Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-03
LE|B TAKES STAND;
REFUTES EVIDENCE
Declares He Was in Harrisburg
From January S to 8 and
Not in Philadelphia
IDENTIFIES SlGN NAT U R {

William s. Leib, Schuylkill county
politician on trial here on charges OF
forging receipts for state taxes paid
by the Merchant & Evans Co. Of this
city, took the witness stand In his own
behalf this morning before Judge John
son in Court of Quarter Sessions.
He made n complete and specific de-
nial to all testimony presented by the
prosecution as affecting HIM personally.
Lcib said he was in Harrisburg from
January until January s. between
which dates he was alleged TO have been
in Philadelphia He denied ever hav-
ing seen the duplicate tax receipts al
legged to have been forged by him un
Ill they were presented rs evidence at
his trial
He admitted the Endorsement on
Merchant & Evans check was his sig
nature. He was shown three letters.
Two of them he said were in his hand
writing, and another, typewrittcn, he
said had been signed by him.
Never Saw Name "Atthew"
He was asked about the name
'Atthew' signed on one of the four
alleged bogus receipts, and declared he
had not written it. He never saw the
name written before his came case up
here, he added
Leib said he got the check after con
! ferring in this city with the officials
OF the Merchant & Evans Co. who
wanted him TO see what, arrangement
could be made with the attorney gen
eral for the payment by the company
| for taxes due the state for the years
| 1914 I5-16 and II. The state, he
said, issued a revised bill for rs per
cent of the original amount charged
against the local company. This
amounted to approximately $4,000,
Admits Receiving Blanks
! Lcb told of receiving blank duplicate
receipts from Harrisburg. The prose
cution cndeavored to show some of these
blank forms were used in preparing the
alleged bogus tax receipts given the
| Merchant 4 Evans Co.
Leib said he had asked for them be
! cause he wanted to use them as vouchers
as managing director of the Schuylkill
Railway Co. They were sent to him
| through the mails when he was in
! Pottsville, he said. He received seven
| teen in all, he added for use as vouch
| ers for payments he made to the state
on behalf of the Schuylkill Railway Co
Former Judge John f. Whelen, Sc
nior counsel for the defense, showed
Leib seventeen blank duplicate receipts
from the state treasurer's office. They
had been torn. Lcib identified them at
ones he found in a torn condition las
Sunday in the basement Of the Ode
Fellows Building, POttsvillC, where h'
has his Office.
He said he had put them in his desl
when he received them from Harris
burg and paid no further attention
to them until he heard of the fou
alleged bogus receipts he was alleged t,
have given the Merchant & Evans Co
He looked for the seventeen he hat
received, he said, and found them il
n waste can, where they had beer
placed after he had torn them ant
thrown them away.
When he was cross examined tn
prosecution sought to emphasize Leib'
sworn statement that he never receives
more than seventeen blank duplicate re
ceipts from Harrisburg and never say
the alleged bogus receipts before hi
trial opened here.
Leib took the stand at 10 20 O'Clock
Questioned by Mr.. Whelen, his senio
counsel, he said he was born in Ash
land, and would be forty nine years oil
tomorrow. IT is possible the jury il
Judge johnson court will deliver
verdict on his birthday anniversary.
James Franklin, member OF the las
state Legislature, was the only witnes
called this morning by the defense, be
fore Leib took the stand. Mr. Frank
lin told of the defendants reputatio
in Harrisburg.