The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-14

tAlC ACPAys
 And you want us to understand you never looked at the warrants payable sheets" demanded Murray.
 In Charge
 And you were in charge of &C., counting without peradyenture of doubt?" continued the cross ex- aminer.
 T was supposed to be-" was the retort.
 That is what you were paid for" charged Murray.
 "Yes," said Purcell.
 And you got more money for it than any other person in the office" said Murray.
 "Yes." was the answer again.
 Under questioning by Murray, Purcell said that his subordinates, Helen Tehan Smith and Julia Lag una received approximately $l,20O or $1 300 a year, while he received $4,000 a year.
 And you want this jury to under stand you turned that basic func- tion of the controllers office over to a $1,200 subordinate" said Mur- ray, with reference to the supervi- sion of the warrants payable sheets. "The preparation of 1t" counter ed Purcell. And it was your job to see all the sheets" said Murray.
 T don't believe so," was the answ- CT.
 And you were paid to see all the sheets" said Murray. Not all the sheets, mo-" said Purcell.
 You want this jury to believe that 8 $1 1,200 subordinate is responsible for the precision of the warrants payable sheets later submitted to the board of flnance?" said Murray.
 "The accuracy .. yes," said Pur- cell with hesitation.
 So you shifted the responsibility to the young ladies, didn't you?' charged Murray.
 Tt was no great responsibility" re- torted the witness.
 Shifted Responsibility
 Answer yes or mo-" shouted Mur- ray.
 That's correct" said Purcell, ad- mitting that he had shifted the re- sponsibility.
 "You abandoned your supervision of 1t, isn't 1t SOP" charged the cross examiner. The answer was 'yes." but Purcell attempted. to counter before he was hemmed down.
 Tt all depends :" he started, but Murray interrupted him.
 Have you any quarrel with my English?"
 "No," was the reply.
 DO you understand it?" he asked.
 q do," was the reply.
 Well answer the question:" or- dered Murray.
 "You want this jury to understand that you repudiated your responsi- bility for the warrants payable sheets?" demanded Murray.
 "Yes," was the reply.
 "You never failed to draw your salary every week, did you?" asked the attorney, pursuing the same trend of cross examination in re- lentleSs fashion that first came to the fore in his cross examination of the first states witness, Edward G. Levy, confessed conspirator.
 Hands of" Prom 1881 your policy was hands off" of the warrants payable sheets, is that right?" he asked.
 Insofar as relates to preparation or supervision, yes," came the an- swer.
 Murray turned to questoins con- corning the supervision of the con- troller's office during June, July, August and September, 1881, when Controller Leary was in a New Ha- ven hospital for a surgical operation. Purcell denied that he was in complete charge" He said Thomas P. Kelley and Martin J. Dunn were acting controllers"
 Did they have anything to do with the figures in the controllers officer" asked Murray.
 Purcell countered that accounting is only one function of the office. He said that they might have had something to do with the warrants payable sheets at that time.
 ''1s it not the fact that during that time you were in complete control of the office, while MT. Leary was sick" said Murray.
 "lt is not the fact" said Purcell in stern tone of voice.
 Murray then questioned hi mabout a payment made in July of that year to John F. McGrath.
 Do you know if MT. Leary was in the hospital at that time?" he asked.
 T don't know" Purcell replied.
 Atty McDonough Finishes
 Attorney Thomas F. McDonough, counsel for Thomas P. Kelly con- cluded his cross examination of the witness at an early hour this morn ing. He questioned Purcell concern ing bank record accounts which he had asked the witness to bring to court during the Friday court ses- sion.
 Judge Inglis declined to allow Purcell to surrender his work sheets for 1928 and 1929, showing account ancy for private clients. He de- scribed them as "too remote" for cross examination. Purcell could not find his bank records prior to 1882.
 Several Hundred Symbols
 Purcell admitted that there were several hundred symbols used on the warrants payable registers to identify appropriations to which various items were charged. To his knowledge the board of finance, Mayor Frank Hayes and Control Ter Daniel J. Leary had never been supplied a "key- book" to decipher the symbols.