The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31
TRAVIS SILENT AS
BOND INQUIRY ENDS
Fails to Appear in Special Ses-
sions to Explain His
Purchases.
COUNSEL OFFERS BRIEF
It May Be Too Late to Pre-
vent Contemplated Speedy
Decision.
COUNSEL OFFERS BRIEF

The John Doe inquiry into the way
Eugene NJ. Travis, State Comptroller
bought bonds for the State sinking
funds, ended yesterday in the Criminal
Courts Building without Comptroller
TRAVIS taking the opportunity offered
by Cnier Jushc Frederic Kernochan. of
Special Sessions. to resume the stand
and explain the matters relating to his
personal accounts. about which he was
reluctant to speak Monday. and because
of which he is to be punished for con-
tempt OF court.
Taking of testimony ended in the
morning, but an adjournment was had
until afternoon after a representative OF
Wasservogel & Medalie, Mr.. Traviss at
torneys, told the court they were look
ing for Mr.. Travis and that he might
be able to reach the building by that
time. Instead. only George z. Medalie
appeared. and asked Justice Kernochan
il he might be permitted to submit
brief written memorandum In Few
days, setting forth his opinion on the
legal points Of the case.
1T may be too late" Justice ker-
nochan told him, significantly. After
digesting this testimony, intend to
make findings both as to fact and to
law. And holdings l may make, you
know, are only prima facie and. OF
course, those held--if there are any held
can appeal to a higher body If they
question my decisions. And so can the
District Attorney, for that matter. IL no
one is held by me-"
The Justice said he had been follow
ing the testimony closely all through
the trial and that it would not take him
long to reach decision. but ne refused
10 make known just when his an
uouncement would be made. 1t may
be necessary to reopen the inquiry be-
fore n decision is announced If he feels
the evidence already at hand needs TO
be supplemented by testimony regard
ing the personal finances of James A.
Wendell, Deputy Comptroller.
correspondence Missing.
The last testimony to be taken re-
vealed singular absence from the
files of the Comptroller's office of cor
rcspondence relating to the moral OBJ
liration, purchase of s2,0l3.500 worth Of
municipal bonds from William 5. Fan
sha we. Mr.. Fanshawe is the broker
who represented in several transact
tons Albert L. Judson, who protited TO
the extent of more than $s5o,ooo by
State bond purchases, and on this one
Fanshawe had to bear a loss of $SS.VOo
He told of five other letters In addi-
ton to the one of October ~. l9lf' IN
troduced Friday, which he said passed
between him and either Mr.. travis OF
Mr.. Wendell in connection with the
produced by either Of the State officials
as their complete records when they
we're on the stand.
Edward 2. Kearney, Deputy Comptrol-
Ter. brought the files relating to the Jud-
-Fanshawe transactions from Albany
again. In them he found a carbon copy
of one of the six missing letters from
Wendell to Judson on September IL, 1911,
which had not been there when the mes
were examined In court. The letter den-
nitely committed the Comptroller's OF
flee to the purchase OF the bonds. Fan
shave testified he had requested wendell
10 write 1t in order to aid Fanshawe IN
obtaining the necessary credit to hold
the bonds without collateral at the EN-
pire Trust Company.
Mr.. Kearney then was asked II the
files contained letters between Wendell
and Judson dated October IS. Is. II and
20. 1917. He could find none of them.
Fanshawe Resumes stand.
Fanshawe, resuming the stand, could
not recall the contents of the letters of
october 10 and Is. The one of October
Il. he testified, he wrote to Wendell, say
ing in substance that owing to financial
conditions over which he had no control
he must demand payment for the bonds
not later than October 20, the transaction
having already been under way since De-
cember, 1916. Wendell replied on Octo-
Der 10, quoting Mr.. Travis as denyind
the States obligation to take the bond
His reply to this on October 20 Mr.. Far
Shave produced on Friday. Il
Ferdinand Pecora. Assistant Distct
Attorney conducting the inquiry, iad
Mr. Kearney turn to letter of DEEM
Der II, 1918. from Wendell to Gorge
c. Van Tuyl Jr., then president tre
Metropolitan Trust Company. erbling
Judson to have bonds carried r him
there without security. He coed at
tentiou to a slip OF white pape on the
back. seemingly the fragment ( an at
tached memorandum that had zen torn
Off He said that memorandum nad been
attached when he made his feliminary
inspection of tho files In Augst
81 would not swear that tey do" Mr..
Kearney said when aske6r the files
now contain all the bond correspondence.
They have been In constat use Tor the
last two or three month and some OF
the letters may have ben misiaid, or
misplaced, or may be IN use In the
office"
No memoranda hadbeen Inserted to
show what letters M been removed.
he admitted after a sLrch. Mr.. Pecora
suggested Il might h necessary to ask
for a formal order Erecting the State
Comptroller's offlct to preserve all
records of bond dAls brought out in
this inquiry as thu may be needed in
some future preceding. but on Mr.
xearney's declartion that the files
would be availab at any time he con-
scented not to hfe them impounded.