New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-19
WILLIAMS DENIES It ALL
Says He Never Caused Fights or
Stole Any Golden Ballots.
CO. WORKERS BACK HIM UP
Defence Alleges That Prosecution
Was Brought to Beat Tam
many Leader Next Fall.

Roswell ID. Williams, Tamnany leaoer'
and four of his eo-workers of the nth AS
sembIy District testified yesterday In their
own behalf on their trial tefore Justice
Wheeler, in the Criminal Branch of the
Supreme Court. Two more defendants IN
dicted with them for an alleged conspiracy
to steal the primary election last Septeih-
Der will be called this morning, and IL Is
possible that by tonight the Tammany
merIwill know their fate.
The defence which opened yesterday, was
a general denial of all the apparently in
eliminating testimony given by the many
witnesses FOR the state, except in the IN
stances where the records of the election
were IN evidence, which the defendants
made no effort 10 explain. Williams tes-
tilted that he had heard before the day OF
the primary election, at which Daulei
Golden opposed him for the leadership, THAI
Goldens ballots were to be stolen and IN
fact he saw some of them stolen, but he
denied that he had any part either In the
plan TO steal the ballots or in the stealing
Also he denied the truth of the prosecution
witnesses that he personally stuffed bal
lot box as the leader of a crowd of raid
ers on the polling places. and also that
he was one of several men to heat Golden
watcher.
There were rows at the polling places, but
according to Williams they always pre-
ceded his coming and were not Of his max
ing. There was the suggestion in the case
OF the defendants that Goiden's bitterness
against Williams was because of the lat
ter's refusal to pay Golden $3.50 for his
political support,
Clark L. Jordon, counsel for the defen-
IT. I,aa
pected to prove that the ballots were stolen
by Golden supporter and that the charges
against the defendants were brought to
defeat Williams at the primary election
this year. The defendants were honest
men and innocent, said the attorney. Then
Williams was called as the first witness
for the defence. He said that he was in
the real estate business, but that prior to
1907 had been I'm the liquor business
williams said that he made the customary
visits to the polling places on the day or
the primary election, but that those visits
did not create any of the disturbance told
about by other witnesses. He said that at
one polling place he ordered the arrest OF
a man who it was said, had stolen Golden
ballots, but the man was not arrested. lie
toured the polling places. the leader ex
in and also whether the inspectors were
doing their duty. Williams hold this story
of what happened at the polling place at
No. e72 West Goth street:
CAS- we approached the place man ran
out with a bundle of papers under his arm.
Some one shouted, The Golden ballots
have been stolen.' Galligan, O'Rourke and
Donohue and I jumped from our automo-
bile and waited for the policeman to bring
the man back. The policeman asked a
Golden watcher to make complaint and
he refused. I asked the officer to arrest
the fellow for stealing the ballots and I
insisted that he take him to the station
house. We all went to the Tooth street po-
lice station. The lieutenant asked the
Golden watcher if he wanted 10 make a
complaint, but he again refused"
Ezra Prentice, Deputy Attorney General
on cross-examination asked Williams why
he did not make the complaint against the
man arrested for stealing ballots.
II thought il was up to the Golden
watcher replied the defendant.
s'Why?''