Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1907-07-09
DID TERRITORY
PAY FOR RECEPTION? /?
One Attorney Wanted to Know If
Moneys Were Used For Personal
Expense and Wanted to See
Vouchers Declined to Ans
Wer on Advice OF Counsel.

Santa Fe, n. M, July 9.-(Spec-
ial. )-The chief interest in the pro-
ceedings against Auditor w. @. Sar-
gent here yesterday afternoon, was
the attempt to secure a statement
from Ex-Governor IL. j. Hagerman as
to the uses of the contingent fund by
him during the time he held office
as governor. He refused to tell what
he did with these monies but the tes-
timony so far as 1t went was highly
interesting
Sargent underwent an investlga-
ton at the hands of committee
from the legislative house at the last
legislature and admitted appropriate
ing some OF the contingent fund in
his office for personal uses. The
hearing before Referee g. l.. Bishop
yesterday was to determine what uses
should be made of the contingent fund
by Mr.. Sargent which amounts to
$500 a year. and of which he has
$2,300 for the seth and 57th fiscal
years and to determine as a result
of the admissions made by Mr.. Sar-
gent to the investigating committee
from the legislative house, If he did
appropriate the contingent fund to
personal uses.
Hagerman admitted that he had
the vouchers for the expenditures Of
but declined to produce them or to
state what they contained.
When asked IL a reception he gave
at his Santa Fe residence. VAS paid
for out OF the contingent fund, he
would make no answer but appeared
to be considerably embarrassed.
Sargent tried to establish the fac
that the contingent fund for the gov
ernor's office was used for officia'
purposes only and hence Hagermar
was called before the referee.
The refusal of Hagerman to testify
as to how he used the contingent fund
lends color to the statements heard
here that he paid his household and
personal expenses out of a fund de-
signed for defraying any contingent
expense in connection with his Off
cial duties.
Following is the testimony of Her.
bert j. Hagerman before Referee C
l.. Bishop given after being duly
placed under oath. He was examin.
ed in chief by Attorney A. b. Rene
han of Santa Fe.
Q. What is your name?
A. H. j. Hagerman.
@. You were governor of the ter
ritory of New Mexico covering wha
period of time?
A: From rom February %. 1906 tc
@. (By Attorney Neil B. Field, Of
Albuquerque). Did you say Febru'
airy 22?
A. 1 mean January %.
Q. (Renehan). That covered {
part of the 57th and 5Sth fisca
years?
THE seth Legislative assembly ap
propriated for contingent expenses fol
the governors office, to be paid or
the order of the governor for tn,
57th and the 5Sth fiscal years the sun
Of $4,000 and l have asked you to bt
present, governor for the purpose O.
making some inquiries as to the man
ner you disposed of those funds ant
would be glad to have you state Il
you will in a general way, the use!
to which you put those funds under
your Interpretation of that act?"
The question was objected to by
Attorney Field as prevalent and i'm
material.
Mr.. Field; am appearing al
counsel for Gov Hagerman at thi!
hearing and / have advised Gov. Ha'
german not to answer that question
unless the court will say that II Is
proper for him to do so. We will
question providing the court say!
that we should do so. We are ready
to go before the court this afternoon
and have his ruling in the matter.
Q. 1 will ask you, passing thai
question for the present, whether OF
not you treated that fund as one
which was so entirely under your
control that you used it for reasons
more or less personal?
Mr.. Prichard: The attorney for the
territory enters the same objection
as made to the previous question.
Mr.. Field: / advised Gov. Hager-
man to decline to answer that ques-
tiOn in the form in which II was put
for the same reason.
A. l decline to answer that in
that form on the advice of my coun-
sci.
Q. And the omission Of an an
swer to the previous question, gov
ernor, I understand is based on the
same ground?
a. Yes, on the advice Of my
counsel.
Q. Is it not a fact Mr.. Hagerman
that in the disposition Of your fund
in question you used some portion
of 1t in the defraying of the expenses
Of the reception to the legislature at
your house?
Mr.. Prichard: Objected to by the
territory for the same reasons as set
forth in the previous objections.
Mr.. Field: | advised Gov. Hager-
man to decline to answer that ques-
ton for the same reasons assigned
for his refusal TO answer the first