The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-23
CASSIDY TELLS HOW
HE PICKED WILLET7
Met Leaders IN Saloon and
Canvassed Available
Names.
GOT McCOOEY'S CONSENT
Boss Denies That Money Wac
Paid for the \omi
nation.
n McCOOEY'S CONSENT

The defence yesterday begdt .
OH the evidence woSen about W.u.... O.
lett. Jr.. in the three days he b b ,s... Do,
trial before Justice JaycoA aud , r. n
the Supreme Court in BROOKLYN
In his opening address .Inmrs ~ =.
borne, coui.Ic ii FOR the defendant ...s.A
that his client had not purchased d, -.
preme Court nomination from Ii,.,
Joseph Cassidy Of Queens as chaI-.d l.,
the indictment, but had been nomral.d
as the most logical of all the caud,Iaas
and the one who could help cassid, loot.
in the factional fight being made agaIns,
HIM.
Cassidy himself, after waving immunity.
denied that he had received a price for
the nomination and explained now he
happened to decide on Willct, Incl.
dentally this explanation threw an nisr.
esting sidelight on the methods empI1yax
by the politicians. at least in this ~.
stance, in nominating for the supreme
Court bench The nomination of Wllle,
was actually decided on In a saloon
The final conference, Cassidy testified
was held in McNamees saloon in Boorurn
place. near Fulton street. Just before Ia.
convention. There were three delegate
from Queens and two OF them. Leonard
Ruon and Louis T. Walter, met CASSIDY
there. Cassidy had the names OF half
dozen candidates totted down on the
back OF a business card.
Willett was finally decided upon and
Cassidy left to find John II. McCoo.y and
get his consent. Cassidy found that he
was satisfied with Willett and returned
TO the saloon with the news. Soon after
ward the delegates convened and Wiuci,
was nominated
aspirations through Walter. he testified
on that occasion he had said Let him
get his friends together. then--get in civ.
| US q hand at the primaries. This was
Just before he saw McCooey.
Hello. John; what are You going "a DO
about these judgeshlpsT" he asked VI
Cooey. Tho latter replied thai he Woud
probably claim all three places fol kings
county. Cassidy retorted
You don't want to do that John
You know what happened to Callahan
callahan had been defeated the rsar
before because of the wholesaie cutting
done In Queens)
Well, we've got TO have good n.e.."
McCooey Is quoted saying When
Judge Cullen backed these bills be- me
sisted on that
We've got good men in oueeu~ 4ud
Cassidy named several, dwelling p.u'..n
larly on willett. whom he deso ribbed s- q
good camlbaigner of good tHnnt auU q
former Congressman. Mccooey ,dit N
that Willett might do That VA. ...~
time before Cassidy aud his Nsui"., ...
picked him at the conference 900 49,.
Namee's saloon.
H. II. Frost. member If the IaN nm
OF Willett 4 Frost and associated n
the defendant in many other cntcrio,,s
was the frst witness called by the d,i.,- 90
1t endeavored 10 show through him ma,
the certificates for siNty-thrcc shar,- =
stock in the Automobile Building con.
pany and twenty-four shares IN the C.r..
net Land Company. which Waltsr sol. n
Willett on the day the latter drew SluuoN
from the Seaboard Bank, were not Woltt
. less. as the prosecution had end.,vur 70
show. and therefore We're not 10 b, ..n.
sdered merely as a blind to cover
bribery.
Cassidy explained at the night ,e-sin,
how he happened TO deposit So. O0u q fJ-
days after Willett borrowed that amount
from Frank X. Merrill. He had borrowed
ss,sVo from John C. kennehan. editor -
the Long Island Farmer; $1,000 mad been
contributed by kennehan's son, George
H.. and $1,000 by David Gideon. All ~ u
was used at the primaries. he said.
On the cross-examination Cassidy ad
United rather defiantly that the machin.
OF which he was the head had no treas
urer FOR primary purposes. that he had
kept no record Of the amounts paid ont
and that he had made no report ~ th'
matter. He did say, however, that 80
had sent $40 to each OF the 100 election
districts In Queens
Referring TO the allegation that n, had
sold the nomination 10 Willctt, CASSIDY
said: Il never even promised To nominate
him. / never made an agreement ~
anybody to nominate him. l never prur,
ised any man an Office during the torn
j was leader. I was noted for not MAX
ing promises I always made good %
Just before Cassidy WIS excused Ius
tics JaycoX asked. Did you ever get
any money from WillettT' cassidy ~
piled:
Not nickel"