The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-14
Need Keybook

strain from the long siege of queS. tioning, stated that there were 100 or more symbols on that particular warrants payable sheet, represent ing charges to appropriations. He admitted that a member of the board of finance would not be able to decipher the symbols without the aid of the keybook.
 "The board of finance was utterly in the dark as to what the symbols meant?" charged Murray.
 "Yes," was the reply.
 Purcell did not know whether or not the board of finance were sup- piled with keybooks to decipher the symbols of appropriations.
 The pallid-faced witness claimed that he was not the only one who could decipher the symbols.
 Did anyone ever provide Mayor Hayes with a book?" asked Murray.
 T don't know," was the steady reply.
 You know he wasn't" charged Murray.
 T couldn't be sure,' was the an- swer.
 Purcell was likewise mot sure" if former Controller Leary had ever been supplied with a key book. He said that he had never handed one to him."
 Although he denied any acquaint- ance of Leary's knowledge of the symbols, Purcell said that hundreds of copies of the keybooks were printed and distributed to the var ious departments.
 Purcell said he never discussed the symbols with Leary.
 Don't you know he was not fa- miliar with the symbols" debmanded Murray.
 T don't know" was the report.
 Depended on Purcell
 Don't you know he depended on you as chief accountant to take care of that feature in the officer" was the question.
 "Yes.", was the answer.
 Purcell said that as new symbols were necessitated by the origination of new appropriations, he made up the symbols.
 The important part of the cross examination started when Murray asked the witness if he had not supervised the warrants payable registers.
 Purcell admitted he had for the first four months of 1880. It was limited thereafter" said the witt ness, ito only that part I would &C., cept."
 Asked by Murray who had taken away the responsibility for the sheets, from Purcell, the witness re- piled:
 q decided not to be responsible for them myself"
 You decided to wash your hands of them?" asked Murray.
 "Yes," was the reply.
 Purcell said that he supervised the sheets "only to the extent of an- swering questions that might arise" The sheets, he said, were made out by Helen Tehan Smith, who sat at a desk near his. Purcell said he gave her directions until she became &C., customed to the work. The sheets were prepared twice a month.
 The symbols were affixed long be- fore they were entered on the sheets, he said.
 You drew your salary from the city of Waterbury and never let know you had washed your hands of the supervision of the sheets?" asked Murray.
 The answer was mo-" After Pur- cell attempted to say, T did let some one know-not in so many words. =" the remark was stricken from the record.
 And yet you tell the jury you re- your jurisdiction over the sheets" said Murray.
 "Yes," was the reply.
 Purcell claimed there were hun- dreds of sheets submitted to the board of finance, which he had not seen in advance. He added that there were some sheets which he lid not see after the meetings of the board of finance.
 Didn't you frequently leave sheets lying on your desk on the third floor office when they be- longed in the vault?" asked Mur- ray. Purcell denied the implication, and also denied that any subordi- nate had called such actions to his attention. He admitted he had had sheets on his desk, flor reference. |. but there were many I never saw
 Referring the witness to a war; rants payable sheet for October, 1881, Murray asked him If he did not have something to do with 1t. The reply was mo, sir
 Recalls Testimony
 Murray recalled the testimony of Purcell some time ago, when he told Special Prosecutor Alcorn of sheet figures of payments al- Iegedly unapproved by the board of finance. What did you mean by asking MT. Leary what appropria- ton they should be charged to?" asked Murray.
 Purcell explained that he had asked the questions for the purpose of supplying the symbol, that is, to determine what appropriation they should be charged to. Tt was for another record not the war rants payable register" said Purcell.
 Purcell said that it was merely to know to what account the would be charged" He ad- mitted, however that eventually" hey would get on the warrants pay able sheets.
 Didn't Know
 How did you reconcile your cash f you didn't see the warrants pay- able sheets?" demanded the cross examiner.
 'The work was done under my countered the witness. Purcell admitted that in some in- stances he did not even know what was on the warrants payable sheets.
 Tt was your job to look at every payable sheet, wasn't it?" demanded Murray.
 Maybe so," said Purcell non-