The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-15
Prosecutor Alcorn Wins Important P oint By Judge Inglis' Decision
Defense Counsel Made Stubborn Fight to Prevent Admission All Morning;
 Jury Absent During Arguments
ATTY. CRAWFORD AIMS ATTACK
 AT ALCORN'S ''STUMP SPEECH"
By JOSEPH F. DONAHUE Democrat Staff Reporter)

Special Prosecutor Hugh M. Alcorn scored an important victory, so it regarded, early this aft ernoon when Judge Ernest Inglis ruled that the data gathered and maintained as records by James P Pur cell should be admitted as official exhibits"
 Defense counsel had fought stubbornly late yes erday afternoon and throughout the morning session when the jury was excused to permit opposing law yers to argue on the admission of the records.
 Borgnaes Reported Captured
 Envened only by the bitter clashes of counsel and the unsupported rumor that the missing defend ant-accountant, Enoch E. Borgnaes had been appre- hended the trial went ediously into its 33rd day to- day. Arguments over the admssibility of the Purcell work sheets which started yesterday afternoon, con- tinued this morning
 Jury Kept Out of Court Room
 Not once during the morning session was the iurv allowed in the court room except for roll call They were then ushered into their room, and kept there while counsel argued back and forth The argu ments had not been completed at the o'clock recess
 No State Evidence On Records
 "I think would rule this evidence out on the ground that there is state evidence to show that the eco of the city which this purpored to be copy-Were lost or destroyed said Judge Ings causing Acorn 70 embark on attempt to prove that the city recoros o which Purcell obtained his notes have since Deen destroyed.
 Can Give Ruling If Wanted In different light, however he continued, NOW, II YOU want ruling at this time I'll make it that way How ever it seems to be waste of motion because rue tnat vav I assume that Mr. Acorn will go on and make up what deficiency may have been eliminated I'm con- vnced that it appears that the original records of the cy from which the data on this memorandum was taken are now lost and destroyed I've come to this conclusion
 Names of Alleged Guilty There "n these sheets we will find the of individuals to whom large sums of money pad" said Acorn in arguing with all effort available for the admission o the Purcekept records of city affairs and permission to read them to the jury Is too much to ask of this court 70 exclude from this record the evidence that they destroyed" he shouted.
 Attorney Crawford Fought It Ss Attorney George H. Crawford the principal antag- onst of corn this morning when he referred to one or his arguments as addressed to the press table, and remarked of another Acorn argument that lit was typc ey irresponsible" He referred to yet another remark as a stump speech"
 Alc0rn Talking Too Loud
 Attorney Thomas F. McDonough at one instance when Acorn was arguing protested that he was talking too loudly and that the jury, in the next room, might as well be in their seats"
 Thought They Were Destroyed
 "They thought they destroyed" said Acorn concerning the records of the cys affairs dealing with financial transactions between 1880 and 1938 He said that if the Purcell records admitted then we will know definitely to these thousands of dollars were paid" M
 1884 and 1885 Best Years
 Alcorn said that 1884 and 1885 the best years He claims that the records work sheets kept by Purcell will fill in the gaps caused by the alleged destruction of city records by the defendants
 s0ontinued z Raee 10 NS 4#