The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-09
Defense Counsel Pushes Probe Into PurceHs Knowledge OF City Finances
Long Afternoon of Technical Questioning Claims
 Their Legitimacy Spent Crawford James PurceDates of Finance Board Meetings in October Are Sought During Interrogation.

Cross-examination of James F. Purcell in the conspiracy trial yes- terday reached none of the fiery points anticipated. Portions of the testimony given are as follows:
 Crawford:
 Q. I understand that the vouch- CTS in the boxes for the two most re- cent years were kept upstairs for easy access and for reference2
 A. Yes.
 @. That is the reason they were kept upstairs so that there would be the material more often referred to in the ordinary course of busi- ness?
 A. Yes.
 @. So that you would never have occasion to go to the basement or send to the basement for these file boxes unless the material that you wanted was over two years old?
 A. Yes. That is right.
 Q. Crawford shows Purcell a check). The date of that check is October 30, 1886. Would you be able to give me the meeting of the board of finance next before that date?
 A. I don't know.
 Q. You don't know if there was any meeting on that date?
 A. No.
 Q. That happened as recall, on the fifth Friday of October.
 Many Special Meetings
 A. There were many special meet ings.
 o. The usual meeting of the board of finance
 A. They had 8 special meeting whenever occasion required.
 Q. What book would you want from which you could tell us the date of that next meeting before the date of the check and the date of the meeting after the date of the check. before October, 1886, and after that?
 A. The warrants payable register for that year.
 o. This book I'm giving you is Exhibit IA for Identification. Would you refer to the book so that you will be able to tell me nrst, the date of the board of finance meeting next before the 30th of October, 1886?
 A. There was meeting held Oc- tober 27, and the next after that waS-
 e. Was that the last meeting be- fore October 30, 1886?
 A. It appears to be the last meet ing.
 0. The last meeting of the board of finance before the 30th of Octo- Der, 1886, was on the 27th of Oc- tober, 1886. That's correct. Isn't it?
 A. Yes.
 Q. You customarily knew when the board of finance meetings were?
 A. The regular meetings-yes.
 Q. Would there be any special meeting that you didn't know any, thing about?
 A. Generally I did.
 o. Do you think there was any such meeting in 1886 before the 30th of October and the meeting of the board?
 A. I can't remember.
 Q. I assume that that is why we are using the book. But in the or dinary course of events, you did know of the meetings of the board of finance?
 A. About two meetings a month.
 o. When was the next meeting of the board of finance after the 30th of October, 1886?
 Alcorn Objects
 (Objection by Alcorn).
 A. I assume that 1t would be the first Thursday of the month of Mo- vember.
 c. Is that to the best of your knowledge?
 A. Yes.
 e. MT. Purcell, to what extent did you familiarize yourself with the rec ords of the preceding administra- tion for the years of 1928-29 in con- nection with the work you say had to do in closing the books or what ever you did to complete the records for that period, in connection with whatever else you did to familiarize yourself with the procedure of the office when you began work there in 1930?
 A. It was necessary to post the general ledger for the period am not quite certain of, but it seems as though it would be the latter part of December, and the actual writing to do with that date. Then trial ball. ance had to be taken which was more than 8 months work, insofar as the posting to the ledger.
 e. That refers to the work you did in closing each of the books?
 A. Yes.
 Further on in the course of the proceedings:
 Many Claims Added
 @. It is true, isn't 1t, that outside of the payments to which you have testified in your direct examination, that there were numerous claims all through the years of Leary's admin istration, and to your knowledge, placed upon the so-called warrants payable sheets, subsequent to meet ings of the board of finance? It is true, isn't 1t?
 A. I don't think the question means anything. Claims were always added on the warrants payable sheets until the day of the next meeting.
 e. I am talking about claims added to a list-the warrants pay able sheets-after the meeting at which those sheets had been signed. That is what I'm talking about. With that explanation, will you answer the question exactly as asked 1t?
 A. There were few payments.
 e. And 8 great many more than you have testified. That is true, isn't 1t?
 A. Yes.
 e. And to such an extent that N- A-.sk