Q. Who gave them their tickets when they came to the door?—A. That I couldn't tell you. The tickets were not given out until about five minutes before the polls were opened. I had the tickets in my hand and gave them out to some five or six men to distribute.

Q. Were there no tickets in sealed envelopes to be given out to your employés that day?-A. No, sir; they were not sealed that day. Q. Nothing in the envelopes ?—A. No, sir.

Q. Nothing upon the tickets that would distinguish them from others?-A. Nothing at all.

Q. Had Mr. Kennedy anybody beside his son living with him at the time he was employed in the mill?-A. My impression is that he had one or two nieces who boarded with him.

Q. Then he had two or three employés living with him in the tenement house?-A. I could not say as to their boarding there at the time he got this notice. I think that the nieces had gone to Connecticut. As far as my memory serves me they were both out of town.

Q. He says that they were at work in the mill?-A. I think they were I think they were in Connecticut.

not.

Q. When did Kennedy's son quit work?—A. I have no means of knowing definitely.

Q. Was it before the election?-A. No; it was after the election. Q. How long after the election?-A. Í think within three or four months.

Q. It was not within a week?-A. I think not.

Q. You say that Kennedy's notice to quit had nothing to do with the election?-A. Not in the least.

Q. And if you had thought it would make so much disturbance as it did make, you would not have given the notice?-A. Not at all.

Q. How happened it, then, that you gave a second notice when you had been defeated in the first proceeding?-A. The company wanted the tenement.

Q. But when you got defeated in the one proceeding and could not get him out, you commenced another?—A. We thought that we would let the matter rest until after the election.

Q. But you did commence another proceeding ?-A. I think so.

Q. There were two proceedings commenced to get him out, both commenced before the election, and the latter resulted in getting him out after the election. Is not that the history of it?—A. I think that is it. Q. While you were annoyed by it, you still commenced the proceeding?-A. Mr. McArthur is more familiar with it than I am. Q. Is not that the fact ?-A. I think that is the fact.

Q. You did tell Kennedy you would put him out?-A. Yes.

Q. He told you he would not go?-A. Yes.

Q. Did he not tell you he would stay there, fight for possession, and vote for Butler ?-A. I think he said so. I told him at that time, "It is not the manner in which you would vote, because you can board here with your relatives, remain here and vote."

Q. Did the fact of the notice become public or did you keep it secret?A. It became public.

Q. It would not in any way affect the rest of your employés ?—A. I think not.

Q. Do I understand you that it is the law of Massachusetts that a man in the employ of one of these corporations, living in one of these tenements, can be dismissed and his family turned out in seven days?A. I think that that is the law.

Q. A landlord and tenant proceeding, under which you can turn a

tenant out in six or seven days. Had you exercised that law in such a proceeding before?-A. Only once before. Three or four years ago, we ordered a man out.

Q. But it is the law?-A. That is the law, as I understand it.

By Mr. PLATT:

I

Q. That is to say, you have to give him seven days' notice before you bring suit; is that it ?-A. I am not familiar enough with it to say. do not know but that that is it.

By the CHAIRMAN :

Q. Seven days from the hearing or proceeding. If then there is judg ment against the tenant, he is removed instanter; is that it? [No direct answer was given, but the statement appeared to meet with general concurrence. What do you mean by saying that Mr. Kennedy could have boarded with his relatives? Had he relatives there other than his son?-A. He had other relatives.

Q. What other relatives ?-A. I don't know what the relationship is between them, but there is a widow lady and others there with whom he could have boarded.

Q. Were they living in the same house with him?-A. No, sir.

Q. You think, then, it would have been perfectly safe for him to have gone over and boarded with them?-A. Certainly.

Q. If he bad not intended to vote for Butler it would have made no difference, you think?-A. It would not have with us. I told him he could remain in the village and vote, as far as that was concerned.

Q. Did the men come to the polls in wagons driven by employés of the corporation ?—A. Yes, sir.

Q. Had these men who drove the wagons any tickets?-A. None what

ever.

Q. Were you at the mill to see whether any were given them ?—A. I was not there.

Q. As the men would pass you at the polling-place you would hand them tickets though?-A. They were generally provided before they got

to me.

Q. But you would pass them out a ballot ?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. On the gubernatorial question you were distributing Talbot tickets? -A. Yes, sir.

Q. You were but eight or ten feet away from the ballot-box and the agent, Mr. John McArthur, had charge of it?-A. Yes, sir. The chairman of the board of selectmen presided over the depositing of the votes. Q. He is an employé of the corporation?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. Where was Mr. Knox standing?-A. That I couldn't tell you.
Q. He was there in the building ?-A. I presume he was.

Q. Were you looking after other voters or particularly after the voters of your corporation?-A. After all of them. All that I knew I would present with a ballot; any in the town.

Q. How long have you lived there?-A. About six years.

Q. Do you think that these Frenchmen did not vote in an envelope?— A. I could not tell you that. I presume that some did and some did not. Q. Did you not think that the Frenchmen had gone back on" you, as you are reported to have said?—A. They asked me how I thought the vote would stand in our village. I told them I thought it would be about equally divided; that there would be about fifty Butler and about fifty Talbot. I said, "There won't be more than half a dozen difference any way." That was as near as I could tell. It was on the election day that I made that statement.

Q. On election day did you not say that you thought some of the French had gone back on you?-A. I don't know whether I made that statement or not-no, I think the result of the balloting was about as we thought it would be. I don't know why I should make that state

ment.

Q. Was it about as it was the year before?-A. I couldn't tell you how it was the year before.

Q. Were you at the polls and active the year before?-A. Yes, sir. Q. Was Mr. McArthur?—A. Yes, sir.

Q. And Mr. Knox ?—A. Yes, sir.

Q. You were all in the habit of being there regularly?—A. Yes, sir. Q. These Frenchmen were Democrats, were they?-A. I think that the majority of them are.

Q. You think that two-thirds of the voters in the mills are Democrats? -A. Yes.

Q. Did two-thirds of your men that day vote for Butler?-A. No; I don't think they did, quite.

Q. Did one-half of them vote for Butler ?—A. Yes, I guess that onehalf of them did.

Q. You did not influence any of the one-sixth who you thought were Democrats and who did not vote for Butler, did you?—A. I don't know that I did.

Q. Did you not do the best that you could to influence them before the election, and on the election day?—A. There was the ordinary couversation that they had with me on political matters.

Q. The question is a plain one, and you can answer it, surely. You say that about two-thirds of the employés were Democrats and that you think about one-half of them voted for Butler. Did you influence any of the one sixth, those who did not vote for Butler, to vote the other way-A. No, sir; I do not think I did.

Q. Did you not do the best that you could to influence those men who voted against Butler ?-A. No, sir; I did not.

Q. Then you were there all day —A. Yes.

By Mr. PLATT:

Q. Do you wish to make any explanation in connection with your previous answer? Having answered "no," you are at liberty to explain.A. I don't know how I can explain it any differently.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Q. Do you want us to understand that you were there all day electioneering and did not try to influence this one-sixth to vote in that way-A. No; I don't want you to understand that.

Q. Then explain what you meau ?-A. I think that by ordinary conversation I did influence some, perhaps.

Q. You did not at any time attempt to influence them from your position as agent of the corporation?-A. Not at all.

Q. Being the timekeeper over these men, knowing them well and acting, as you did, as an agent or distributor of tickets for the Republican party, did you not think that your position would have an influence upon the employés of the mill ?-A. I think it would.

Q. Were no sealed tickets given out before the election in November? -A. Not one to my knowledge.

Q. Did you not know that they were distributed by other people at the mills?-A. I did not.

Q. You were the assessor of the town last year?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. You were elected by the people at the preceding November election?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. To whom does the church in that town belong?-A. It belongs to the company.

Q. The school-house?-A. That belongs to the company.

Q. The hall?-A. That belongs to the company.

Q. To whom do the tenement houses belong?-A. They belong to the company.

Q. Can you give the total vote of the town last November ?-A. I

cannot.

Q. About what was it, as near as you can give it ?-A. About 350. I have no means of knowing it exactly.

Q. Of course, I understand you to give the figures merely approxi mately. Of those 350, how many, according to your experience, are Democrats and Republicans, applying the test not simply of last November but of elections generally?-A. I think that they are generally pretty equally divided.

Q. What was the result of the election last fall, as between Butler and Talbot-A. I think that Talbot had about two majority.

Q. Would the vote of the employés of the corporation carry the ma jority one way or the other, if thrown in one way solidly?-A. I think it would.

Q. Was that vote cast solidly for you as assessor of the town?-A. Both parties nominated me.

Q. You were elected without any opposition ?-A. There was not any to speak of.

Q. Were you at the wagons when the Frenchmen got up to the polls? -A. I was not there; I am always in the hall, in the ward room; I pay no attention to them.

Q. Were the men who came in the wagons taken directly back, after voting, to the mill ?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. How long does it take them to come up and go back usually ?—A. It takes nearly all day. They generally stay there until three or four o'clock.

Q. Are they charged with the day, or does their working time run on?-A. They lose their time, I think.

Q. You are the bookkeeper and ought to know.-A. Yes; they lose their time. The overseers make up the time of the men. I think they

lose the time.

By Mr. PLATT:

Q. You are not the timekeeper?-A. No, sir; simply the bookkeeper. By the CHAIRMAN:

Q. As assessor, you have something to do with receipting for their taxes, or do you act as bookkeeper merely ?-A. The collector of taxes brings those taxes down to me. The help prefer that I should take them off their wages. It is at their own suggestion that is done.

Q. Do you know John O. Parker ?—A. Yes, sir.

Q. Is he a man of good character ?—A. He is, as far as I know.

Q. When he stated that he saw you take tickets out of the hands of the mill hands and give them others, do you think that he did not state what was correct?-A. I know that he did not.

Mr. PLATT (after referring to the testimony of Parker). I think that the chairman's statement is correct, that the witness Parker did say that he saw Chase give the men tickets and tell them to carry that in."

.66

By the CHAIRMAN:

Q. You think you did not say that?-A. I did not at all.

Q. Do you know Henry J. Whiting ?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. Do you know him to be a man of character?-A. I don't know what his standing is.

Q. Mr. Knox was quite active, that day, as a distributer of tickets?—

A. No, sir.

Q. Did you see him take tickets out of the hands of the mill opera. tives and tear them up?-A. No, sir. He has gone to Canada.

Q. Did you not tell Mr. Whiting that you could control the men, would bet that you could ?—A. I never did.

and

Q. Did you not say that you would not lose six voters out of the whole of them?-A. I never did as to the men employed by the corporation. Q. Where does Mr. Whiting live?-A. I don't know. My impression is that he lives in Oxford.

Q. Did you have no talk with him?—A. I have no recollection of

any.

Q. You have no recollection of a conversation in which you stated that the men were there under your control, and you would bet that you could control them ?-A. None at all.

Q. Your efforts have been purely voluntary or moral suasion ?—A. Yes, sir.

Q. You did not attempt to bulldoze them ?-A. Not at all.
Q. This was a civilized influence purely ?-A. Yes, sir.

By Mr. McDONALD :

Q. You say that about one-third of the 350 votes in the town are cast by the employés of the mill ?—A. About one-third; yes, sir.

Q. How many salaried officers are connected with the mill?-A. You do not mean the overseers?

Q. I mean all who receive a salary, who are paid so much per month. -A. There are three.

Q. There are three salaried officers, and the others are employés and work there by the piece or by the time?-A. By the day; yes, sir. Q. Give the names of those three.-A. The two McArthurs and my self. Those are the three in the office.

Q. All three of you are Republicans?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. How many of you have held office in connection with the elections there?-A. Two.

Q. What two?-A. Mr. John McArthur and myself.

Q. You felt an unusual interest in the election of November, 1878, did you not?-A. I don't know that I did any more than usual.

Q. Were you not deeply interested in the defeat of General Butler for governor of the State?-A. I was not any more interested in that election than I am always interested, I might say, I suppose.

Q. Was not the feeling that you had in regard to the defeat of General Butler a little stronger than your ordinary political feeling at elec tions, and did it not involve some personal interest?-A. I don't think that it did.

Q. You spoke against him in your conversations very decidedly, didn't you-A. I spoke of Mr. Talbot as being my preference most decidedly. Q. In your comparisous of the two men you showed a preference aside from the matter of politics?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. You preferred Talbot as the better man personally as well as po-litically-A. Yes, sir.