The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-20
General Surprise Expressed at the
Announcement.
State Depends on Testi
mony Of Expert.
Yesterdays Testimony Devoid
s. of Sensation.

Philadelphia. April 19.-Unexpectedly
prosecution in the trial Of ex-senator
Quay. for alleged conspiracy, closed its
case today after nine days full Of argu-
ment, clashes of counsel and testimony
largely of an expert nature. The general
opinion had been that the trial would
drag through many more days and when
District Attorney Rothermel announced
that he had concluded there were express
sions of surprise from all parts of the
room. The end came at O'Clock, just
one hour before the usual hour for adj
journment and after brief consultatio n
among counsel for the defense, and
Judge Biddle, the latter announced court
adjourned until tomorrow in order that
Mr.. Quay's lawyers might have time to
consider what steps they should take
with respect to the presentation of their
side. 1t was stated that the question of
entering demurrers to the prosecutions
evid enoe or proceedings with the taking
of testimony would be decided By the de-
ferrce's counsel tonight. From the evil
that the commonwealth depends largely
for conviction ON the testimony of its
expert, Meyer Goldsmith as to his inter-
pretai ions of the accounts in the 'red
book and other books of the Peoples
bank and supon the jury's opinion of
the books, papers, letters, kilograms and
checks offered In evidence.
AS TO what extent the testimony of the
defeuse's expert, should he be recalled,
may offset Mr.. Goldsmith's testimony,
remains to be seen.
The contention of the defense in argu-
ment and cross examination has been
that the calculations Of Mr.. Goldsmith are
not borne out by the books, but ON this
other hand show that Mr.. Quay old not
uss state money nor receive inter-
est on state deposits and that W hat
ever loans be received were made In
the customary manner and
proceedings Were devoid OF sensational
features. The dry routine of figures and
involved explanations of accounts took up
most of the time. Mr.. Goldsmith's CROSS
examination was concluded and redirect
EXAMINATION was begun by MIR. Rother-
mel. The points brought out by him were
that the cash account and interest account
of the bank were deficient by the omission
of certain sums received as interest: that
it was customary to designate call loans
by initials instead of names. Upon the
question OF MIR. Quay's balances in the
deposit account from May 1896. to October
1897, MIR, Goldsmith said: In 1896 on
June % the balance was s. IS; on Novem-
Der "A, s2. ~. &c; on November as again
$3.50; in 1897. on January Z, fifty cents;
on October 26, $40, 600 80; and on October
"a, 80 cents at whioh 1t remained till the
end of the month. These are all the vari-
ations from April 80, 1896, to October 81,
1897
Director of the Mint Henry X. Boyer
was on the stand and after testifying To
paying interest in October, 1897, on a call
loan asked permission TO make state
Inent in reply to tho District Attoi ney's
allegations in the couIse of testimony
that he received interest on state money
while state treasurer from May, 1883, TO
May 1871, His request was not allowed,
but the court stated that all records of re-
plies to those questions were stricken out
under the court's ruling.