Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-27

Portland Me. Feb o6.-considerab l.
| progress was made in the trial 81
George Fred Terry. president nf I'll,
Sawyer Publishing Co and Harry "
Bosnian, clerk in the postotficc at Wat.
erville on an indictment alleging FRAUD
in the use of the second class mai
| privilege. Tie examination Of Wit
nesses continued along the lines OF
yesterday afternoon when Forest s
! Whitehouse. a clerk employed in thl
/ handling Of second class mail. at the
! Waterville postoffice explained the
! method of handling this class Of mat
| ter and particularly the methods used
by the clerks under the direction Of
| Postoffice Inspector Robinson for the
detection of the alleged fraud Mr.
WhitehouSc testified yesterday after
noon that two sets Of weight slips
We're made out. The original slip was
given to Bosnian and Il duplicate was
mailed to Inspector Robinson. II Will
be alleged by the government that the
accounts of the weights sent in by
Bosnian did not agree With the weights
on the duplicates and it will be argued
from that that Bosnian falsitied the
weights. This is apparent from the
opening of the district attorney who
said that he would show that Bosnian
after receiving the accounts from the
clerks WHO weighed the mails when
ever he found that the weight of The
samples exceeded that Of the regulars
that he transferred the excess to the
regular weight of the regulars and
thus enabled the publishers to mail
the entire edition under the pound
rates. and thus to defraud the govern
ment.
When court came in this morning
the examination Of Whitehnusc
was begun. MI Philbrool fired qucs-
tons at the witness red hot but he
was unable to change any Of the testi-
mony given by him on the direct-cE-
animation. Mr. philbrook went over
the ground thoroughly and some Of
the evidence was exceedingly inter
tsting. Two other clerks employed il
handling the second class mail were
examined and their testimony did not
differ in tho essentials from that given
by Whtehouse.
Forest b. Whitehousn resumed the
stand when court came in this morn
ing lie identified several slips found
in sacks. containing copies of the An
crican Home Magazine and they wrr"
admitted for the purpose Of showing
intent.
The district attorney rested the di
rect examination With the admission
Of these documents and Mr.. Philbrnoll
began the cross exam nation.
The witness said that he lived in
Vassalboro previous to his going :"
work in the postoiiicc in March. 1907.
The second class mail was weighed III
q rear room OF the post0tiice until an
additional room was hired in the Ma
sonic building.
Asked by AIr Philbrooll if he was
not now occupying the position pre-
viously held by MI Bosnian. II" replied
that he didn't know that he was. but
he was employed in handling second
class mail as he had been ever since he
went to work in the Office.
Asked in relation to his direct los
timony. that ne had heard the rlilica
tor referred to aS often as Sawyer'S
as Sawyer's Magazine, the with, IS re-
piled that he had heard several people
refer to il il both ways.
Pressed by Mr.. Phi!brook f"r more
definite statement as to by whom -
heard it referred 70 as Sawycr's m2 <
azinr. nc rerlind by naming four clerks
in The Office. He had heard no one else
refer 10 tire publication as Sawyer"
M1sa=inc.
IF" asked Mr.. Phlbronk. tine pub
lication was as wcll-known by one
name rs another. why is it frat on
those slips YOU invariably write the
name SawycrS?" The witness replied
that il was merely to save time. The
witness said that there was stencil
used for the name SaWyer's not Saw
ycrs Magazine.
The witness then described tile meth
Cd of receiving the mail pouches from
the Sawyer Publishing Company. how
they were placed in the scales ana
how weighed.
He. at different times. loaded sacks
on the scales, weighed them and at all
times watched the recording of the
weights.
DO YOU mean to say that every day
whom there We're coo sacks handled,
that YOU watched the weighing, look
ed over the shoulder Of the man max
ing the record. and compared the rec
ord with the weight On the scale BAR
asked Mr.. Philbrook
Il did responded the witness.
You compared all Of the slips in
this wa-?''
Yes. every record was compared by
us. We We're instructed not to arouse
suspicion
You examined all the mail sacks
for sample copies?'
Not all Of them. About 50 per cent.
of them
And you found sample copies in
bag s marked regulars?''