The Portland daily press., 1886-06-09
THE RlDDEFoRD REPEATERs.
Beginning of the Trial at Alfred Yes
terday.
Lawrence Charlton of Portland Tes-
titles that He Voted Illegally.
[special to the Press.l

ALFRED, June 8.-The trial OF the Bidde-
ford parties, Elias Clark and others, for con-
spiracy with four Portland parties to vote
fraudulently in Biddeford at the last March
election, was begun before Judge Emery in
the Supreme Judicial Court this morning.
Two of the Biddeford parties, Coates and
Carter, were not present. and their bail was
defaulted. The other three. Elias Clark,
Charles H. Andrews and Noel Villandry
were arraigned pleaded not guilty and were
put upon trial Hon. Oryille D. Baker, and
County Attorney Frank NJ. Higgins appear
ed for the State, and Hon. Ira I. Drew, BE.
Hamilton, b. f. Chadbolrne and j. b. Dono-
van for the defendant. The defendants are
indicted for conspiracy jointly with the Port
land parties, who actually committed the
overt act, but after the jury was impaneled
the repeaters, Lawrence Charlton, John III.
Gillis, Frederick I. Gillis, and Edward A.
Smith, retracted their pleas ofnot guilty and
pleaded nolo contendere.
The defendants claimed that each Of the
three remaining respondents were entitled
to two peremptory challenges, but Attorney
General Baker claimed that they all were
only entitled to two, and the court sustained
the claim of the State.
The jury was impaneled from jury box
containing twenty-four names, and the panel
was completed before the adjournment of
court at noon. 1t is understood that the po-
litieal complexion Of the jury is, seven DEM
ocrats and five Republicans. The govern
ment challenged two jurors peremptorily,
and the counsel for the respondents one.
At the completion of the panel Judge Eme-
ry cautioned the jury not to allow any per-
son to approach them, and to avoid the SEM
blance of any approach by outside parties by
holding any conversation with such parties
during the trial. He also cautioned the news
paper reporters against making any COM
ments upon the testimony or incidents Of the
trial in their reports until the close Of the
trial, and said if any such were made he
should regard it as contempt of court.
In the afternoon, County Attorney Frank
NJ Higgins opened the case for the'State
with clear and concise statement of the
facts He said that Joseph H. Cote engaged
the repeaters in Portland, took them
to the railroad station and brought them out
to Saco by train; that they walked to Bidde-
ford. where they were given their breakfast
at a restaurant; that Elias Clark was with
Cote at the restaurant, and that he was also
in the city assessors office in the city build
ing, where the men were kept He said the
State would show that Noel Velandre acted
as doorkeeper Of the assessors office, and
that James E. Carter was passing in and out
of the room.
At half-past o'clock the State called its
FIRST witness. Lawrence Charlton of Port
land, who testified minutely to his being en-
ployed by Cote to go to Biddeford, and what
he and the other repeaters did during the
day. The witness said that James A. Carter
gave him name to vote on in Ward 7, and
that he voted on it, Burbank then wanted
him to vote in Ward 6, but his right to vote
there was challenged by Mr. S. c. Hamilton,
Jr He also testified that Velandre guarded
the door to the assessors' office in city build
ing