Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-06-26
SOLZER ASSERTS
CHARGE IS FORGED
Oenounces Accusation of Alleged
Perjury i'm Trial of Ver-
mont Will Case.


prosecuted on charge of perjury in con-
nection with the Anderson will case.
Governor Sulzer, in the executive cham
Der yesterday. before an audience OF
newspaper men, told a remarkable story
In which he announced the so-called pre-
sentiment as a forgery. He alleged that
repeated efforts to blackmail him through
the use of 1t had been made. charged
Charles r. Murphy with being behind
what he announced as a conspiracy found
on the document and barred what he as
serted was the entire story of his personal
relationship with the Tammany leader
Bince his induction into the governorship.
The alleged copy of the jury present.
ment was made public by eX-Judge
George NJ. Curtis, who was associated
with Mr.. Sulzer in the Anderson case,
and its Introduction was a direct result
of the assertion made by Patrick %. Nc
Gable in his attack on the Governor In
this city Wednesday, when he said:
II was never accused of perjury in the
State of Vermont"
Sulzer. with Curtis. was attorney for
Mrs. Mary Watson of Vermont in her
suit to break the will of her grandfather,
John Anderson. In this suit she was sue
cessful, but a dispute over counsel fees
arose. and Suzer sued her in Vermont
for $4,000. lie lost this suit. Then &C
cording to the revelation now made by
Curtis this presentment against Sulzer
and another witness In the case was made
20 the then United States attorney for
Vermont, the document being signed by
three attorneys in the case, as well as by
HE foreman of the trial jury:
Bethel, Vt, Aug. ID, 1890,
Hon. Frank Plumley, United States At
torney for the District of Vermont:
'Sir: We convinced that William
Sulzer and Felix McCloskey committed
perjury on the trial of the action of VII
Nam Sulzer VS.. Mary Maud Watson,
which began on May 90 1890, at Windsor,
IN the United States circuit court for the
district of Vermont before Judges La
combe and Wheeler and a jury. We
therefore respectfully request that you
will institute proceedings on behalf of the
United States to bring them to Justice,
MIR. Stickney will furnish ,ou with list
of the witnesses and full particulars Of
the crime. Respectfully.
&c A. PROUTY,
IL. B. HARTSHORN
Foreman of the Jury,
"A. P. HUNTON,
WILLIAM 3. C. STICKNEY.
IA true copy attest;
FRANK PLUMLEY."
BRISTLES WITH ASSERTIONS.
Governor Suffers statement fairly
bristled with sensational assertions. II
Included, besides the assertion that Judge
NJ. Curtis was former associate. was a
liar, that the Governor never was &C
cused Of perjury IN a jury presentment
that the paper made public by Judge
Curtis was a forgery; that it had been
used 10y Murphy weeks ago a club over
the Governor to compel him to enter
into a conspiracy, both as to patronage
and legislation. the further allegation
that the son of Judge Curtis, attached
TO the office of the corporation counse
in New York city had threatened hin
with exposure by publishing the alleged
Jury presentment II the Governor die
not appoint him to a supreme court
judgeship
After his last conference with Murphy
in April the Governor says he was
threatened with ruin and was tod thai
the alleged perjury charge would be made
public. He wrote to Ex-Governor Pingre'
Of Vermont, who was the guardian OF
Mrs Watson, the defendant IN the Sulzel
suit, and Judge Lacombe. one of the
United States district judges who hearo
the Sulzer case. Their answers are &
part Of the documentary proof the Cover
nor holds to show there was no charg'
against him. The letter from ex-Gover
nor Plngree follows:
LETTER FROM MIR. FlNGREE
my Dear Governor: Your very cour
teous letter of the 18th inst. was received
and | return my sincere thanks for you
kind invitation for Mrs. Pingree and my
self to visit You at your home in Alban
some time during the Assembly session
there.
in the matter OF Judge Curtis
claim of a letter from mon that can b
usel to your injury. I will say tina
what the correspondence might haN
been between us pending the sui
against Mrs. Watson-it might hav
contained the jealous effervescenc
which generally inspires lawyers !
their expression for the party advers
to their contention, but since the at
tempt on the part of the John Charlie
Anderson crowd to use the machiner
OF the federal courts at Rutland t
discredit McCloskey. possible VII
ness in another case, l have had bt
one mind in regard to that campaig
against you, and ! have always re
since that my conference with JudG
Wheeler was one of the most dutif'
pets of my life as a citizen deserVln
to see fair play. and not to have II
court imposed upon to the detrimeI
Of justice.
Judge Curtis has no letter from n
since that Rutland conference WhiC
will avail your enemies anything.
there is any pretense to the contrar
you promptly demand that he produ'
"We delight to know that New YoI
has live Governor at the helm, al
pne who proposes to carry out h
platform pledges to the people wi
placed him at the head of the state.
THAT your administration may col
tinue progressive and prosperous
The wish of yours sincerely,
SAMUEL PINGREE"
CHARGE MADE BY CURTIS.
Brooklyn, June 22-The exact langua
Of the perjury charges against Govern
Sulzer in Vermont % years ago was "
terday made public by ex-Judge Geor
NJ Curtis OF II Montague terrace, W
WAS the New York counsel for M
Mary Maud Watson of White Riv
Junction, Vt, and a witness in s
xrcuobt apainst her in 1880 by Willif