The herald., 1897-12-22
THE STORY
TOLD AGAIN
Webb Sticks to His General
Denial
HIS CROSS EXAMINATION
FEW CONTRADICTIONS BUT
MANY INCONSISTENCIES
HIS CROSS EXAMINATION
For Nearly Three Hours He Is on tho
Rack-Investigation Adjourned
Until Tuesday Next

ber of the board OF education, has tolt
his whole story. First, he narrated !
under direct questions by his own attor
cital. Last night for almost as long {
time he was on tho witness
stand under cross-examination ant
retold the tale. Having entered ,
sworn against him, it was comparative
ly easy for him, even when under thu
cross-flre Of the other side, to reiterat'
his denials OF all connection with OF
knowledge of the matters charged
against him, and that Is just what HI
did.
His remarkable nerve has been com
mented upon before, since the investi
cation has been in progress, and it stood
him we'll last night. In spite Of a mani
fest nervousness, there were not so many
outbursts of temper as had been ex.
pected. 1t had not been the expectation
OF the prosecution to make so shrewd .
man as Webb contradict himself many
times, but 1t was their purpose, and ir
It they succeeded. to make him contra
dict almost every other witness who
had been on the stand, and thereby ex-
pose the inconsistency Of his former
statements, as well as Of his own testi-
mony given the night before.
In point of controlling his temper and
answering questions, Webb made a good
witness, in spite Of the great strain upon
him. He did make come gallery plays
which werc to have been expected Of q
man in his position. On the whole, his
story was about the same a. he had
told 1t the night before. with some vari-
ations and more attention to points OF
detail
Director Bartlett was again in his
chair when the session was called to or
der. He will be there every night from
now on, for he Is moro interested in the
evidence than perhaps any other mem
ber Of the board. Webb excepted, be-
cause Of the almost positive assurance
that his turn to enact the role Of defend
ant will come next. All of the other
members, except Mr.. Braly. were pres
ent, that gentleman being still too Ill to
venture out of his home at night.
THE FIRST CONFESSION
There was no delay at tho opening, for
as soon as the roll cali was finished
Webb toek ths stand and his cross
examinationb bayan. Mr. Gibbon, for the
prosecution. began his questions with
tho incident that occurred on the night
Of Axtell's first confession, when Attor-
ney Frank Davis was seen to speak to
Webb Immediately after Axtell had
told him that he did not desire to fight
the cass any moro. az he intended 10 con-
fess. Webb tated that he had only re-
marked to tho attorney that 1t was not
fair to any person that all the hearsay
evidence should be admitted, and that
there was no other matter mentioned.
The examination then turned to the
conference between Webb and Mr.. Con-
rey In the lattsrs office, whore Webb
was first shown the affldavits Of the
principals who had baen approachd.
Webb asserted that his reason for then
suggesting that the board look into the
matter In executive session was prompt
ed by desire to prevent scandal until
the board had had an oportunity to as
certain whether there was any basis for
the charges that had beon preferred.
He denied positively that at that time
he had proposed that Axtell be permitted
to resign without trial.
His attention was called to his former
statement, that he had not suspected
any member Of the board of wrong
doing UP to that time, and had stated
that he did not think any member was
implicated in the matter, and he reas-
serted his former testimony. He was
then asked whether Secretary Johnson
had not on a former occasion called his
attention to Adams habit Of talking to
teachers and janitors in the school
not at that time said that he thought
something was wrong. Webb positively
denied that he had ever had such con-
versation with Johnson.
rs 1t not a fact that before this in
vestigation really began you had
a conversation with Prof. Keppel, in
which the Cooper matter was mentioned
and III which you said that II any. of the
was paid 1t never went beyond
Pitman's pocket" was asked.
'No, never had such a conversation
with Ksppel. The first time I talked
with him was at q meeting held in this
room, and no such remark was made"
was Wsbbs reply.
THAT BASEMENT CONFERENCE
Webb's meeting with Axtsll in the
basement of the Spring-street school
was then mentioned, and he told the
story as he had the night before. He
said that there was nothing in what
was said there to conceal; that it was
no secret. but he did not explain why
it was after the two were alone, Charl-
ton retiring at Axtell's suggestion, that
the door was closed and such secrecy
AZ to what he said to Miss Schroeter,
Webb declared that when that young
lady called upon him to ask about a
position he had not sent her to Adams.
He told her to see the other members
IF the board but did not mention them
BY name. Miss Schroeder stated the
truth In her evidence about my connec-
lion with her case, and do not de-
sire to contradict her. did not men
lion Adams to her, although 1t is pos
sible that may have mentioned Nc
[nerny, because there was At that time
! vacancy in his ward"
The fact that the position sought for
by Miss Hawks, one of Adams intended
had been given to Mrs. M. s.
who was rated as fair teach