The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-02-07
Sheriff Gudsn Cleared Of III,
Accusation Of Bribery.
REIsS' TESTIMONY REFUTEO.
No Direct M Specific Promise Of Patronage
Was Shown 10 HaD Been Made Hear
Ing Before GNsrnM odslI Closed

Albany. N. Y. Feb. 1.-The charges
against Sheriff Guden OF Kings COUNTY
which Gov. odell has been investigating
Tor the past three days, were practically
brought TO a conclusion ssstcrday. The
principal charge. nal Guden made an
agreement win NJ. J. Dady FOR a divI-
sion OF TIE salary and patronage of the
once ~ss not substsntiatcd.
me only witness who testified even TO
bearing Guden say there was such con-
tract was Burt Reiss whose testimony
"ss contradlcted and impugned by sever
al witnesses. Nor was any OF the charges
mat Sherin Guden made ante.election
pledges by which he violated his consti-
tDiional oath OF office proven.
Mr' Doremus, the cashier OF the spraeue
National Bank OF Brooklyn; Mr.. Neal
ana Mr.. Hsrtzeln. the recently elected
REGISTER and County Clerk. respectively:
Judge Jacob Bremen, Chairman of tht
Republican executive committee. and
"ther witnesses refuted the testimony OF
"eiss' -itterbury and Kissel. who prac-
'csiiy admitttd that before election they
'rie@ To get control OF Guden. that they
hv,ht secure the patronage In his Office
snerin Guden and his witnesses testf-
li"d that, Kings county being normally
democratic by l2e0 To Is 5,O00, Guden and
fis friends had feared the election youla
Ds close. and being Informed that Kissel
mad openly snuonnctd that he was going
10 slash the ticket and also that Alter
oury was believed under cover to he
working In the same way Guden '.iollled"
ihsse men into believing that II Guden
was elected they as well as the organIza-
rlon, would be recognized by him I'm
she distribution OF the offices within his
giN.
No direct or specific promise was shown
10 nave been made by the sheriff 10 any,
one. Guden and his witnesses testified
mat the day after election. Dady having
gone to Cuba. this Reiss-Atterbury-Kis
sci combination had sent for Guden
through Doremus or someone else almost
nailN and secured his attendance at
keisss office or house and then had tried
io force him TO make good what they
claimed TO believe he had promised be-
lore. the cleo ton TO do for them
Huden testified that he simply held them
on until Dady could get back and
siraighten the matter out because he had
promised Dady over the telephone after
the election before Dady sailed for Hava-
va not TO make any appointments until
Dady got back, as .Dady said IL he
undertook TO do without HIS assistance
he would be bothered TO death by all the
men who would be looking for patronage
Iuden admitted upon the stand that
he lad allowed Reiss in his presence 10
l9ld Jacob Worth and others 10 believe
fhat he was going to do great things for
Them. II he was elected. He even went
so far as To admit that he had allowed
Reiss to tell Worth that there was an
agreement between him and Dady for
the division OF the salary and the pat
ronage OF the Office in order to arouse
Worth's indignation against Dady. so
that Worth would give him his support
and that OF his friends
Guden did not make A favorable i'm
preston on the witness stand While
he seemed TO be keen and clever he
showed an amount of fippancy and lack
of appreciation or his position which
told against him. The sentiment here
is that had Guden done in Office what
he did during the campaign 10 keep GER
tain people from knifng him he would
have demonstrated unfitness for the Of
ice and would have justified the Gov
erpor I'm removing him. On the other
hand attention is called to the fact
that these acts were performed by
'iiden during the campaign aud not
since taking office and that many men
who have been elected and served in |
conspicuous positions have been forced
20 resort TO various means 10 prevent |
disgruntled men from venting their spite |
against the party's candidates at the |
polls Some here refer 10 the fact that |
the office OF sheriff is a very different |
one from that or msNor or a financial !
officer OF city. which requires dignity, |
executive ability and financial RESPONSE !
hility. Judge Brcnner and others showed |
on the witness stand that Gudens nom |
ination WAS brought about very sudden |
" as result Of the necessity OF the Re- |
publican organization reporting TO the |
conference OF the fusion forces at Lieut.. |
Gov. Woodruff's house In order that the |
different organizations In the fusion |
movement might proceed a once TO nom |
mate the county ticket and that the Cit /
liens Union might have sufficient time to |
comply with the requirements OF tho |
Law IN getting signatures 10 the petit |
lions which they had 10 file in the place |
of making the regular nominations.
" was further shown that Mr.. Guden's /
nomination came about az the result OF /
geographical conditions. largely. The /
other 10 candidates who had been select
cd by the Republicans and those I'm as /
socation with them In the fusion move
rnent came from various sections OF the |
city, leaving that in which Dady was
the controlling factor and IN which Gu
den lived not represented and that |
Dady had satisfied the Republican organ |
izatiOn that Guden was man OF good /
reputation. he having known him for |
many years. and that he occupied a re-
sponsible position at salary or 5000 /
year with a reputable plumbers sup
plies business house in the borough OF
Manhattan.
cable was received from Col. Dady |
stating he would reach Brooklyn on Feb. 4
II II is believed the Governor will an
nounce his decision on the the Guden
charges before that day