New-York tribune., 1899-04-20
SURPRISE IN QUAY TRIAL.
PROSECUTION SUDDENLY CLOSES ITS
CASE AFTER FURTHER EVIDENCE.
ADJOURNMENT UNTIL TO-DAY TO ENABLE
DEFENCE TO PREPARE PLANs-MAY
pEMUR AND MAY CALL WITNESSES

ADJOURNMENT UNTIL TO-DAY TO ENABLE
DEFENCE TO PREPARE PLANs-MAY
DEMUR AND MAY CALL WITNESSES.
Philadelphia April ls.-Unexpectedly to almost
every person interested the prosecution in the trial
ot ex-Unted States Senator Quay for conspiracy
closed its case to-day. after nine DAYS full OF ar
rument clashes OF counsel and testimony largely
az an expert nature. The general expression OF
opinion had been that the trial would drag through
many days and when District-Attorney Roth
ermel announced that he had concluded there
were expressions Of surprise from all parts of the
courtroom The end came hour before the
usual time for adjournment. and after brief con-
sultation by counsel for the defence with Judge
Biddle the latter adjourned court until tomorrow
IN order that Mr.. Quay's lawyers might have time
10 consider what steps they should take with re-
spect to the presentation of their side
Il was stated that the question Of entering demur-
rers 10 the prosecutions evidence or proceeding
with the taxing of testimony will be decided by
counsel tonight From the evidence already pre-
sented It appears that the Commonwealth depends
largely for conviction upon the testimony of its
expert Meyer Goldsmith. 10 his interpretations
OF the accounts Of the Red Book" and other
hooks OF the Peoples Bank. and upon the jury's
opinion Of the books papers letters. kilograms and
checks offered in evidence
To what extent the testimony Of the defences ex-
pert should he be called. may offset Mr. Gold
smiths testimony remains 10 be seen. The con-
tennon OF the defence In argument and cross-ex-
animation has been that the calculations Of Mr.
Goldsmith not borne out by the books but. on
the other hand show that Mr. Quay did not use
State money or receive interest State deposits.
and that whatever loans he received were made
IN the customary manner and backed by sufficient
collateral
To-dav's proceedings were devoid Of sensational
features The dry routine of figures and involved
explanations OF accounts took UP most Of the time
showed that
the cash account and interest account Of the bank
were deficient by the omission OF certain sums
received as interest. and that it was customary
N designate call loans by initials instead Of names
1pon the question OF Mr.. Quays balances in the de-
posit account from May. 1896, TO October 1897. Mr.
Goldsmith said:
In 1896 on June @ the balance was s IS; on
November "a s2777 IS: on November g. again 81 Sc;
in 1897 on January Z. so cents; on october 26. sO-
on 81 and on October o. 80 cents. at which it re-
uained till the end Of the month. Those are all
TIE variations from April 80, 1895. 10 October 81
1881"
Henry X Boyer Director OF the Mint was on
the stand and after testify1ng to paying Interest
In October 1891 a call loan. asked permission 10
make statement in reply to the District-Attor-
news aleCa tions in the course Of testimony that
he received interest on State money while State
Treasurer from May 1889. to May. 1891. His re-
quest was allowed. and the Court stated that
all records of replies 10 those questions were
stricken out under the ruling.
Ir the examination Of Mr. Goldsmith to-day the
loans OF State money. alleged by the witness to
have been made 10 more than fifty persons. and on
which interest paid. was gone into The oues-
tions covered a wide line Of ilquiry. MIR Shields
drew from the witness that the entries OF these
loans did not contain any names Of persons but
simply initials. The witness admitted that he had
guessed in some instances for whom these initials
stood and learned Of the others from information
received. 1t was shown that in more than one In
stance borrowers paid more interest than appeared
on the books one man paying N.1s3 "a interest
whereas his account credited with the payment
o. only s525 and the balance not accounted for.
The Dstrict-Attorney the redirect examina-
ton took up the question Of the relation between
Senator Quay's deposit account and the transac-
tions in stock his order. The witness stated
there was, little If any connection. The witness
explained the relation between the figures in the
Red Book and the regular books of the bank.
and elucidsted the hg6res entered the page de-
voted 10 the State deposit for the six months end
o, 10000 Of the deposit by Senator Quay and the
payment of interest on the balance.
The Distrfct-Attorney offered piece OF
documentary evidence in the shape OF a sheet OF
ing TRe offer was objected to BY the defence The
District Attorney declared that II was in further
contained entries Of amounts loaned to call-ioan
borrowers and calculations OF the interest collected
Sdopted by Hopkins to cover up the Conspiracy to
loan State money for the benefit of the defendant;
only figures, and there nothing to indicate that
4 not fifteen or twenty years old. as IL is not
dated
The District-Attorney offered to put living wit
nesses the stand. the cal-loan borrowers. who
would corroborate the figures.
Judge Biddle decided that the paper evil
dence against Hopkins. and therefore admitted 1t
tending prove the alleged conspiracy between
Hopkins and Quay Goldsmith had stated that the |
figures on the paper, which found in Hopkins's
private desk aided him in arriving at his conclu-
siOns regarding the whereabouts Of certain Of
money. The Dstrict-Attorney read the paper TO |
the jury promising TO explain later the figures
tered thereon
William A Barrett a cal-loan borrower from |
the bank testified to having paid A6 o. interest on
or about October 81. 1897. call loan made by |
the bank long list OF other witnesses testified |
similarly. Among them were George D. Widener. |
con OF P A. B Widener and David H Lane. a |
prominent Republican leader Of this city. who tes-
t!Aed 10 paying So 74 30 and 1856 81 respectively as
interest call loans.
Charles H. Mckee, OF Pittsburg, who was ar |
rested the charge of conspiracy at the same |
time Senator Quay arrested. but against whom |
the Grand Jury ignored the charges. the |
witness Mr.. Mckee has been counsel for the sure I
ties OF many Of the State Treasurers He |
asked II he received money attorney for |
Cashier Hopkins 10 protect the bondsmen Of State |
Treasurer Haywood. He gave affirmative reply. |
IN November 1897. he received go; in October. |
1876 about 81 450. and April 80. 1894. about 81 300.
Distrct-Attorney Rothermel announced that the |
Commonwealth closed it's His announcement |
created some stir and comment in the courtroom
n view OF the generally expressed expectation that