Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-10-05
Jury in District Court at Santa
Fe Finds for Defendant in
Case Against County Com
miSSionerS,
COURT ROOM GIGGlES
AT ALMANAC JOKE
Water Company as
Personal Favor Benefit of
His standing as a Citi-
zen of the Community"


Especial Dispatch to the Morning Journal
Santa Fe. n. NJ, Oct AT the
night session Of the district court here
tonight Judge Abbott directed the Jury
in the case of Max Frost against the
board 'Of county commissioners to
bring Ina verdict for the defendant
This was done and Attorney Renehan,
who appeared for Max Frost laid the
foundation for an appeal though II In
hardly To expected that Max Frost will
so 10 further trouble with the case
The entire day today was spent In the
examination OF witnesses in the case,
County records were introduced to
show that the certificates OF Indebted
ness which were issued to the water
and gas company were cancelled by
the allowance of them az an offset
for taxes due TO the couf by the
company. The books OF the water
company We're introduced 20 show
that the certificates had been fully
paid more than eleven years ago.
Mr.. Sparks who Is now chairman of
the board OF county commissioners.
but who was manager of the water
and light company at the time the
certificates We're transferred To Max
Frost, was asked when he first saw
the certificates IN question. and he
stated that II was about two months
hiNtf llt htfAiht uldildbtf OF the COM
pany. lie stated that he saw the GER
tihcates IN a drawer In the office OF
the company. He was asked by the
district attorney whether he. toolt
these certificates up as an asset on the
books OF the company and no am
swered that he did not, and that he
considered the certificates were OF
them to Max Frost for services rem
uered or to be rendered. hut whether
the service had been rendered or not
he was not quite certain. Services
rendered or to be rendered" were
supposed to be special services per-
formed or To be performed by Max
Frost In connection with inducing the
board Of county commissioners To re-
duce the assessed valuation Of the
company's property, from which u
might be inferred that Mr.. Frost was
To assist the water company in the
gentle art of lodging taxes The dis
trict attorney among other questions.
asked Mr.. Sparks whether he meant
to state that he assigned sl.s00 or
81 800 worth of certificates In consid-
GRAFTON OF reduction OF $50 or 500
In taxes. Mr.. Sparks parried the
question by saying he considered the
certificates Of doubtful value. The
witness was not able TO state positively
whether Mr.. Frost ever appeared be-
fore the county commissioners In the
interest OF the company, but he de-
nied that he had any Information to
the effect that the certificates had
been paid until a year ago.
The Inimitable Mr.. Frost
Mr.. Frost was called as a witness
In the case and he was asked a good
many questions concerning the man
ner in which he came TO be the pos
SCISSOR OF the certificates. He stated
that he was retained by the company
at a stated amount per annum. He
stated that he was employed to Give
the company the benefit OF his pres
tige and standing as an attorney and
a citizen.
His statement caused a smile to 20
around the court house.
At the close OF Colonel Frost's tes-
timony Arthur Seligman, ex-member
of the board Of county commissioners.
was called TO the stand and testified
as to the application of Manager
Sparks for the payment OF the certifi.
Gates in question. This evidence
closed the case. and Attorney Gortner
moved that the court instruct the jury
to find verdict for the defenfer
This motion was argued by the attOr-
ncys and az the night session tonight
the judge instructed the jury to bring
in a verdict Tor the defendant.
=.