Telegram-herald., 1888-03-01
SMITH AGAINST CLAY
WHAT NRYNzeD SAD TO EARLE.
Ibs kzaatflari.sss - froasc zttnz AttofHe1
Cl@r ~ Ehe Stahats Ne4rs tsstse'i-J~-
hss. fsr. s1ailh 90 80 st@aa-
Nh-s Frsascatisn Hssts.


h~s. fsr. s1aish ga tas st>as
Nhs Frsagcalisn hssts.
The sxaasinatloa oi Prosecuting Attorney
Gag, Ga tbs shafsss pFslsrtes asaiast hiD
81 6sHsrAl snilh. eas sssansi "a tas
PROBATE C0arl a. 81 o'elack Yesterday morn
inz. sta tbs asa4l crosi of spectators
present
HIM. y A. EAsis wss eslls1 70 shs stand,
nos nasiug csmplstsd Ais tssslmony Ias
daT pfsYioaa
Nj fagsart--I ~iii asx Yoa ls pries % The
aolls psosing q tAs Aiksa trial IN the
Superior CoaFt e sayoas came - yaFs pur-
porting u eoms from Ar. Cay. saying that
nr Gag would accept ta0nsy - a consider.
4iion Tor the dsscoannning Of The saigs
Mr. r. har-e-A kspflemAn came % re say
iaz that ~ ClaY had made proposition
~ disconunus the triai for money cou-
ssdsratiOn. bat IA nOt saY inat hs came az
Ar Cisgs request The gentleman was
Rev. DR. smith sh0ni / have seeu and
silh who's. consent slye the testimony.
NJ. Maynard objected % the witness
prooesdi8x. NJ. Iaggast sAld as would
put tns Rev. Dr. smith upon the stsnd
and would show oy him nat he ssns %
Mr. Earls from NJ. Clay. anc for ths plr-
pose OF informing NJ. Earle OF Ar. Clay :
proposition.
rhe objections of he dsfsndanrs counsel
sere sustained and Ar. Eafls wzs not per-
lolttsd % give TIE con7essaLioa With Rev.
Nh smith.
The witness cross-sxamined oy Mr. Mayn-
ar. When the case 0l Dr. AIKEN Vas nrst
tried l. NJ. Turner was prosecuting attorney
Of kent county. you'd say the iatOrma-
ton Nzs nisd In March ls56, think &essrs.
Goodwin s. Earle we're tne hfst attorneys
called n The case by Dr. Aiken. Afterwards
q Ar Donovan. OF Detroit; / was brought
into she case Ie~ days alter the trial be-
Kan ia the Superior Court The lnI0rn1z-
t40n vas for mansiangatcr AMI iouF counts
we're set 0uI.
Questioned by Mr. Maynard witness went
over the grounds OF the trlsi IN the esuDerior
Court stsY By step. naming counsel. giving
oatilas of defense. naming witnesses and
outlining their evidence. tnen ths suDse-
qasnt proceedings IN carrying the case 10
the Suprsuis Court. the action Of the court
ABOVE and ali the history was gone over
A. this point Mr. Tasxsrt asked that Mr..
tarls might be permitted tO step aside, and
t1AE Rev. Or. q. b. smith. who was present
and very feeble. might give bis testimony.
The request was granted and Or. smith
vas sworn. He testlled-i have lived in
Grand Rapids = years. know DR.. Akin and
1r Clay. Ia 1881. aiteF the decision oe the
Supreme Court and before the discOntinu-
sncs OF tie case IN the Superior Court
bad q conversation with Mr.. Clay at sweet )
h0tel 1 vent 10 Mr.. Clay at the request
Of Dr. Akin. believing Akin w.ls al IN
nocsas nan. took great interest ia ths
ease on this account my sympathy Is
always With the under dog Or. Akin told
me Mr.. Clay had said 70 him taAt the trial
would cost the county 500 og $40 TO try.
bat that hs must have 500 70 diacontiaGs
fas case. / asked AR. Cay wEsf De must
lave money for % diseontiuue the suit, told
ham I would not be any agent TO try aud
brios him and be sad he would not accept a
oribs ia any way. be said be didn'L want
any bribe but that IL would cost him 500
90 discontinue the ease In legitimate man
nsr, said he would have % get out a ccrtan a
paper that 40 msn uoslf draw for less than
$50 that tbsre vas a iarge feeling OF popular
prejudice against Aikin and that he must
have the money TO uss Ia counteracting this
in some way, thought, perhaDs, ne was
going % write some article 10 siisnce pOpu-
lar pre eludice waich ns said existed. 1 saw
Dr. Akin Afterwards ard told him nothing
could Be done. saw Mr.. Earle afterwards
and laiksd with him. Mr. Clay said IL was
prominent officials and personal friends
that Nsre % have tne money. with the ex
cspti0n 81 SO. which hs must have fOl
drawing ths paper lie was very emphatic
that be woaid not take brbe be didn'i
want the $40 TOR his personal Use and in
expressing his contsmpt for bribery swoTe .
blue stresk ABOUT a rod. Mr.. Clay did no'
aav who vss 20 hare the 500.
Mr. karis vas then recalled. and after re-
citlnx considerable Of t0e hist0ry Of ths
Akin triai ~ ssid
I considcr that the Akin case should
have been u0I8 urled that when Ar
Clay wsns into tha Superior Court snC
moved the case should b. discontinued b,
did What Wss right. asa not aware and don
helisvs thsre Nas any great pressBre brougn
fn aesr ufou tne Prosecuting Attorney q
re-try the case think At tAs tilae of the tia
thsrs va isrge pGbllc sentiment szRins
Or Akin. hgt believe after the opinion o
tne supreme Court pnblic opinion va
greatly changed. tas Cpinion 0i the Cour
sbOur tended 20 -staolish the act that thl
doctor wss not given fair tris. il slsay'
has an eject gpon public opinion .0r tn
Supreme Court % reverse = case. the l0ca
press also bad much % 10 With chsnxin,
ihs pubic ssutimens IN Mr. Aikens favor
never urged Mr. Clay 70 n0ile pros. th
case. | submitted the matter % Nf. Clay
aud told him I oeiiersf it vas ais duty d
90 So % nos consider it - the part Of
iavysr 20 urge q paoiic officer Ia such
case. Mr.. Cay never said snyfhing what
ever to ms about my paying $50 or 500 9
him % reimburse the cosntT in psrt. M
Clsv asked ne Tor the money for himself q
put into his own pockst. A. / believed thei
and oeiisSe nov. So far a. I know q,
nloney wss ever psid by DR.. Akin or hi
agents 70 Nr. Clay % induce him 70 uolh
prcs the case. ] knov the case vas noil
Z rtsr.st Of t.
ks-direetlr exsmined-I know Of n
ieeitimste expenses thai would have re
aairsd The $50 or Seo Demanded OF me
know of no psDer that wss Or could bav
heen drawn ~ Ar Clay ior rhich h
you'd - entitled or cocld rightly reosiv
So. M. Clay tcld me the $40 or st0o xs
70 Be ussd to indusnce certain supervisors
80 shs bosrd would not vote "a Dsy tas sx
pense- Of he witnesses. DR. Sigh snd th
txo SieiEafA / asxet Mr Clav Il he in
tended 20 ssY certain supervisors co1'i b
influenced oy mCneT s8d he r-piied that
what I mean. He said certain sup@rvisof
-ouid ~ harder - siieucs than others an,
said Supervisor John Stesetee would ,
tas most STA born man 20 silence
Ee-cruss examinad--i ir~t toll Dr. Aikil
81 ne conversation between Mr. Clav an.
myself ths same dsy it happened. mink
todd uv So psrfner a. tbs fime. tcli von
NJ. HaF1Atf - ne -ltil-fi ~ Alf0. wfe'
7su sroke OF smother csse that Hr ca
hasi offered csv money to disc0nanae a AS
The Aikin csse.
NJ Fletcher caie'f fsr the whols e,nvs-
ation set veen Ar 4aris an NJ Msvnaa
8 fhe F4nins1lsr tian
NJ. Aayusr1 snd Hr Ciav proteste
zarousr sRaizsf re conversation sesr
aren. NJ tisg ssif II ~ usgna-s "a
ns,is aar mistake 'n tbs cssa Be dim
t1isx th- CaErt saonlt r1ese smother
TIE Cenrt heId t8sr inssuucs as ~.
Nsvnsr8 nsi dfaTu On some of tae usffs
nf re cnngersatlec. All 81 it wlznf b