Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-11-01
DisMlssep ON rEonNIoALIrY.

T. L. Bach, chairman of the Republic
can First District Committee anu private
secretary to Senator Higgins, was ar
ralgned IN municipal court yesterday Oh
The charge of bribery In buying tax
receipt from Louis higgins.
Higgins testified that he went to
Bach's house at Ninth and Jackson
streets on October 18th and told him he
was Democrat and wanted to sell his
tax receipt.
Bach said; "Let me SEQ your tax re-
ceipt He showed him tho tax receipt
ana Bach told him to come upstairs.
WOULDN'T wAKEN THE BABY.
After the defendant and Higgins had
gone upstairs Bach gave him pair of
shoes. lie said he had two shirts which
cost SO, but he didn't want to waken
the baby. Higgins took the shoes. He
testified that lie returned on another day
and Mrs. Bach gave him the shirt as her
husband wasn't in. .u-.. ...
ON ACCOUNT OF THE RECEIPT.
The witness afterwards went to Re-
publican headquarters, where he told
Bach he wanted 81 to pay his fare to
Philadelphia. Bach gave him 81 and
SAID the money was on his tax receipt.
higgins returned in day or SO and told
Bach "the people were dead on to him.
and Bach gave him the tax receipt. M
Higgins explained ne wanted to show
the tax receipt to his uncle. Bach told
him to bring the recipe back as soon Us
he had shown it,
In reply TO Mr.. Elliotts question, the
witness said Bach told him he would
give him the receipt on election day.
LAWYER WARDS QUESTIONS.
Fl. II. Ward appeared as counsel for
Bach, and the first question he asked
the witness was:
Where did you get that tax receipt ?"
The witness declined to answer the
question.
"Where did you get that tax receipt"
again repeated Lawyer Ward.
Higgins-"I don't have to answer that
question. If were to ask you where
you got that suit of clothes, would you
Ward-"That's got nothing to do
with the case"
The witness declined to answer the
question.
In reply TO further questions from
defendants counsel the witness said he
got the receipt this morning from De-
tective McVey. He added he first went
to X-Marshal Mahaffy to sell tho tax
receipt, and Mahaffy sent him to Bach.
BAcII's QUICK MOVE.
After tho witness told Bach 'they
were dead on to him." Bach told him
he did not give the money on his tax
receipt He gave the information to his
brotheron which the warrant was issued
for Chairman Bach.
Clerk OF the Peace w. Pierce Biggs
was the next witness. He had the as
sessment books Of the Fifth ward and
said the name Of Louis Higgins appeared
thereon as a qualified voter.
Receiver OF Taxes John T. Dickey
was called and testified that he had the
stub showing that the poll tax of Louis
Higgins for 1894, had been paid. He
identified his signature appearing on
the tax receipt showing that the tax
had been regularly paid.
j. /. Jones, registration officer in the
Third district of the Fifth ward testified
that Louis Higgins registered on October
18th as qualified voter.
Higgins was recalled by Mr.. Elliott
and testified that he registered from his
mothers residence No. GA West
Seventh street.
On redirect examination Higgins adj
mitted he told his brother that he had
given the tax receipt to Bach, but stated
that he didn't want his brother to know
ne had sold the receipt. The State here
rested.
"Alr. Bach, take the stand" com.
manded Lawyer Ward. Bach took the
stand and was affirmed by Municipal
Court Clerk S. S. Adams, Jr.
He made the following statement:
about two weeks ago Higgins came to
my house at noon, found him sitting
on the porch. He told me his name was
Higgins. He said Mr.. Mahaffy had sent
him to me to sell the tax receipt.
He said he had been out of work and
wanted to sell his receipt in order to
buy pIir of shoes. l asked him how
many receipts he had had, and he said
only one. He told me he was between
% and "a years old. | said don't you
think you are doing wrong in selling
your tax receipt. He said he would not
do 1t If he wasn't compelled to. He
told me he offered to sell the receipt to
Mr. Mahaffy for $3.50. He wanted the
money to get a pair of shoes. l gave
him pair of shoes.
He told me he was a Democrat, but
was going to vote the Republican ticket.
told him | didn't give a id how he
voted, but told him to go to the polls
and vote. Higgins took the shoes aud as
he was going out called him back and
told him would keep the tax receipt
and that he could have it when he
wanted it. He also said he would like to
have shirt. | went upstairs to ret him
the shirt, but found the baby was
asleep. l told him wouldn't wake the
baby for any one.
He came back the next day and inv
wife gave him the shirt. Higgins came
to me couple of days afterward and
gave him dollar to go to Philadelphia.
He said he wanted to get work. When
ne came after the receipt | gave it to
him.
Marshal Mahaffy was called and tes-
titled that Higgins came to him to sell
the tax receipt. He refused 10 buy it,
and asked Where Bach lived. Mahaffy
told him, and that was the last he saw
of him.
The case was submitted without argu-
ment.
Judge Ball, in disposng of the case,
stated that no citizen had right to take
the tax receipt of another. 1t is the
property of the voter who pays the tax,
and the court desired to have it under
stood that traffic in tax receipts was a
very grave offence. In this case he said
Higgins might have been deprived of
his franchise, but from the evidence he
was compelled to dismiss the case.
TILE MrrtInnioT nnurrnrunr