The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-06

Of the dullest patrolman he ever appoint
ed 20 the force Called upon to testify
in the Gardner case this morning. the doc
tor spent a very uncomfortable half hour
on the stand under cross examination
from Assistant County Attorney Al j.
Smith. His memory was wretched. He
could remember easily that he had never
received the money which Edwards and
Crossman testified had been sent to him
but his mind was blank on many points
Of vital Importance. ..5;,E9..i y. ). 5... !:
He either could not or would not tell why
he had appointed Gardner q Special Off
GER, but he testified that, he had revoked
the appointment two months after it had
been made. No record of this step ap
pears in the book kept by Secretary
Thomas R. Brown for that purpose, but
the mayors statement is, nevertheless,
importantly he can make the jury be-
lieve 1t. ... 49, /.
Gardner is accused of having accepted
Ia bribe as an official Of the department.
II he was not an oflcfaI at the time the
money was paid: the indictment is de-
fective and he can not be convicted under
it. To be sure this defense is techni-
cal merely. It indicates neither Gard
ner nor other members Of the force who
have been indicted; but the defense seems
to be in desperate straits. and the city
hall crowd thoroughly realizes that fact
They do not hope for vindication, but
they do hope that Gardner will escape the
consequences of his acts, and if a techni-
cal defense can serve to bring about this
end, then a technical defense will be
used. ,sr< $500 -;
Gardnerss Duty to Sit Down.
Friends Of the administration have made
much Of the character. of men called by
the state to testify. Edwards and Cross
man were. scored numerically by Henry
( s.. Mead in his opening remarks to the
jury; and yet at least two of the wit
nesses called for the purpose OF impeaeh-
ment have records behind them that GER
tainly cannot be said to enhance the
probability ofitheir veracity. One of these
men was placed upon the stand this morn.
ing. He gave his name as Fred Brewer
and said he had known Billy Edwards for
about twelve years. For some reason
known only to himself Mr.. Erwin dropped
the witness at this point, but he was not
allowed to escape. Mr.. Smith made him
admit that his true name was Malmstedt,
and that he had tried to conceal 1t SO as
not to disgrace his family The other
witness is a pawnbroker by the name Of
Weisman who has an unsavory municipal
court record.
The testimony of Mayor Ames, on the
stand this morning; leads to the belief
hat 1,o he'd f.o&f for E6yuiny Cnp.
ner, on the same night that Fred Bonge
was caught at Gardner's house. Mr.: Con-
ner testified that the mayor ask ed him to
call at, his house on that night, but that
he had not gone. This morning the genial
doctor far from genial in his uncorn-
| Portable position, snarled out the infor
nation that 1t was a good thing for the
reporter that he hadn't. Under the direct
examination DR.. Anaes admitted having
! talked with Conner over the phone, but
! said Mr.. Conner had not told Tim any
| thing about big mitt joints. On cross.
examination however, he admitted that
Conner had started to tell him somet hing
about them, but that he had at once hun 6
UP the phone Just why he did this he
did not explain H 8
4 The mayors version of the converse
| tion is this. He says Conner threatened
to publish In the Times a story against
the administration and against him per-
| sonaliy unless the mayor should appoint
him on the police force. Conner admitted
/ having applied for an appointment but
said that he had Afterwards decided that
4 he didn't want It. because he had found
| the department to rotten and honey
combed with venality. S.. =sss
Kept Busy Denying.
Mayor Ames spent most Of his time on
the stand in denying testimony given by
various witnesses for the state. He said
1 he had not been In his Office on that Sum
i day when Edwards ana Crossman say they
saw him there; and he contradicted both
witnesses IN many other particulars as
we'll. He denied fatty that he had ever
4 received any money from the ..big mitt'''
4 gang OF that he had ever authorized any
4 zone to collect such money for him.
! According to the doctor. Gardner's 20.