The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-03

presence of Attorney Patrick Healey as president, caused the delay in the opening of the 43d session of the Waterbury conspiracy trial to- day. Several other members of the defense corps of attorneys also att tended the meeting, which was pri- marily for the purpose of acting on proposed legislation for the renova- tion and enlarging of the court house.
 It was the Waterbury conspiracy case which forcibly brought into the open the inadequacies of the Wa terbury courthouse. Judge Earnest c. Simpson at one time transferred the trial to New Haven because he believed the court here to be insuf- f1cient. Lat-r, however, he returned the trial to Waterbury when ques- ton of jurisdiction arose.
 He denied a motion by Special Prosecutor Alcorn to remove the trial to another county.
 The delay in the opening of the trial apparently removed possibil- ities that the trial would adjourn befor- late this afternoon. Ad- journment will probably be taken shortly after o'clock to allow out of state principals to make conven- tent train connections.
 Purchase Orders
 When court was convened at 10:15 Alcorn started the proceedings by introducing 16 city purchase orders in favor of the Connecticut Supply Company, four dated 1886 and the balance in 1897. They were marked for identification only.
 Returning to the Abrigador Digger and it's business connections with the city of Waterbury in 1881 and 1892, Alcorn again asked Purcell to identify adding machine tapes which he said were records of pay ments made to Coppeto. Last Tuesday when Alcorn offered the tapes in evidence, they were re- fused by Judge Inglis because ii had been suggested that there might be some duplication with the 1881 warrants payable registres. This morning Alcorn asked the witness if he had made comparisons to de- termine if there were Implications and Purcell responded that he had
 The total amount of payments to the Abrigador Digger shown by the warrants payable registers was $32,- 76915, the witness said, while his 0arcoy,o1 tonac cbnua<l ollitiNy,o o payments of $46,145.52, making a total of $78,914.67 for the year 1881 to the company.
 Objections of Attorney Cassel to the admission of the records were in vain. Cassel drew from Purcell an admission that two items which ap- peared on the warrants payable reg isters were not on the adding ma chine tape
 Turning to the 1892 slips, Purcell said that he had examined the sheets which showed payments of "A items amounting to $3,524.76 to the company. His sheets showed additional rayments of $114,305. IS during the same, year, making a total of $117,83051.
 286,9O0 Paid
 Together, the 1881 and 1892 items, added to previous records, showed payments of $286, ,900.30 to the Abrigador Diggers from 1930 through 1887. Purcell previously testified, that despite the absence of records, he could estimate that the company received approximately $l00,00O a year from the city.
 Dorothy and Ernest Inglis, 12- yeafs-old twins of Judge Ernest A. Inglis were seated in the courtroom today observing the proceedings. It was not the first time they had at- tended the trial, and its prelimin- aries.
 Leaving the affairs of the Abriga- dor Diggers, Alcorn placed a paper before the witness, which the lat ter said contained the signature of Frank Hayes, but which the wit ness said he had never seen before
 After perusing it carefully, Attor- ney Murray objected-stating that the paper should not be admitted to evidence, as it had no bearing on the case, and there was no evidence "to support any contention that any dinner was paid for by Hayes out of funds ] the city of Waterbury in 1937."
 The jury was excused at 10:40 when Attorney Murray suggested to the judge that he examine the paper offered.
 Ultimately, Judge Inglis refused to admit the paper, and ordered il marked for Identification only Judge Inglis also refused Alcorn's suggestion that it be marked in the presence of the jury.
 At 10:55 a. m., Alcorn announced that "the direct examination is completed"
 Cross Examination
 It was Purcell's 18th day on the stand. He was first called by the state Friday, February 10, at the fifth witness in the trial. Since that time the name of every de- fendant in the case has been men, toned while Purcell was on the stand.
 Attorney George Crawford rose from his seat and strode near the jury box, prepared to cross-exam- inc the witness.
 After several preliminaries, dur ing which copy of the resources and appropriations of the city was marked for Identification, Crawford questioned Purcell about his school ing.
 Purcell, who has been chief ac- countant in the controllers office since 1880, stunned the audience when he said that he could not remember if he graduated from Duggan grammar school,
 Asked if he had received certifi- cate of graduation from the school, the witness replied, T probably did, but I can't remember"
 q think I did" he added. The witness, who has seated himself on the witness stand for the past 13 days and reeled off fig