New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-20
THE CASE AGAINST MR.. SMITH,
EVIDENCE THAT FAILED TO NDIoT BIN.
rvr, CTS FROM THE TESTIMONY GIVEN BE-

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rxrp ACTS FROM THE TESTIMONY GIVEN Be
FORE THE ALBANY COUNTY GRAND JUkf.
Tho f.rure of the Albany County Grand Jury 10
hrnr in an Indictment against Assemolyman Ona,io'
Smith of the With District Is a great uIsaPP
rent to the members Of the City neioi" N'
believed that they had a sufficiently STRONG case S ,
him TO warrant different result than the ono ~
DisirictAttorney Reilly, of Albany 'housh' % w
fault they believe, was not due 10 lhsuhioie -,S,
m alleged and in proof of this assertion the presue,
30 ,bo clnb Z. " c. yelling, yesterday furnished
., ,bo nrcss comics of the testimony gwen ny 'no
witnesses several detectives who were hired TO loon
fer the doinrs of Smith and his friends on elecuoi'
day A. Ret
John C. Bulls evidence is the first on tnc hoS
He swore that on the day before election ne saw
Smith give money 10 six different persons si'ef 'aiA
Ing with them in confidential way. one Vi luesO
mon told Smith that no controlled fourteen votes
smith caye him a roll of bills. The fellow look tno
money. according to the Witness and went 10 hquor
shop at No 90 Bayardst There fifteen men "oi9
waiting for him What is alleged TO have happeh0u
there is thus described by Bull:
These men belonged TO tho laburing CLASS . anu
Ioote5 like nod carriers ana street sweepers tLV
man with Smiths money remained in ms saloon ~
len minutes when no came out WIN huni ~ he
snail sealed envelopes in his hand and stood by une
door The laboring men then came out ono c ~
ndersfsndIne vent up to the with tho envelopes
and received one OF them. Deponent saw one ,e y,
these envelopes opened by one of these lspoi,ns o
and saw thai II contained two dollar pui anu
yellow ticket -, ....,. ,.,,,or IN receiving
those envelopes and 1t with the greatest amcuy
that de. oncn was enabled to ascertain their I.
From Information that deponent obtained nc Ne,ns
believes that these cards tickets In these eVeioPos
were the tickets used TO be given 10 VOtcrs ~ t 49,
In consideration OF their votS anu TO the
proper person. deponent being niorineu anu SsembiS
that this system In operation In the saa Assem- ~
rrfct
ascertain who the who got the money ron 2n
Smith and for that purpose followed him to the Thaa
Theatre situated 80 the Bowery near by. .,.u
The man entered and while deponent was " s13sS
for him TO come out he saw sne sa and tbo Bowory
and Immediately went over TO see what was g1 i o
Deponent saw said smith ias 70 after which he
entered the liquor saloon at No 30 Bowery on me me
same corner, where there were a9ont ni'y h mem he
came came ,Se wcr collected crowd of buns and
Iodginrhouse sIamps to tho number Of about nifty.
Deponent mingled with this crowd ana WINE Smi ,,
numbers of the people, and deponent saw him give
money TO many of them, TO tho number OF AZ icast
fifteen AS inc a cowp bat smith was giving out
election money, and those persons 10 whom whom SnlIM
gave tne on of e Saloon They would go up 10
smith individually as no stood at the entrance AMI
wSuId take ont tho money and give It TO them. This
money given In various amounts, s0iheunes pro
engaged I'm distributing the money for about twenty
minutes, when he went away
The activity displayed by John Schmidt In Smiths
behalf on election day IS told At length by william
G. Ostrom, another witness. no explained how rcd
tickets were issued to tramps and others who sold
their votes and how these cashed at e. each at
the windsor Theatre Lodging House. George H.
Davis told how voters were rushed" to the polls.
Here is an extract from his testimony:
At the polling place No q Edowst dsP S,Ssr
assisting him, very active in clectioneerins one Of
these men, young man ma large T u n tbe ba5
Of taking voters into the Railways, aleyways an1
absence would return with the voter and take him
into the polls they would rush the voters, a. AZ, u
ns SaSCs 5 gone Stand nsHt while the
they voted. Deponent and Mr.. ~. Kessler had con
versations with the said Samuel coleman on inc suD-
ect OF the bribery Of voters at said polling places;
during which conversations the said Coleman admitted
to them that he had been paying money for votes and
but that the usual price he paid 81 and "a each
SAID Coleman further sad that Isdor Reach had been
paid "a. aor his vote. And said Coleman admitted
that he hlrseh had paid out large amount OF money
for votes on that day.
Here are samples OF other testimony presented:
Corsen Doscher-Deponent was standing in company
with Thomas Duncan about three feet away whom two
men came up TO said Charles Smith, one OF whom tooK
rcd ticket from his pockct and said to smith Yr.
know each OF us pays half and went on 20 say some
thing TO the man about The Bowcry tonight All tho
with the tickets said whats the halff' and Smith
said One dollar to which the man seemed to assent
and Smith took the money from his pocket and eS-
changed II with the for the ticket who then
Frank S. Perry-I saw Edward Butler, Charles Jack
Con Morris saao5 and several Others OF tho SAID Smiths
heelers and workers, actively engaged In sonciuns
voters distributing ballots and taking voters into mo
polls. Deponent the said Morris Isaacs bring
a person who looked like a aborer woripgmaD into
Smiths saloon, and heard said lsaacs oer 10 give MN
=. If he voted theG- The man agreed TO accept inc
bride dthen Isaaes took him into the polling place
next door and after remaining In three or four minutes
the two came out and separated and said saacs toos
nut down the nme Of the voter. There were already
other names entered on the same page. -,
About this time deaoncnt saw man whom bmlth
called Brady and who with group OF Ave or six
men standing IN the middle OF tho street. In converse
lion with the said Charles smith. smith said
They are here" Then Smith replied, . VIII DO as
agreed 80 apiece sn'a IN tsen S Mqt oez and
some hslf dozen co-worhers were actively engagcu
at said polling place throughout tho day election on
the Assembly in said Assembly District, and for the
said GOetz as a candidate for Alderman. That during
the forenoon the said Goctz was using money freely
with voters, but in the afternoon instead OF money
he used cardboard tickets. which deponcnt is IN,
formed and believes represented the meney fsce s
TO BIO redeemed for cash on presentation TO the proper
person. -. , -
with voters with his money in his hands, end directly
after talking with them the SAID Goeiz would Iak k
the voters into the polling place. walk thcn up 20
the pol-boxes and hand them ballots and say This
IS the ticket want you to vote"
Nicholas Wltschen-l sew number OF People a wHo
Smith, who would aec0st voters as they came near
the polls, and II they succeeded In inducing them
voter at tho polls and then escort tho man voter
into the saloon OF the said Charles Smith,
whether the club will attempt to bring up the
case here will be settled at its next meeting, which
viii be held in q few days.
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