The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-09-23
CLERGYMEN DENY
 CHAMPAGNE STORY
Revs. Richards and Wyland Refute Tale Told By Wit
 ness In Bribery Case
Evidence Completed In Case of People vs. tBoss" Barnes of Sherman, AL legged Vote Buyer.

The statement that two ministers had given a champagne supper in Brookfield to witnesses in the case against George A. Barnes was indig- nantly denied yesterday afternoon when the clergymen took the stand before Judge Shumway and jury in the criminal superior court. Rev. Eugene L. Richards of Cannon Sta tion, who was charged with having been present at the supper said he liouor in his life. He wouldn't know champagne if he saw it, he said.
 On cross examination by Attorney Homer $. Cummings for the accused. the minister was asked if he didn' t know that William Herterick had told people the ministers were intoxicated at the supper. Richards said he didn't see how Herterick could have gained such an impression.
 There were a number of people, not in the ministers party, who had drinks served in the dining room, but nobody in the clergymen's s group, had anything stronger than coffee AS to the statement that the ministers were reeling about in the wagon on the trip home, the witness said it was absurd. The vehicles were crowded and the roads rough, which might have caused a slight commotion in the wagon.
 Rev. Benjamin F. Wyland also de- nied he had been intoxicated at the supper or that anything intoxicating was served there.f States Attorney Judson brought out the fact that the $1OO, which William Herterick was alleged to have been promised for his testimony, might have been the same S1OO which was publicly offered as a reward for the arrest and conviction of vote buyers. Placards announcing the reward were posted broadcast in the vicinity of Sherman.
 Then William Herterick was re called by the state. He denied be had ever said that the ministers were intoxicated. He also denied saying he had the ministers in the hole and was going to get bunch of money from them.
 Anna Herterick swore that during the noon recess yesterday she heard Barnes say to John Slattery, one or the. strongest witnesses for the de- fense. ''stick to that story, there is s5 in it."
 Slattery was then called by the de- fense to deny this. He admitted talk asked to. be excused from further at tendance in court as Mrs. Slattery was tired of the whole business. Warren G. Allen, former deputy sheriff of Sherman and at present judge of probate, was called by the defense. He is also charged with vio- Iating the corrupt practices act. He denied that he had ever gone to the Herterick house as alleged by the state in company with Barnes when money was offered to voters. Judge Allen. also denied that he had de- clared he would like to have the ministers tarred and feathered.
 The court adjourned about 3:30 in order that Judge Shumway might catch a train. The session will be resumed next Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock. The testimony is practI- cally finished and it is expected that arguments will be made Wednesday and that the case will be in the jury-s hands by Wednesday afternoon.
 In the course of their testimony Rev. MT. Richards and Rev. MT. Wy land were asked by the state if they had ever paid, William Herterick or John Landmark for testifying that Barnes had ,bribed voters. The clergy men replied that to their knowledge Herterick or Landmark had not re- ceived anything for their testimony.
 Owing to a typographical error 1t was stated last evening that the min isters testified they had offered mon ey for testimony. As a matter of fact the clergymen denied the charge with great vigOr.