Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-02
ALDERMEN |NCUSTODY
More Municipal Ownership
Leaguers Arrested.
HEAVY BAIL FOR PETERS
Cronin in Tolls Of Law on the New
York Doodle Charges.
THE RECORDERSHIP ELECTION
Cronin, Involved in the Clifford-Cow-
ing Case, Paroled in Care of the
District Attorney.
THE REC0RDERsHIP ELECTION

NEW YORK. February 2-Henry CLAW
Peters, the leader of the Hearst faction in
the BOARD OF aldermen, was arrested yester-
day on a charge of perjury The arrest
grew out Of the investigation of the
charges against Alderman William S. Cliff
ford, who is accused of having accepted
$4,000 to deliver the votes of the eleven
Municipal Ownership League aldermen in
the recordership election. Alderman John
J. Cron1n, one of the M. o. l.. men, was
also arrested on the same charge.
Peters, who gave orders to the other ten
NJ. O. L. aldermen as to how they should
vote, Is charged with committing perjury
in two instances-when he testified before
the grand jury on the day following the
arrest OF Clifford and at the Clifford hives
tigation before Magistrate Whitman in the
criminal court building Thursday.
On both occasions Alderman Peters swore
that he had not told his men to vote for
Judge Cowing until they were seated in
the chamber and after the balloting had
begun. He said on both occasions that the
first intimation he had that a change had
been made to Cowing was when Alderman
Clifford, the first of the M. o. L. group to
be called, voted for Judge Cowing.
From Palmieri to Cowing.
Previous to this the NJ. O. L. crowd had
voted for Judge John Palmieri. Alderman
Peters testified both times that Alderman
Cronin voted as Clifford did, and in order
to keep his eleven men solid he gave the
word for all to vote for Cowing. This was
done on two successive ballots.
Nearly all of the NJ. o. l.. aldermen at
the Clifford investigation testified that
Peters had issued the orders to- them to
vote for Cowing before the balloting began
The repeated declaration under oath OF
Peters that he did not and that he had
said nothing about Cowing until the voting
began resulted in his arrest for perjury.
Peters took his arrest much to heart he
was detected when he came to the criminal
courts building yesterday morning, for he
knew that he was probably going TO ne ar
rested.
The morning session yesterday was taken
up~ with--thez ,--cross-eXamination- Of Earl
Harding, the reporter who trapped Cllnord.
He was questioned at great length by Abe
Levy, counsel for Clifford, but nothing new
was brought out. Harding was careful
witness and had his facts right with him.
When the session was resumed In the
afternoon it was seen that something was
up. Peters had come into the court room
accompanied by his lawyer, Thomas r
Dinnean, and by Antonio Cardoni, real
estate man at 1 and Hancock street. Car
doni. it was said, was friend of Alder
man Little Tim Sullivan, who provided the
bondsmen for Clifford
M. o. L. Aldermen.
It was also observed that the majority of
the Municipal Ownership League aldermen
had trooped into court. They had been
sent for. The first thing that Assistant
District Attorney Smyth did was to call
Alderman Falk, Kuntze, Noonan and
ONeil before the magistrate. A part of
their testimony, especially that part In
which they testified to having received Or
ders from Peters to vote for Cowing before
the balloting began, was shown to these
four aldermen, and they were requested to
them hesitated. Alderman Noonan, the
twenty five year-old member of the board,
had a lawyer with him. This lawyer want
ed to argue, but when Magistrate Whit
man displayed the law on the matter Moo
nan did as the others did-he signed.
At this juncture County Detectives Rear
don and Brennan walked over to Alderman
Peters and led him into the corridor. There
they told him he was under arrest, and
took his pedigree.
Peters said that his name was Henry
Clay Peters; that he was thirty-six years
old, born in this country, married, and that
he lived at 2e0 Marcy avenue, Brooklyn.
He was led into the court room and noti-
fed by Magistrate Whitman that he was
under arrest for perjury on two findings.
Charged With Felony.
you are charged with a felony, a
crime said the magistrate, land 1 wish
to warn you that you don't have to make
statement, and that If you do whatever
you may say may be used against you.
However, if you wish, you can make what
ever statement you see fit"
Peters started to say something, but Law
yer Dinnean pushed him back. Dinnean
asked for an adjournment. 1t was agreed
by both sides to have hearing in the case
at o'clock next Friday afternoon. Bail
was fixed at 800 for both cases.
Cardoni offered the property at / and 3
Hancock street security. He said it was
worth $4,000, all in his name, and unin-
numbered.
While Peters bond was being fixed
County Detectives Reardon and Brennan
room and led Alderman John j. Cronin to
the corridor. There they arrested him.
Cronin, old, white-haired man, with a
the bar, with tears showing in his eyes
He looked like man who is not far from
death. Cronin has been in a very poor
state Of health for some time. and his doc
tors.say he hasn't long to live.