The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-01-28


 get when you saw the black placer" "Within two yards"
 "Sstoop down close to it?"
 "No, I just saw that it was black" "Did any one occupy that room in which the base board was burned from the time of the fire until you next saw the room?"
 "No, sir''
 1.-Two weeks subsequent to the fire the door was not locked, was it?" ; 1T don't know
 s.'So far as you know, it wasn't, was it? Doors of unoccupied rooms are left unlocked, aren't they?"
 $s'No, sir"
 s'Usually locked, are they?"
 t.Yes"
 "How was it, then, that the door of room No. 19 came to be unlocked on Oc- tober 9?''
 'It had been left open to air. The rooms were open, not locked. All the unoccupied rooms were open when l came down at 11:45."
 Did you tell MT. Burton to close them after you came doWn?'
 "No. sir"
 If they were closed afterwards some one else must have closed them?"
 sYes. sir''
 MT. Williams-"Didyo you go into Cooks room on Christmas morning?"
 'tNo, sir, I turned back. Just as I got to the door met MT. White and po- liceman coming out.''
 'See any one else about the room or near by as you saw MT. White and the policeman%
 T saw a gentleman coming out of room No. 22 at the same time."
 Did you see any one go into No. 19 afterwards?"
 NO, sir"
 The next witness put on was William L. Sheahan, the plumber. He testified that he had known Captain Hodgdon for number of years, and last summer had a conversation with him during a business transaction, in which the cap- tain said something about George T. ( White.
 Mr. Williams-"What was it?"
 "Captain Hodgdon wanted me to re- move some plumbing material in the Tontine hotel. He thought that he would realize more on it to take it to \ Springfield and sell it. I said that he would be money in to let me have it and sell it to MT. White. He finally agreed with me and let me have it. When was paying for it in the Ton tine kitchen had the conversation with him about MT. White I gave Captain Hodgdon $250 for the material, and he asked me if that was his money, refer ring to White. I said, Yes and he said, The White put me out about $10,000'"
 s.When was this?''
 Just previous to the first of June" George Miller, who conducts the Ton tine barber shop, was the next witness. He had heard Captain Hodgdon say something about MT. White, but could not remember what it was, and was ex- cused.
 Deputy Sheriff Teal, who has had charge of the oil cans found in the room of the Tontine in which the December 25 fire occurred, was put on the stand and identified the cans as having been given to his charge by Court Messenger Stevens.
 MT. Stevens was called and said that the cans were given to him about Jan uary by Signal Officer Bicey Began Officer Began testified that he got the cans in the central police office and did not know who brought them there. He said that they had been in the office some time He opened the telescope bag which was with the cans and found in it some paper Captain Brewer anG Sergeant Driscoll saw him open it. IT response to question by MT. Chase Officer Beegan said that the cans were in the office where prisoners were Iro1,oJ,+ io
 Court then adjourned until 10 oclocl this morning.
 Tn the course of his cross-examina- ton yesterday afternoon by MrA Bar. bour Cook said on the morning of De- cember 25, after he had set the fire ir room No. of the Tontine hotel, he left his room, No. 19, by the window just as he heard the fire bell ring, and jump ing from the lower roof to the ground he came out the gate leading to the rear of the hotel just as a fire engine was coming up Court street. At the close of Mir Barbour's cross eXamina ton, Mir. Williams began a redirect ex. animation and asked Cook about the fire in the Cheshire hotel, witness hay ing admitted to MT. Barbour the day before that he was in the Cheshire house before it burned. In answer tt MT. Williams questions Cook said tha he was working on the hotel at tht time with other painters; that they were asleep on the top floor when tht fire occurred, and were nearly suffocat ed Witness said that he did not SC fire to the Cheshire hotel MT. Will Hams then asked Cook about his state ment made the day before that he hat left New Haven on a morning train or Sunday, October 10, last and asked hin if that statement was right. Witness replied that it was not He said tha le walked to North Haven, from thert to Wallingford, where he had dinner and later took a trolley car to Meriden where he had supper. Later he took ; train for Springfield, train whicl leaves New Haven Sunday afternoon Cross examined again by MT. Barbour Cook said that he came to the copclu sion that he did not leave New Havel on a Sunday train when he woke up il his cell yesterday morning, and that h spoke of it to man who has charge o his cell. He could not describe hi route in walking to Wallingford, no anything about the restaurants il which he ate in Wallingford and Meri