The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-09

 jury, are you, that throughout the eight years there was Q practice of the Board of Finance of signing approval in blank and without ref erence to the totals of the items on reverse side of the sheets they were signing?
 A. believe they did. The meaning intended was that they signed the sheets upside down.
 c. Did you put your signature on 1t upside down? .4t @
 A. meant the sheets.
 c. Would you call our attention to the fact that they were signing the sheets upside down.
 A. That apparently was the pro- cedure.
 e. You were representing the controller at this meeting and you permitted them to sign the sheets upside down?
 A. I meant without looking at the face of the sheets.
 o. So that your belief is that at this meeting that you attended, February 20. 1880, and when you were there as representative. that the procedure was to simply turn over at the place of the signature on this sheet and sign the name without looking at the total and without reading the items on the other side2 '-. '.l
 A. That is what they did on that day. ,-
 o. And you meant to indicate in your answer that you understood that was the practice throughout the eight years?
 A. Nol- No
 Q. Well, have you any knowledge to the contrary?
 A. No, but can explain why
 @. But if you haven't any know ledge, your information wouldn't proceed on your knowledge. In set- ting up this system, did you help to originate the language which is the language of the approval of the Board of Finance on the back of these warrants payable sheets? A. No. Didn't Approve
 c. In assisting to set up the Sys- tenn, did you give your approval to that form of approval on the back of these sheets?
 A. No. e. Did you help to set up this system with the assistance of Grif- fenhagen?
 A. Those certificates were entire ly prepared by them.
 c. By whom?
 A. By Griffenhagen. Q. It would be well if you would tell us who they are. A. They were the accountants engaged by the charter commission to investigate fiscal affairs in 1929.
 @. You have the understanding that part of the investigation the Griffenhagen Go. made that you re- ferred to, had to do with the possible revision of the charter of the City of Waterbury. Is that your under standing?
 A. They assisted the commission yes.
 o. Part of their investigation was directed toward the business of charter revision? A. One member of the firm did. Q. Did he represent the firm? A. Yes. e. How long had they been work ing at this business before 1930 ac- cording to your understanding? Started In 1929
 A. I'm not sure whether the en- tire year of 1929 or not-but at least part of 1t. e. At least it started in the pre- ceding administration? .
 A. Yes.
 Q. Now, in connection with the help that you gave in setting up this system-as to whether that help didn't extend also to the making up of this sheet for use in the system called the warrants payable sheets7 A. No.
 Q. You had nothing to do with the preparation of the sheet? | A. Nothing whatever.
 e. Did you approve of 1t as part of the system that you helped to set up?
 A. wouldn't call 1t exactly an approval. The forms were 5. @. You didn't disapproye 1t? A. No. Q. Will, you knew. didn't you that it was going to Le used as part of the system that you did approve being set up for use in the control ler's office. That Is so, isn't 1t?
 A. The system was set up
 @. Please answer the question.
 A. I'm trying to. ,.3
 e. You had full knowledge when you were setting up the system tc be used under your administration in the controllers office that these sheets would be used for the pur- poses for which they were subse- quently used? a.a
 A. I assumed 1t would be used. Didn't Know They'd Be Used
 @. You did more than assume You knew that 1t would be. | A. No. t' ",F v
 e. But you expected that 1t would be. :S H .a'-
 A. Yes.
 e. And you knew that it was be- ing decided upon as part of the pro- | .cedllre tO be followed in vO,lr ac. counting methods in the controller. office? t" A. I think MT. Leary approved ol that. It wasn't necessarily a part oi the accounting methods. I'm talk. ing about the certificates.
 e. I'm talking about the sheet I'm not talking about the certifi. cate. What I'm trying to ask you i. simply this:s you had no knowledge that the sheets known in the sc. counting procedure in your ofice a. I kt. =. A..s- N- ~ lNN