Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-03-28
MRsTHoMAs THE STAND
She Proves n Clever Witness and Gives !
Damaging Testimony Against Chief
ECan in the Criminal Libel Gases.

Damaging Testimony Against Chief
EGan in the Criminal Libel Cases.
Judge Root announced this morning
that as he and Judge Bradstreet were dis
qualified from trying the cases against
Fred r. Swift, Fred G. Thomas and n. E.
Sharps, the Sunday Herald men, he had
called in Judge Welch of Torrington.
Judge Joe" Barbour of Hartford, Judge
w. F. Davis of Meriden, Judge J. F.
Walsh of Danbury and Judge E. F. Cole of
this city represented the accused. Barbour
and Waleh appeared for Swift, Davis for
Sharps and Cole for Thomas. Prosecuting
Attorney ONeill had a strong array af
talent and objection to questions were like
snowhakes in number. The defense
seemed to have the best of the objections.
Samuel P. Williams was the first wit
ness. He testified that Fred r. Swift
leased from him the rooms occupied by
the Sunday Herald in Lilley block. The
lease was signed in Swift's name.
Pierce Dillon some years ago made ar
engagements with Swift to bring the papers
over from Meriden. He now received his
papers from a man who drove over from
Meriden. Did not know who he was. Did
not know who the proprietor was He
sent his checks to the Herald Publishing
Co.
Cornelius p. Hayes, a former reporter
on the paper, testified that he received his
checks from Mr. Swift and in the latter
absence received them from Mr. Stetson.
Could not swear who was the proprietor.
Sharps directed all the stories. He
severed his connection with the Herald
three months ago.
Thomas F. Mccain, reporter on the
Herald, testified that he was employed to
edo" Hartford and other points. Re-
ceived his checks from Isaac r. Stetson.
Did not know who was proprietor. Saw
Mr. Swift in the office only two or three
times.
John +. Walsh said was hired by Swift
five years ago. Got through there some
months ago. Made no different arrange
Ements up to time of severing connection
with firm. He did not give information
relative to the story published in the
Herald. Did not know who wrote the
story.
Detective Egan said he served warrants
on Sharps and Thomas. Heard Thomas
make remark to Smith, the Sunday
Herald artist, that it was Bert's meaning
Sharps) headline that did the business
The question was ruled out, as it was not
proven that Sharps heard the remark
Mrs George r Thomas then took the
stand and proved a sensational witness.
She said in substance: Fred c. Thomas
interviewed her for the story as written in
the Herald on Sunday, March II. The
story is every word true. Mrs Thomas
was warned by the attorneys and by the
court that she need not eliminate herself
She said she was not afraid. The story
relative to Chief Egan taking SIT from a
drunken man and giving her husband 81,
she swore to positively, also the story of
taking SIS from prisoners wife. On the
night that the police commissioners
elected Miles McNiff detective of the
force Chief Egan called at her house about
II o'clock and told George, her husband,
who was a candidate for the position, that
he was sorry for him, but to never mind,
that McNif would not be on the force long,
that he would make it warm for him.
He said McNiff was unfit to be on the
police force AID knew nothing, and ought
to be in a lunatic asylum. He said
to her husband that if he had given Kelley
$50 or stood in better with Baldwin he
would have been elected. She said that
then her husband and Chief Egan began
talking of the Odd Fellows; that Chief
Egan had said Bannon had tried to get in
but they did not want any more "Micks''
in there and that Thomas should always
vote against an Irishman. Mrs Thomas
SAID to the chief: Il am an Irish woman
and so are you chief, and also a Catholic,
and l am surprised to hear such language. -
Il am Catholic, said the chief, but I
don't go near them only when 1 want a
child baptized" She said her husband
told her that this money business was a
little trick of the chiefs and he had
bought piano with the money. Her hus-
band also told her that when she told him
this would get him into trouble he replied
it was no more than the rest of the force
were doing. He said the chief was afraid
of him and dare not say anything against
him. She also said that when she went to
the police station to see her husband
Chief Egan told her she was a G-d-liar
if she said her husband drank
She also said that Thomas told her the
chiefs life not his own when he
(Thomas) was around. Relative to the
bottles of whiskey, cigars, etc, she swore
positively they We're brought home by her
husband. Mrs Thomas could not be shaken
IN her testimony.
The whole story up to this had been an
endeavor to locate the proprietorship of
the Sunday Herald and the writer's of the
article in question. Here Attorney O'Nelll
wanted to introduce as evidence a copy of
the Sunday Herald of March 25, wherein
it was stated that F. R. Swift was the pro-
prietor. 1t was objected to because the
publication was since the article in ques-
ton was written. Attorney O'Neil said
that he would ask to adjourn the case
until he could summon up
the whole Herald staff Judge Cole told
him few days ago that there would be no
dispute on this point The case was re-
sumed however
Albert E. Smith, the Herald artist, was
the next witness. He was hired, he said
by Stetson and Swift Supposed Swift
was proprietor since. Did not know of
any change.
Mamie b. Boyle. bookkeeper and stem
ographer for the Herald. said: "Mr Stet-
son first spoke to me and Mr. Swift hired
me. Receive my wages by check, en-
dcrsed by Isaac r. Stetson, bsiness mana
ger; check made out F. r. Swift Herald
Publishing Co"
Chief Egan then took the stand. He
said that Swift had told him
in the presence of two police
commissioners that he was the propri-
etor and was responsible for the article
Sharps told him he was the Waterbury
editor and Thomas said he was reporter
The last two did not mention the Herald.
None of the Sunday Herald people came
to me" said the chief, ''relative to the
story published. to find out whether it
was true or not" When asked If the story
was true, he said: mo, it is wholly false
as regards me-
When questioned about certain parts of
the story, relative to its truthfulness. a
lively tilt started between Attorney O'Neill
and Judge Davis The latter claimed that
the Herald made no charges against Chief
sible. Attorney O'Neill forthwith called
in legal authorities and fought this point
for all it was worth. 1t was the vital
point of the case and the local attorney
won the first real battle of the day. Judge
Welch quoted the statutes relative to IL
belous articles and allowed the question to
come in.
The court here adjourned for dinner.