The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-23

Thomas F. McDonough, member of the defense corps of counsel.
 Michael F. Slavin was also i'll at the time Fleming was i'll, but the trial was not delayed on that &C., count. Fleming and Slavin waived !. their rights to be present during 9 the impanellng of the jury.
 That MT. Mackenzie is to be the next or an early witnesses in the trial was plainly indicated yesterday , when the Fairfield county lobbyist, Republican and confessed conspira- ; tor, made an appearance at the courthouse, accompanied by his att ntorney.
 Throughout the trial to date he has been excused from attending 1. daily sessions by virtue of his plea of guilty. Sentence will be imposed at the conclusion of the trial. Chief Witness
 The 54 year old lobbyist, who was hospitalized at the time of the ar- raignment of the other accused, and who has figured prominently in the federal investigation of the affairs of the McKesson- Robbins company ard its fantastic president, F. Don- aid Coster-Musica, will be, like Ed- ward G. Levy of New Haven, one of the states chief witnesses.
 There is strong possibility that he will be followed to the stand by Att torney Charles E. Williamson, an- . other Fairfield county Republican Z leader. The two are accused of re- {, cicving $58,400 from the city during the 1885 and 1897 general assembly sessions, and kicking back at least half to city officials.
 Assessor Shanahan was on the verge of collapse yesterday in court, . apparently, as he sat through hours of testimony by Bristol tax clerk, an official of the motor vehicles de- partment, five members of past and present boards of finance, city ! treasurer and a clerk of the welfare board.
 . The five finance board members, !. Harley W. Tripp, Major w. Judge, Charles B. Jackson, Peter Griffin . and John A. Hayden, who took the , stand in that order, admitted that the signing of warrants payable sheets was to them a mere formality . and that they had never examined } the items on the face of the sheets, to which they were attesting the accuracy.
 Symbols Unknown
 Each admitted that many times the sheets were brought into the . meetings, and signed by them face . down. Commissioner Tripp, first of the board to take the stand, stated that the symbols used to identify . appropriations were "all Greek" to him, and the other commissioners : were equally handicapped, he said. No one of the commissioners had any knowledge that items were add ed to the sheets after the sheets had been approved by them. They were equally ignorant of the large payments the state alleges were made to Mayor Thomas Spellacy of Hartford, Carmody & Thoms, For mer Mayor Francis P. Guilfoile, ! Former Judge John F. McGrath, Edward G. Levy, The Abrigador Digger, Frank Santalucia and others.
 For the accuracy of the warrants payable sheets the commissioners, said, they depended on the control ler's office. Commissioner Judge said that he believed Chief Ac- countant James P. Purcell was de- pended upon for the preparation of
 tho sheets.
 Under questioning by Attorney
 James D. c. Murray, Commissioner
 Tripp created a sensation when he 2 testified that in his opinion the i. large payments made to contractors and others were excessive"
 Murray asked him if the payments : were not legal and justified, for services rendered.
 T don't know that they were"
 was the reply.
 And you don't know that they 1. were not" came back the attorney s Excessive
 q do not think they could have been. To my mind know they were
 excessive" burst out the witness, iho has been a member of the board of finance since 1882.
 . Major w. Judge, the second fin ! ance commissioner examined, a : member of the board since 1926. said that the sheets had not been ex- amined under the Guilfoile adminis- tration. When he admitted that he had not examined the sheets, he was asked. How did you know what you were signing?" The reply was q did not, specifically"
 Peter Griffin, a tavern keeper, and former member of the board of finance, said that he knew The San- talucia CO. was doing work for the city, but admitted ignorance of the amount of payments to the com pai1y. \.
 Commissioner Charles B. Jackson clerk in the senate in 1887, said that he had no knowledge that $200, 900 was paid to John g. Johnston by the city. He said that he met Johnston about five years ago. and that he