New Britain herald., 1928-05-07
MRS. KNAPP TELLS 1. 0F CENSUS DUTIES
 Says It Was Big Job and Rela. tiYes Did What She Ordered
 JUDGE REBUKES WOMEN
Laughter that Greeted Some of Wit ress' Statement ScOred-FOrmer Secretary of State Submitted to Searching Cross Examination.

Court House, Albany, N. Y, May 7LP)-Mrs. Florence F. s. Knapp, first woman ever elected to state wide public office in New York, took the witness stand today in her de- fense against a charge of grand larceny in connection with misuse of state census pay check.
 sketches Early Life
 Mrs. Knapp under direction Of Patrick C. Dugan Of her counsel be- gan a sketch of her education and training.
 Justice Callaghan told Mrs. Knapp that he would permit the re- ception of only a brief sketch Of this kind and instructed her tc follow her attorneys questions.
 Questioned as to her financial condition while secretary of state, Mrs. Knapp declared she had a house in Syracuse when she took office and when she went out she had nothing more" Mrs. Knapp said that before she assumed office. she also had about s4,500 in cash.
 Mrs. Knapp characterized the census of 1925 as a gigantic task" and said she asked several of her relatives to help her accomplish the vast amount of work" She detail- ed various jobs she said her rela- tives had done on the census.
 Identifies Endorsement
 Mrs. Knapp identified the en- dorsement "C. B. Knapp" on the check which is the basis of the present indictment as in her own handwriting and testified she had caused a bank draft to be purchased with the check. With this, she swore, she paid for furniture at the Edwards Department Store in Syra- cuse in accordance with authority granted by 70. E. Knapp" her step daughter.
 The Furniture Deal
 rhis furniture, Mrs. Knapp testi- fled, was to be used to furnish the Albany home for the family during the census period. Az to its final disposition, she said it was sent to OuI llltit 1loiiAt III lSC4ioAAs SAS~sS&'s with Miss knapp's approval.
 Clara was apparently very hap py over the plan for our home," Mrs. Knapp said.
 Taking up the matter Of the missing records" which the prose- cution charged included important census records, Mrs. Knapp testi- fled these papers came to. her as the result of an order to her first deputy, Mark Stern. to send to her the contents of her "personal files" She had no place to store them. she testified, so she ordered all but one box destroyed without examining the contents closely.
 As Mrs. Knapp testified, the jurors kept their heads turned towards her most of the time. Most Of the time she looked directly at them. Twice. as she came to especially important parts of her story, her attorney di- rected her to speak to the jury.
 The direct examination of Mrs. Knapp was concluded in an hour.
 Taking up the cross-examination, George z. Medalie, chief prosecuting attorney, gave his attention to let ter to the secretary of state from the civil service commission, dated April 23, 1926. She said she had brought the letter here, adding 1t was probably a copy made for her by an employe of the civil service commission.
 This letter. Mrs. Knapp said, she kept in her Syracuse office and 1t was not in the material destroyed after she left office.
 Letter is Read
 The letter. as read by Mr. Me- dalfe. authorized a civil service com- mission resolution exempting Mrs. knapp's sister. Julia A. Smith from competitive examination for the job for which she had been paid in full some months before.
 Mrs. Knapp several times would not answer questions directly. The judge instructed her to do so.
 "I shall be very glad to-" she said.
 Well let's see you do it," the judge said.
 Asks About Payments
 MT. Medalie questioned the wit ness closely as to payments to Mrs. knapp's sister. Julia A. Smith. The prosecution asked Mrs. Knapp what was the specific job referred to in an affidavit by Mrs. Knapp after the Moreland act inquiry into