Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 20.pdf/133

This page needs to be proofread.

84

THE GREEN BAG

that you did not call her into an adjoining pression was taken up in derisive jest by the whole community. room? A. I don't recollect. A city detective, who five weeks after Q. I ask you to recollect though, I ask the election was promoted to be Chief of Detectives, was put on the witness stand you to state whether you did or not. A. I have forgotten. by contestants, and when asked whether or (J. Will you say in this deposition that not he had handed a card with a name and you did not on that day ask Mrs. Foster address on it to a certain stranger, and had where that list was? taken him into a saloon and urged him to A. I don't recollect. register under that name, and had told him O. What list were you referring to? that he was "as safe as the money was A. I know nothing about no list. good," and that he "had all the protection O. Then why can't you recollect whether in the world," he answered that he could not remember — that he had no recollec you asked her about a list or not? A. I don't recollect. tion of it. Q. You don't recollect whether you have The Treasurer of the Democratic Cam forgotten; is that what you mean? paign Committee who held the office of city A. I don't recollect. buyer admitted that the Democratic cam Q. Do you mean to say that you don't paign fund was over $70,000.00, that it was all spent for campaign purposes, and that recollect whether you have forgotten? A. I have forgotten. it was nearly all collected from city employees The editor of the Police Bulletin, who on a fixed scale or percentage of salaries. was also a city policeman and a Democratic But when asked what it was spent for he precinct captain, was put on the stand by said he had destroyed all his books and contestants with this result: memoranda and could not remember at all, O. Mr. McDonald, I believe you gave a saying "after the election I took a rest and certain list of names to Mrs. Foster, did forgot even-thing that happened." When -you not? asked why he destroyed everything, he A. Well, now I will tell you gentlemen, replied, "election business is not good I refuse to answer any questions pertaining stuff to have laying around at times." On to that case at all, because I am afraid it the other hand the Republicans themselves will tend to incriminate me. took the -deposition of their own Treasurer The witness was then asked : and proved how even' dollar of their "Do you not know that policeman and $22,000.00 campaign fund was spent. officers of the police force did have these A Democratic Clerk of the election, when names, and did arrange and systematize asked whether he had not simply copied the them, and divide them up by districts names alphabetically from the registration among the policemen and firemen with books on to the ballot book and stuffed the directions to induce the citizens located ballots into the ballot box without anyone throughout the city to consent that those voting them at all, could not remember names might be registered from ' their whether he had done it or not. Later, when pressed as to why he could not remember respective houses?" But counsel for contestees instructed these things he replied, with the sweat witness to decline to answer and to decline streaming from his forehead: "I did not to give any reason for declining, which the know anything like this was coming up!" witness accordingly did. So frequently Counsel for contestees were met with and continuously did witnesses "decline to such obstructions as these 1052 times in answer by advice of counsel " that the ex the depositions of 65 different witnesses.