The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-11-27
TGoe
LOOKING FOR MAY WILLARD
Alleged Visit to Bennington Brought
up in Vice investigation

up in Vice investigation
Albany. Nov. 25.-The efforts of
counsel to locate Mrs May Willard
after she had left the jurisdiction OF
the Senate committee which is inyes-
tigating city and county affairs, were
disclosed at yesterdays session OF
the inquiry. Mrs. Willard is the wo-
man at whose house on Plain street
Adele Boyer, the "veiled lady" testi-
fed earlier in the inquiry she had
seen Edward b. Cantine, commission
er of public safety.
James w. Osborne called several
witnesses in an endeavor to prove
that Mrs. Willard after leaving AL
bany assumed the name of Mrs M. A.
Lee and recently was visited in Ben
niugton, VT, by Peter A. Delaney
VINO has been associated with Cor
poration Counsel Arthur s. Andrews
in representing the city during the
investigation.
Jefferson II. Parker of Boston, as
sistant secretary of the New England
Watch and Ward society, told OF hav-
ing been advised that some women
were acting suspiciously in room in
Boston hotel and that one of the
women was registered as Mrs. M. A.
Lee w. Y. Taylor, an agent of the
society, who was sent to an adjoin-
ing room to investigate, testified con
corning fragmentary bits of CONVEX
sation he had heard through the key
hole of the door which led him to be-
lieve the women were from Albany.
Later, the witness said, he sent Mrs
Lees baggage to hotel in Benning-
ton, VT, where she was visited subse-
quently by Mr.. Delaney.
Mr.. Delaney testified that he had
received letter from Mrs. Willard
stating that crime had been com
mitted, the nature of which the wit
ness did not disclose, and that he had
gone to Bennington at her request
concerning the matter The letter, he
said, had been destroyed Mrs vii
lard, the witness stated, had been one
of his clients, but he did not know
her whereabouts at the present time
May Willard was one of our prin
cipal witnesses" said Mr.. Osborne
1--WE find her manifestly under an
other name in another state together
with inmates OF her house, and coun
sci for May Willard turns up as couT
sci for the city. II was his duty tC
have produced her If he acted IL
good faith as counsel to the city. Al
counsel for May Willard he deal
with her under an assumed name"
Mr.. Delaney protested that neither
the counsel nor the commission haC
any business to criticise his profes
sional conduct and that counsel haC
taken an unfair advantage OF him
He said he had consulted the states
attorney Of Vermont with referenc,
to the alleged crime which he was in
formed had been committed.
Two express money orders OF So
each which were sent to Mrs. Lee
by II. d. Cox, who was described Al
"a friend OF Mr.. Canine" were OF
fered in evidence. The commissions
when called to the stand, said he ha,
known Cox for fifteen or twent,
years, but had had no talk with hin
about Mrs. Willard. The witness
said he didn't know the woman wa
out of town.
One OF the witnesses was JosepI
Mandell OF 67 Herkimer street.
( youth of about 49,. Mandell testifie,
that he had been a bell boy at III
Fort Orange club and worked in In
same capacity at the Putnam Hous
Bennington, Vermont, this fall. II
. said that he had seen many times 4
r Albany the woman known as Ma
Willard, who lives at 80 Plain stree
and that she spent some time thi
fall at the Bennington hotel. wher
he was employed. At the latter plac
> she went under the name OF Mrs. N
, A. Lee. Asked II he was acquaInte
|. with Commissioner Cantine, he sal
! he was not, and failed to identify NJ
J Cantine, who was in court.
Mandell testified that a man VIII
3 said he was Peter A. Delaney. an A
bany lawyer. gave him at the Bel
I. nington hotel card recently askin
|. him TO take II to Mrs. Lee. which h
did. The name on the card. he sal
J. was Peter A. Delaney.