Central Pacific Railroad Company Lawsuits

Leland Stanford, aged and up= wards being duly and publicly sworn pursuant to the directions hereto annexed, and examined on the part of the de= fendants, doth depose and say as follows:

Mr. Sanderson.

Q 1 State your name, age, occupation and place of residence?

A. My name is Leland Stanford, age. 56, residence San Francisco, occupation railroading.

Q 2 Do you know the nature of the cases in which your testimony is to be taken?

A. I think I do, substantially.

Q 3 What do you understand to be the cause of action alleged in these cases?

A. I understand it is a claim by the plaintiffs against C. P. Huntington, Mr. Crocker and myself, and I don't know whether others or not; based upon the purchase by C. P. Huntington of Central Pacific Railroad Stock of the plaintiff.

Q 4 Do you know of any of the parties plaintiff in these suits: if so who?

A. I met Mr. Aspinwall on a few occasions

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The Railroad Company of New York?

Mr. Cohen[underlined] I object to the question a leading

A. Yes sir.

Mr. Sanderson[underlined] Q 26 You have already stated that you have no knowledge of the making of these contracts at the time they were made. If you acquired any knowledge of them afterwards, state as near as you can, when it was, and what it was?

A. Well, the year I cannot remember now; Mr. Apsinwall was "not"[crossed out] out here to California and called to see me, and told me, that he had sold his stock to C. P. Huntington, and wanted my opinion as to what he should advise a friend of his named Preyn as to selling his stock; that Mr. Preyn had requested him to ascertain, whether he should sell it or not: that he was offered par for it; and Mr. Apsinwall wanted my opinion as to whether Mr. Preyn had better sell or not.

Q 27 How long was that as to these alleged purchases of C. P. Huntington?

A. I am not able to state, positively; but I think it was the same season C. P. Huntington purchased that stock. Mr. Aspinwall referred to it as a matter, of quite recent

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Q 31 By Mr. Sanderson. What have been you relations in respect to intimacy and knowledge of their business affairs during the time that you have been associated together as directors of the Central Pacific Railroad Company?

Mr. Cohen.[underlined] I object to the question as incompetent and irrelevaant[irrelevant].

A. We were engaged togeather[together] in the construction of railroads and the business incident to them and their construction since 1860: and I have such general knowledge of their affairs as would grow out of that and a close personal association.

Q 32. Such knowledge as a close business and social intimacy would furnish, I understand you?

A. Yes sir.

Q 33 What is your belief as to whether Mr. Huntington had any power to make this contract on their behalf or not?

Mr. Cohen[underlined] I object to the question as being incompetent and irrelevant testimony.

A. I don't believe he ever had such power.

Q 34 What knowledge if any have you as to Mark Hopkins

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having authorized C. P. Huntington to make this contract on behalf of himself and others?

A. I have no knowledge at all that he ever gave any direct or indirect authority to C. P. Huntington to make those purchases.

Q 35 What is you belief in that respect?

Mr. Cohen[underlined] I make the same objection as before.

A. I dont[don't] believe Mr. Hopkins ever did. I am quite certain if he had, he would have been "likely"[crossed out] certain to have mentioned it to me.

Q 36 By Mr. Sanderson.[underlined] Did you at or about the time at which the contracts in suit are alleged to have been made to wit, April 1870 or during the year 1870 purchase any of the stock of the Central Pacific Railroad Company?

A. Yes Sir. I purchased stock of the Central Pacific Railroad Company from individuals.

Q 37 On whose account did you maeke those purchases?

A. I made them on my own account.

Q 38 What was the highest price that you paid for those stocks?

A. I dont[don't] remember positively. Along at that according to my recollection, before the completion of the road I commenced

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by Mr. Brannan against you?

Mr. Sanderson.[underlined] I object on the ground that this is not cross examination, and is not pertinent to any matter brought out upon the direct examination.

A. I have no recollection of more than one suit.

Mr. Sanderson.[underlined] The complaint in the case of Samuel Brannan agains the Central Pacific Railroad Company and others was filed July 1st 1870.

Q 25 By Mr. Cohen.[underlined] Was Mr. Brannan a stockholder of this Central Pacific Railroad Company, or the Central Pacific Railroad Company of California?

A. He was.

Q 26 In which Company?

A. He bought stock. He was not a subscriber to the stock; but purchased it and I am not certain whether the stock was issued before the change in the company: — I think it must have been the original Company, the Central Pacific Railroad of California.

Q 27 In which company were the plaintiffs in these different actions stockholders?

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