The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-04-28
Called by Judson to Testify TO
Minor Matters Klein Examines
as t0 All That Witness Has
Charged
Hearing Marked by Accusation
That City Engineer Uses
Epithet, Which no One Hears
But His Accuser
Evidence For Prosecution About
Closed - Klein Will Offer
Much Testimony For the De-
fense - Witnesses Change
Earlier Testimony

Denis F. Mulvihill, whose discharge
as second assistant city engineer, fol-
lowing a scene of violence in the city
engineers office preceded conditions
that led City Engineer McKenna to
ask for an ivestigation into the con-
duct of his office, had the first of what
promises to be several interesting ses-
sions with McKenna's lawyer, J. b.
Klein, when he took the witness stand
at the. continued hearing in the City
Hall last night.
Klein gave Mulvihill severe greuH-
rag, SO fierce at times that his coun-
sci, Senator Stiles Judson, demanded
protection for his client as citizen
who came at the invitation Of the COM
mittee to supply information for the
investigation
The committee, following precedents
established at former sessions of the
Investigation, allowed wide scope for
inquiry and limited Klein only to
questions that could be founded di-
rectly upon either the written specifl-
cations filed against McKenna over his
sigma ture or upon his direct testj-
mony to questions Of his counsel, Sem
ator Judson.
would assume this attitude, appar-
emily. He called Mulvihill to the wit
ness stand to support only one phase
Of the diverse specifications but when
Klein got a crack at Mulvilhill he
took advantage of 1t to ask questions
aiming to discredit Mulvihill as an en-
gineer and to show lack of good faith
in his bringing the charges.
Then why" interrupted y Senator
Judson when this. line of questioning
developed, "did McKenna keep him in
his employ?"
That's just what we are going to
show you,'' retorted Klein.
While upon the witness stand, Null
vihill suddenly arose, without warning
and demanded protection from the
committee He said McKenna, who
sat directly beside him at the tables
provided for the parties in interest,"
had called him a vile name.
McKenna was on his feet in an in
stant, vigorously denying the charge.
Klein was a close second He said he
knew nothing about this, that he had
not heard the words used. Mulvihill
insisted.
McKenna said he didn't use that
sort of language. Mulvihill retorted
that he had heard McKenna, use it be-
fore, and JudsOn interpolated that be-
cause NIuIvihill had heard it before
from the same source, it was not re-
markable that he should hear it again.
Klein dwelt particularly upon the
circumstances preceding Mulvihills s
filing Of charges, and attacked his
good faith several times in the course
of his cross examination.
Mulvihill who is % years of age,
refused to become excited under the
stress of cross examination. In fact,
his GOODNESS coupled with his deter
mfnation to answer questions in his
own manner, frequently led Klein to
become eXasperated and to appeal to
the committee to get the desired re-
sponses.f In one instances Mulvihill in
terpreted a ruling by the Investigating
committee covering a certain query,
and refused to answer.
80, you're a lawyer, now?' snapped
Klein. you're not only an engineer,
but lawyer, as we'll The commit
tee instructed Mulvihill Ito answer
Aside from the testimony of Mulvi-
hill, most interest centered, last<night,
upon the statements of Edward Dar-
gan and of Reuben d. Azhdarian,
both of who had testified at former
sessions. Dargan was recalled that
Judson might have an opportunity to
question him more fully along the line
of his sharing his salary with City
Engineer McKenna's brother, William
McKenna, also employed in THE Of
fee
At the last session bargain testi-
fed Judson asked him whether he
had not given up part of his salary
to William McKenna during a time
when McKenna was laid up, with a
broken arm. Last night further ques-
tioning developed the information that
Dargan paid $3.50 per week for six
or seven weeks to McKenna during a
period when McKenna was employed
in the office. In cross examination he
was asked by Klein If it wasn't true
that at that time there was no money
available in the engineers office to
keep William McKenna in the city's
employ, and that this was a volun-
tary arrangement to keep William Nc
Kenna at work. Dargan didn't know
about the funds of the office, but in
sisted that the arrangement was vol
untary, that it ceased without aues-
ton when McKenna retired from the.
Office temporarily with a broken arm,
Azhdarian was further questioned as
to the matter of loans made to Nc
Kenna, and his memory was better
than at the former hearing. He said
he had made Investigations since the
last hearing and had gathered more
information as to just what was the
meaning of certain papers to which he
referred in his prior testimony
Continued on Page 81