The copper era and Morenci leader., 1920-10-22
SPRINGER DENIES HE LOANED CEMENT ID HURLEY;
 STOLEN

Phoenix. Oct. 22-Taking the stand in his own defense, w B. Springer, charged with the theft of cement from the state highway camp at Tempe in collision with Harry Hurley positively denied any knowledge of the Hurley transaction until six months after it had occurred. The trial is being held in Judge Stanford's court
 Hurley. who was convicted By q jury last year of the theft of cement valued at s200 from freight cars on 6 siding at the road camp m May. 1919 had previously testified both at his own trial and as states witness in the present trial of Springer. that the latter had loaned" the cement out of the highway department supplies.
 T had known Hurley for two years" Springer told his story in court this morning '' and had seen him around the road camp a. number of times, some times twice week some times softener. I do not know that he visit ed any one in particular, but have noticed him talking to teamesters and men working on the roads. The first time I heard of the cement transac- tion for which Hurley was arrested was October 13, 1919, from Hurley's own lips. at that time he told me that Wiley Jones was going to have him arrested for theft of 1700 sacks of cement which he had only borrow ed and intended to return.
 He asked me to He for him by stating to his attorney and to State Engineer Maddock that I was respon- sable for the loan This I consented to, believing him to be my friend and wishing to save him from arrest. He took me to his attorneys office and I made the statement that T had per [ Isonally loaned him 1700 sacks of cement belonging to the state high way department. We then went to the capitol I mace the same state ment to MT. Maddock. ..
 ''I did not think it would hurt much to lie to save friend and he made me believe that it was all right and that he would make everything straight.
 "One night, some time in May 1919, I saw Hurley in a truck out near Tempe road with what looked like sacks of cement. The neSXt day happened tc meet him and Carl Hart man, who was also employed at the Tempe road camp the same time | was and accosted them. I said: You think you're smart. don't you, but I saw you last night, Hurley just laughed and they went on up the street Later on, in September Hart man asked me if knew about auv cement being taken from the road camp and told him no, and asked him to tell me about it, but he refus- ed to do so.
 "Octoher 4, after I had told the lie for Hurley. went to see Ben Pierce about some mules and asked him if he knew anything about the matter. He said he did not. Later on told him had lied about .loaning Hurley the cement That was after Hurley had been arrested. I had a conversation with Tex Halsall. who was also work ing as tirnekeeper at the plant. some time in May, 1919. and he said that he had been discharged: that some one at the camp owed him s125 which he had been unable to collect for his share in little deal that they were all mixed up n out there. We did not talk about any cement"
 Springer continued on the stand un- der rapid fire cross-examination by County Attorney Lauey the greater part of the day Spr rger denied ever giving Hurley the number of cement car or that the handwriting on the slip of paper which Hurley testified he received from Springer was his own. He said he had never seen the paper until it was introduced in the Hurley trial