New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-17
SAY THEY VOTED CANNONS
Tammany Mans Trial Yields
New Political Slang.
FIVE BALLOTS GO AS ONE
Witness Against Roswell ID.
Williams Explains New
Stufing Method.

More interesting details regarding lam
many methods Of electing district ieaoer
f. :he face of an insurgent movement were
revealed Yesterday before Justice Wheeler
IN the Criminal Branch of the Supreme
Court, where Roswell ID. Williams. ram
many leader Of the 18th Assembly Distrlct'
end six Of his henchmen are on trial Inc
seven defendants are charged with consplr-
inS 10 defeat Daniel A. Golden at the pm
mary election last September. AT which ne
was candidate for the leadership against
Williams.
According to the allegations of the prose
cution Golden's defeat was accomplished
hy the theft OF his ballots from the polling
pisoes Of the district and the wholesale
stufinE Of ballot boxes with the Williams
ballots And as witness after witness OF
the six hundred which the prosecution has
20 draw from reveals his story OF the meth
COS which they say were used TO inYahdate
the primary election law, the more the pros
eoutlon seems TO be elated.
An interesting development Of the trial
yesterday vas the contribution TO political
variance of the term cannon which a
witness applied to the form OF ballot voted
by some Of the Williams adherents at the
primary election. II Ses a sort of nVe-par-
relied affair. which would put in that num-
Golden Watcher Testifies.
Patrick II. Connors who was Golden
watcher az the polling place al No. @R west
fnth street. WIS the witness who told about
she cannon" He said that Williams and
four others drove up 20 the polling place
enc rushed in.
Williams looked on said the witness,
.'whiIe the others did the work Of stuffing
the ballot box with 'cannons.'
Suror wanted TO know what cannon"
yes and how II was used.
crconnor took a sample ballot and pro-
ceeded 20 elucidate the matter for the
benefit OF the court and fury.
They take four other ballots and fold
them Ike this" he said suiting his action
60 his words. Then they slip them inside
The first ballet and carefully iron them
Gown to the apparent thickness of one
ballot. This package then is slipped into
the ballot box which is afterward shaken
so that the ballots separate
O'Connor added that when the box is
opened for the counting Of the ballots the
deception cannot be detected because Of the
shaking. He said that the four men with
Williams one of whom he described as q
thick set, murderous looking man. took
Che .'oannons'' out OF their pockets and
stuffed them into the ballot box.
It WAS the most barefaced robbery I
ever saw" he continued.
One Of the witnesses who directly impli-
Gated williams in the raids on the polling
places was John B. Wolff, another watcher
for Golden.
His testimony was like that Of most Of
TIRE other witnesses. The raiders rushed in
End created disturbance. and when they
6eparted. like IN other instances, not a
Golden ballot was left in the polling place.
Witness Challenges Williams.
Ezra Prentice, Deputy Attorney General.
asked ~ho WAS -the last Of the gang TO
leave the place
Ross Williams replied the witness; 'rhe
csn tell You 50 himself
woIff iur1ieS toward Williams, who was
surrounded ry7fis co-defendants and asked
ths TsmrnanE fleader. Am I right? ''- But
williams Just stared and would not accept
he challenge
IN answer to : question b. Clark I. JoT-
dan. counsel for the defendants the witness
= SAID the ballot stealing occurred between :
N snd 3:ss O'Clock
W oh, they got away with the Golden bal
lots early 81 that place. did they" asked
the sttorney.
Yes replied the witness: mighty
blamed early
William MCGOWAN. z chauffeur for the
View York Transportation Company. testi-
HNe rhsf he Grove some Of the Williams
raiders around the district on the day of
tho primary election. and that ballots were
tossed into the car He said that at night
Williams vas one Of his passengers.