The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-14

tue SneetS anu ttlo Si6HoVneo VI "AAS board.
 Crawford charged that the only personal knowledge of Purcell was gathered from his perusal of the warrants payable sheets.
 T wouldn't need any other" was the rapid reply.
 Concerning the charge that items were added to the warrants payable sheets after the meeting of the board of aldermen, Crawford asked, How do you know that the items were not subsequently, approved by the board?"
 Purcell answered that he never recalled having seen any records in the minutes that any bills had been improved other than those pre- sented at the meetings. Alcorn ob- iected to what he termed cross of the witness by Crawford.
 Judge Inglis interrupted to com ment that there had been enough to prove that the wit ness has personal knowledge ade- quate to testify"
 Knew Condition
 Purcell said that he was familiar with the checks paid out by the city, because he received them when they came back from the bank. In this way he knew the financial con- dition of the city, he said.
 When asked by Alcorn to tell the jury of the system as introduced in 1881, of issuing unnumbered cheeks, the witness said that Cheeks not by the board of finance came through without number late in l93l." He said that the num- oers were put on after their issu- ance, and that the number of such checks increased after 1881,
 Do you remember any particular to whom your attention vas called in 193l?" he was asked. The reply was Not at the moment"
 Do you recall any contractor re- ,eiving large sums of money from he city in l93i?"
 "At least one" replied the wit- less
 DO you remember his nameP" he vas asked,
 There was the Abrigador Dig ,ers," he replied. He could not state hat he knew who ran the Abriga- Tor Diggers at the time.
 Were those checks issued out # sequence?" Alcorn asked,
 "They were the kind we just nentioned-without numbers" was he reply.
 Made Protest
 Purcell told of going to Leary nd objecting that he was making t difficult for the hookkeeper to .eep the work up to date when 1t vas necessary to add checks when hey were returned from the bank. :"
 "It was difficult since the book .eeper anticipated payments would 'e made in numerical sequence, le continued.
 Tt was difficult to know when me month ended and another be- ,an," he added, concerning the hecks allegedly issued without the approval of the board of finance.
 After that" said Purcell, blank meaning unnumbered) checks were ssued, making 1t possible to con- number them and add hem to the warrants payable"
 Tn 1881 or 1892 did you talk with jim Geary) regarding salaries be- ng paid by the city?" asked Alcorn. The answer was "Yes' and Alcorn that the witness give the conversation.
 Purcell said that he had talked to -eary about extra amounts paid to he assessors-not only in excess of he amounts provided by the char CT, but also where there were no appropriations.
 The assessors, John H. Crary and Thomas A. Shanahan, are charged with receiving about 1900 annually n excess of their regular salaries.
 Purcell said that 1t was not ne- ,essary to tell Leary of the being paid, because he was making the pay nents."
 Claimed It Was Legal
 q told him Leary) J didn't see low 1t could be done-that the mount was fixed by charter" con- inued the witness. Purcell added hat he later told the controller he bought 1t was illegal but that the .onroiler said he had advice that 1t vas legal. .
 "On one accession he told me" continued Purcell, there was some here for me-s300-1t was after the md of the year-I don't recall what rear."
 T refused to take it," he stated. His comment to Leary had been le said, "If you feel that I am entit- ed to an increase in salary, will De glad to have it-but 1t must be according to the charter"
 Purcell testified that duplicate in- ,oice systems and a system whereby each department was required to iubmit accounts of appropriations each month, were discontinued by Leary in 1881 or l932. The system had been installed by the Griffen- hagen & Associates, he said.
 The name of Enoch Borgnaes of Hollis, Long Island, the only de- fendant in the expose who has not was brought into the when Alcorn asked Pur- cell if he knew the man and had ever met him.
 Purcell responded that he had met him in 1892 when Borgnaes worked for the Miller Franklin Company, then auditing the city's books. When the auditing was taken over by the George H. Kingsley Company, Borgnaes remained, he said.
 Paid Monthly
 Borgnaes did not leave the city when the 1892 audit was completed in 1883, the witness stated. He alsc stated that the Kingsley Company instead of being paid annually, as other companies were paid, was paid 
 Purcell said that room in the of the City Hall was as. signed to Borgnaes. He said that ir 1892 Ion one occasion Leary called
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