The Portland daily press., 1897-09-14

Did Mr.. Staples ever talk to you about
politics2''
He told me last spring to go to the
caucus and go for Baxter delegates
What did you say?"
II didn't say anything, but thought
was TIVE nty-one."
E. P. Sargent, president of the Port
land Sanitary company, testified to buy
ing pair of horses OF Mr.. Staples last
fall. Before this, Mr.. Sargent had been
asked by Mr.. Staples if he was to buy
any more horses. He said he had a pair
If he could get a harness and team
Staples said he would lend a team and
harness, and put the team on with others
owned by Mr.. Sargent and working for
the city. The cart was an ordinary dump
cart. The witness never had any talk
with Mr.. Staples to the effect that he
would be given preference in city work
even over Mr.. Murray. The dump cart
resembled those used by the city. The
witness could not say it was city cart.
1t was not new cart and was returned
in the same condition as when received.
The witness could not state whether the
cart was numbered or whether anything
was marked over number on the cart.
His company did good deal of work for
the city and 1t was not uncommon for
loans to be made ON each side
In reply toa question by Mr.. Leighton,
the witness denied the testimony to the
effect that his company had received a
new team from the city last August and
returned it.the night before election last
March. The witness knew his business
as he had not lost a day since the com
pany was formed.
. Mr.. Francis Sargent, superintendent of
the sanitary company, testified further
about the use of the cart. His attention
was called to the fact that something,
probably q piece of rubber cloth was
nailed on one side of the cart. He lifted
the cloth and saw that something had
been painted underneath. He could not
say whether or not it was number.
Staples said that he was in need of teams
and would lend team and harness if the
LOIoCo WCIO pun IIO Ct1Ib WAS re-
turned to Mr.. Staples's private stable. He
had no talk with Staples about preference
| in city work.
THEN CHARLES S. FAIRFIELD
was called and told story which fatty
contradicts the Testimony of tho two
previous witnesses. Mr.. Fairfield said
~ had talk with Francis Sargent on
the 9th day of last July in hail up town.
oargent said that he could tell me some
thing funny. He said that Staples had
gone to his brother and told him that if
he bought pair of horses that Staples
had to sell for $500 he would lend him a
team and give him q preference in the
city work even over John d. Murray.
Sargent said that his attention was called
to the cart one day by one of his men and
saw peice of rubber on the side the
words city II. Sargent also said that he
was going on vacation for two weeks
and that it would not be policy for him
to get mixed up in this investigation. l
mean Francis Sargent. / never saw his
brother until tonight. I swear in the
presence of all the gentlemen here, THAT
i that man there (pointing to Francis Sar.
CENT? told ne these things
A minute later, Mr.. Fairfield asked
permissio on to amend his testimony. His
attention had been drawn to the fact
that Sargent had told him not that he
was going on o vacation, but that he
should be out of town for two weeks.
| Mr. Toi~ oc1yod tho xyitnocc h.
knew that Mr.. Sargent was at work al
the Cape.
James E. Kennard recalled, said thai
he had no recollection of telling Mr.