The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-21
JOB FOR M'COOEY NO
BRIBE, SAYS KETCHAM
Kings Surrogate So Testifies in
Willett's Trial for Place
Buying.
OLD JUDICIARY SCANDAL
Fate Of $4,000 Feature Of Case
Involving Boss Cassidy
and L. I. Walter.
OLD JUDICIARY SCANDAL

The trial OF william willett, Jr..
charged with buying the Democratic Su-
preme Court nomination In 1911 from
Joseph Cassidy. then boss OF Queens. be
gan yesterday before Justice JaycoS and
a jury In Brooklyn.
Surrogate Herbert 7. Ketchari. as a
witness for the prosecution told OF his
connection with the judiciary scanda!
which resulted in the Indictment Of VII
lett Cassidy and Cassdy's friend. Louis
7. Walter. Cassidy and Walter are
awainting trial under bail Of $4,000 each
Surrogate ketcham is one OF three Ju
dietary candidates who In october. 1911.
secured warrant for william Bcrri
publisher of the Standard UHion on the
ground that his paper had libelled them
crmlnally in an editorial headed Tam
many's Tainted Touch on Judiciary
Ticket" The editorial minated that at
least one OF the three had paid money
for his nomination.
Most OF Surrogate Ketcham's tes,i-
mony referred TO conversation with
counsel In the presence OF the other
candidates. Willett and Patrick +. Cal
lahan. and took the form OF vindicatlon
OF himself from the charge that he had
committed an improperly. or worse. In
appointing Boss John II. McCooey OF
Brooklyn chief clerk Of the Surrogate $
Court at n salary OF 81. 900 a year only a
few weeks before the Democratic Judi
ciary convention.
In only one instance did the Surro-
gates testimony bear directly on the case
of Willett Then 1t had to do with the
withdrawal Of tho criminal libel suit and
the apology TO Mr.. Berri. following VII
| let's admission 10 his fellow candidates
, that he had borrowed $4,000 in $1,000
#; bills just before he was nominated.
THE three OF US We're mad" Surrogate
ke,cham testified IN explaining their de-
| cision to retain William y. Dykman &c
prosecute the suit for libel. 81 suggested
that We call in cooler head"
| Col. pykman. as the cooler head, con.
CURED in the opinion that criminal libe
| had been committed. and proceeded to draw
up the usual papers This perfunctory
business the Surrogate Interrupted, n.
says, with the suggestion that tho Colone
hear what his clients had to say and in.
corporate that in tho aiidavits.
| The only thing I could think that IN,
most hostile mind would hold against m,
was that | had contributed 5000 To- tn.
Democratic campaign fund" said Surro
gate Ketcham. who explained that thl.
was given two weeks before he came on,
as candidate.
| The allegations against Willett wer,
laid before the Queens county Grand Jury
1t was learned that $4,000 had been de,
posted IN IA Queens bank by man sup
| posed 10 be close to Cassidy Just few
days after Wlllett had borrowed the sam,
lamount, $4,000 of II for circularizing tn,
district, as he explained; hut the Crane
Jury found no Indictment Then the mat
ter was taken IN by the Kings count,
Grand Jury and the three indictments fol
lowed.
From certain questions put TO prospec
tive Jurors by District Attorney Cropse,
, nj the morning session 1t looks az though
he intended 10 dwell on the coincldenc,
OF the drawing and depos,ting of $1,000,
within IA few days.
James W. Osborne Is defending w!llett
lie pleaded with Justice Jaycox to ad
journ shortly after o'clock In order tina
he might have "A tooth pulled. but with
drew his request when he learned that tn
jury was To be kept under lock and Ike!
until the case is completed.