The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-06
WITNESSES TESTIFY
IN THE TWOMBLY
CASE
Noted Wine Room Prosecu-
ton Is Commenced Before
Judge Bum, Instead Of
Judge Lewis as Originally
Scheduled-Much Interest
Among Spectators.

The trial of William Twombly,
charged in an indictment returned by
the December grand jury with keeping
a disorderly house in connection with
the saloon conducted by him at Fourth
and WabaSha streets, was commenced
before Judge Bum in the criminal d1-
vision of the district court yesterday
morning. Judge Bum was called upon
to hear the case by Judge Kelly, an
affidavit of prejudice having been filed
against Judge Kelly by Mr.. TWombly
and his attorneys.
The case promises to attract more at
tention than any of the disorderly
been tried. Long before the hour for
the opening of the court yesterday
morning the criminal court was filled
to the doors, and the crowd remained
during the tedious and uninterestlng
proceeding of drawing jury, which
was not completed until afternoon.
During the afternoon, when the intro
duction Of testimony was begun, there
was not standing room, and many peo-
pie were unable to gain admittance.
County Attorney Kane, in making
his opening address to the jury, stated
that he expected to prove that the
place conducted by TWombly was one
of the most disreputable in the city,
a place where men and women of QueS-
tionable reputation were wont to con-
gregate and diSpOrt themselves in a
diSgraceful manner.
The state will endeavor to show
that the Winerooms alleged to have
been maintained in connection with
the saloon were frequented by boys
and girls of tender age, and that dane
ing, drinking, swearing and singing
were pastimes INDUCED in nightly by
the people who congregated at the
place. The address was short, but
cauStic.
Five Witnesses Called.
Attorneys Stan ]. Donnelly and Har-
ry B. Weiss have been retained by
Twombly, and the case is being con-
Quoted in a very careful manner. One
thing claimed in favor of the defend
ant is the fact that since his wine
rooms were closed to women last fall,
the saloon has been conducted in
most quiet manner, and unlike other
places of a similar character, the wine
rooms have never been reopened.
Five witnesses were called yester-
day afternoon, but none of them gave
the damaging testimony which was
given in the other diSorderly house
cases already tried.
Detective William O'Neill of the city
police force, was the first witness call
ed. During the ten years he had been
on the police force he had known Mr..
TWombly, and had been In his place
many times. It was his custom to go
there several times each week, and
most of his visits were made during the
night. He had seen women in the place
and had seen them occupying the wine
rooms, but only once that he could re-
member had he seen a woman in the
place who was absolutely drunk. De-
tective O'Neill testified that Twombly
had taken the doors off his winerooms
rIo,N Al..
issued by the police, and that the doors
had never been put back in place.
Rosie Smith, of 440 Sibley street.
testified that she had frequented the
place during last summer, and had
often met other women there. She
had gone there to get drinks, she said,
and had often seen men and women
drinking together. A large room in the
rear of the saloon was sometimes used
for dancing purposes, and the music
was usually furnished by a colored
man.
Newspaper reporters, whose work
compelled them to remain out late at
night, were called to the stand, their
testimony being similar to that offered
by Detective O'Neill. They had been
in the place occasionally, and had
sometimes seen women there.
Women Will Take Stand Today.
tify yesterday was William tlNvers,
the young railroad clerk who was stab
bed in Twombly's saloon last Septem-
Der by William Gibbs, the colored por-
ter, who is now doing time at Still
water on account of the stabbing.
Travers told much the same story as
related by him during the trial of
Gibbs, stating that he had visited the
place and found men and women there.
Many of the women who visited the
place were given a bad name.
A dozen women who have been call
ed as witnesses in the case were in
court yesterday, but their personal ap-
pearance presented a marked contrast
when compared with the women who
had been called in the preceding cases.
The greater part of them were good
looking, we'll dressed, and the marks
of dissipation which were so noticeable
upon the witnesses in former cases
were not to be seen. Instead of per-
hitting these women to remain in the
court room during the trial of the case,
Judge Bum ordered that they remain
In an adjoining room until called upon
to testify. Most of them will be called
today.
One witness who will be called upon
to testify in the TWombly case. in
Which more than usual interest is man.
ifeSted, is Lulu Banks, a member of
the quartette of alleged porch climbers,
who was convicted some time ago in
connection with a series of robberies
in this city last summer. The woman
is serving a siX-months' sentence in
the workhouse, and was brought into
court yesterday by a deputy sheriff,
writ of habeas corpus having been
sued out for her by County Attorney
Kane yesterday. The Banks woman
was not called upon to testify yester-
day, and is being held at the county
Jail until she is wanted.
When court was adjourned for the
day yesterday, William Travers was
still on the stand and he will be re-
called when court convenes this morn
ing. The case will probably continue
the rest of the present week.