The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-01
CAPT. H0DGDON TESTIFIES
HE DENIES IN FULL THE STATE
 MEN1S OF COOK.

Nor Asked Him to Set One and Never
 Prepared Any Candles-The Fifty Dol
 lars Paid Cook Was for Work in Paint
 ing the Haynes Hotel.
 Yesterday was the fifth day of the Hodgdon arson trial in the criminal superior court before Judge Roraback and jury. It was one of the most in- teresting days of the trial owing to the fact that Captain ,Hodgdon himself took the stand and denied all the state- ments made by Cook alleging his con- nection with the fires in the Tontine hotel.
 Captain Hodgdon stated on the stand that he was born in Belfast, Maine, and had spent about twenty-five years at sea. In 1865 he enlisted in the Ninth battalion. Massachusetts Heavy artil- lery, and at the close of the war re- turned to New Haven. He stated that when he was twenty years old he was captain of vessel. From 1866 to 1886 he sailed out of New Haven. among the vessels which he commanded being boats belonging to L. w. & F. Arm strong and the Benedict Coal company. In 1886 he kept hotel in Massachu-$ setts for a year and a half, and then purchased the Central house on Church street. In 1888 he took the Fremont hotel, and in June, 1891, leased 1t for a term of six years. He said that he | IT and said that he expended in fitting up the house $3,00O or $4,000. He testified that he found, about year and half before his lease of the Tontine expired, he could secure release, and that Mr. White had offered $4,2O0 more for 1t 5 than he was then paying. Captain Hodgdon stated in answer to a question by MT. Chase that he had the furniture and fittings of the Ton- tine insured for $S.000 at the time that MT. White secured the lease. This question was objected to by MT. Will Hams, however and, with the answer, | was ordered stricken out. The captain | testified that he closed up the TontiEe about May 1 and sold the furniture at auction and that he then kept a watch- man in the house for ten days, until l the expiration of his lease, to see that no one got into the hotel and to sea that the property was not injured the house then being vacant. | He stated that he took the Haynes house in March, 1897, and employed several paper hangers and painters to fit up the hotel. Among the men So employed was a man named Wilcox, ] who employed Cook, or English. the name Cook was then known by, to- help him. English, or Cook, worked there three months and earned $40. The captain stated that Cook would not take his pay at regular intervals. l At this point memorandum kept by Mir. Wilcox was produced, showing tthat on October g last Cook drew 5 of the balance then due, him, amounting to $55. The memorandum also showed that on October il Cook was paid the balance of $50 due him. Captain Hodg-s | don stated that Cook had roomed att the hotel, but he did not know whether or not he was there on October g. He then described the appointments of the Haynes house, and said that the office was a large room, nearly as large as | the court room in which the trial is be- I HE IIGiQ. llc Scilo IldI clil OA ttiC JAhAN>x5 could be seen from the street through windows. He then described the paint room upstairs in the Haynes house and said that in the room there was paint, varnish, old rags, cloths and brooms, but not any paper that he knew of. He said that old papers were kept In some rooms for use in kindling fires and that the room was accessible to every one. aM94M
 The two varnish cans which were | found in the room of the Tontine in which the December 25 fire occurred were shown to the witness, but he could not identify them as cans which he had seen before.
 MT. Chase-"Did you ever talk with l Cook prior to December 24?" "No, sir.'
 "Ever talk with him as to whether or not he would do a job for you in New Haven?"
 "No, sir"
 Did you ever offer him money to set a fire or ask him to set a fire?" "No, sir"
 "Did you on December "A prepare any candles?"
 No, sir"
 Have you ever paid Cook any mon-s ey except for work done for you by him at painting, paper hanging aud decorating?"
 No, sir"
 And the amount paid to him for that was s5O?"
 "Yes, sir.''
 Captain Hodgdon said that for the first two days after Cook began work; ing at the Haynes house he worked for
 MT. Wilcox at SIP per week and board,
 rooming outside of the hotel. At the
 end of the two days he made another
 agreement to work for $10 per week
 with board and lodging at the hotel.
 The captain stated that he paid Cook
 his wages and paid the $5 on account
 October and $50 balance due Cook on | October Il.
 At 11:15 yesterday morning the trial was resumed from the point where it closed Friday afternoon. The first
 witness called by the defense was Ly-
 man E. Field, steward of the Haynes house, Springfield. He testified that
 on December A he saw Captain Hodg- don at o'clock in the evening in the hotel office and again at o'clock in the billiard room. He said that he
 had an oil can at the hotel similar to the one placed in evidence by the state,