The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-13
FIGHT OVER BOOKS
Lawyers in Quay Case
Wrangle Over the
Bank Ledgers.
QUAY SCORES POINT
But Judge Biddle Admits
Bank Books AS Evil
dence.

Philadelphia, April Ex-senator quay
gained a partial advantage in court 10
day, by the apparent refusal of Judge
Biddle to admit as evidence the Famous
red book" which has figured so prom
inently in the trial, and which is al
legged to contain the key to the case OF
the commonwealth. This book was
found in the desk of Cashier Hopkins
of the Peoples bank, after the lnstitu-
ton had closed its doors and That IN
dividual had taken his life.
1t is an ordinary day book. Twelve
pages are devoted to what the prosecI-
ton charges is Hopkins record of his
transactions in money deposited by the
state treasurer for the advantage Oh
Senator Quay. 1t contains entries eX-
tending over several years, and hgures
are written in it which apparently
show the calculation of interest on
sums of money approXimating the state
deposit, less certain deductions, for the
benefit of Senator Quay. These figures,
the prosecution alleges, were posted
from the red book to the regular ledger
of the bank containing Senator quay S
account
In passing upon the question of ad-
instability of the red book, Judge Bid
die said: 1T does not strike M. that
knowledge of the book has been
brought home to Senator Quay. 1t was
not found among the books of the
bank. 1t was found in d drawer, not
in the orderly shape in which books of
a public institution are kept, but
crowded with rubbish. l am not salts
fed therefore that this book has been
made competent evidence against Sell
ator Quay
This decision was part of an oral
opinion by the judge in which he es-
tablished the point that the regular
books of the bank were admissible as
testimony. District Attorney Rother-
mel quickly saw the disadvantage the
latter part of the opinion placed him in
and he sprang to his feet to assure the
court that he had not argued for the
admission of the red book, had not for
mally offered in evidence and might
not find it necessary to make such
offer.
Counsel for Mr.. Quay, seeing their
advantage, insisted that they had in
cluded the red book in their argument
against the admission of the books
but the Judge dismissed the matter for
the present The commonwealth con-
tends that although the red book was
kept by Cashier Hopkins in a separ-
ate compartment, away from the eyes
of other employees, it was necessarily
a part of the bookkeeping system of the
| bank and it will have to be admitted
to corroborate and explain entries il
Senator Quay's account in the ledger
The lawyers for the defense were evil
IDENTIFY disappointed at their failure t
| secure the.exclusion of all the books OF
| the bank, and thus practically destroy
| the case-of the prosecution. 1t has beer
understood that Lawyer Watson''
presence in the case was for the pur
| pose of making the fight against the
| books.
All the evidence against Senator
Quay is documentary in the shape o
| letters and book entries and the atti
| tude of his counsel has clearly indicated
a purpose to fight desperately agains
| the introduction of such evidence. The!
were unsuccessful in keeping out let
ters and kilograms written by Senate
Quay to Hopkins directing him to max,
certain transactions in stocks.