good one, that the fires helped
patrol system, that the only money
ever got out Of a fire was one in Lynn
when l was in business there. | did not
say anything about the fire in the Cum
berland National and Cagco National
bank buildings. did not say anything
about setting those tires between six and
seven O'Clock in the morning. I did tell
Brady once that number of fires had
been set in Portland during the year, but
he did most of the talking about them
II don't know all that took place in
this room. We were all talking together
about the business, but never said any
thing about fires that know Of. Others
might have talked of them. but can't
swear to 1t. F."
Waite then went on to tell how at the
Preble House that morning, Stetson had
talked about the fires and wrote all the
time he was talking to Waite, but he
didn't know what ..he was writing; how
Prichard or Clark went on telling hlm
about the alleged business, but didn't t
tell him about its being Illegal. He said
his head was aching very severely, and
he couldn't tell what was done, although
he remembered some things. He had
never mentioned anything about the
Monhegan affair, never said anything
about putting dummy on the track of
the Cape road He had told Brady once
on the w ay to Riverton that Geo. Floyd
and Strout had told him about a dummy
being put on the track and the car run
ming over it and frightening the conduo-
tor.
II never said In that room that sat a
dozen fires in Portland. can't tell what
was said, because was dazed and every
thing seemed to be confused. 1 think 1
knew what was done clearly I'D to Q
O'Clock that afternoon Of my arrest.
BRADY and Priohard told me that they
would be as clearly bound to me as was
to them. These criminal acts in the pa-
per would all be placed on record at the
headq uarters of the company and would
have the liberty of going there to exam
inc them at any time. They never told
me anything about the business being
illegal
.1Then what hold did you think YOU
had on them?' asked Mr.. Libby.
Il didn't think of that" said Waite.
"Oh, you didn't" said Mr.. Libby.
81 never asked Prichard and Brady If
| thpU dafpptiuoc cIr
| Brady to close the transon of that room
while | told my story. Neither did
| ever tell him that it was in me- to set
| fires. never expected this paper would
be given the police and that 1 could be
| arrested on account of it. never told
them that / knew 1 could trust them,
| that what ] told them about the fires /
| knew would go no farther. I didn't tell
| them that the fires helped my patrol sys-
tenn, and that was why I set them, and
| that liked the excitement.
II never made any correction of that
paper after / had signed it in the after
noon. didn't know there were any DO
| lice officers under the bed, while was at
| the Preble House."
you wouldn't have made these state
ments, would you?" asked Mr.. Libby.
II don't know whether I would or
not" said Waite.
''I didn't say on direct examination
! that Brady had told me the business was
| Illegal.
| in his Office. He asked me about who the
other man was who had been with me
| in setting the fires. l did not tell him
| that here was nobody with me- I did
say that the men who had been with me
at the Preble House seemed to be treat
ing me on the square and I wanted to be
square with them. Officer Pickett was
present In the lodging room when my
wife and I were talking about. these
| fires. I did not say to him i was fool
| to get into this trouble did not say
| that night that I was arrested to my
wife that I was in great trouble and saw
q long road in front Of me and was
afraid. I didn't say to my wife that ]
didn't know where I was the day of the
! Harrington block fire. l didn't say there
was club OF fellows who were after me
to join a smuggling scheme and that we
were sworn in not to give one another
away. did not say that I was fool to
get fooled by these fellows. My wife did
not say she would swear to an alibi for
me on the Harrington block fire. The
statements 1 signed We're false and !
| signed them to get a first class position
in this company and check for $4CO.
| They told me 1t did not make any differ
ence whether it was a true statement OF
not. This was the very reason that /
signed this paper.
HThat will do, said Mr.. Libby. and
the cross exam mination ended.
| On redirect examination Waite said he
had received a fire department badge
from Chief Eldridge. Had talked over
the patrol system with many prominent
citizens in February, who seemed tc
| think it was a good idea.
"Stetson told ME I had bettera put my
money into real estate than to put it into
banks, when L got the check cashed
told Marshal Sylvester that was at the
| Temple street fire and came over from
the Cape on car Of which VIM. Smith
was the motorman.
SIN Bangor had talk with maj
named Gerrity about the photograph bus
mess, and saw him both days while
was there"
On cross examination Waite said h
understood his duties with the compan,
were to be to receive letters, o. x, then
and collect money. "I was to receive $40
a month on commissions for this.
didn't know it was an illegal busines
and didn't think 1t was strange that tn
pay was so large"
This ended Waite's testimony, and
left the stand.