Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-13
SUPREME COURT
IS Hailed INTO
NEWBERRY TRIAL
Witness Says He Was Prom7
iSed a Reversal of His
Case If He Would Sup
port G. @. P. Candidate.
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ler MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wIREl
Grand Rapids Mich, Feb, 12.-
| William H. McKeigham, former al
derman and mayor of Flint, Mich,
who in August, 1919, was under
sentence to the penitentiary for as
sault and robbery, testified in the
NeWberry elections conspiracy trial
today that he was told by Richard
r. Fletcher. defendant, that if he
/ supported Senator Truman II. New
berry in the senatorial primary, his
case would be reversed by the state
supreme court, but otherwise he
would "be left to go to Jail"
Fletcher is state labor commits
, sioner. The witness said the re-
mark was made in the presence of
Paul King, Newberry campaign
manager and others. The incident,
McKeighan said. occurred behind
the prescription case in his drug
store.
Under oss-examination, Nc
Keighan said he knew nothing
against the integrity of the Michi-
gan supreme court or any member
of it, and when asked if he be-
lieved Fletchers statement, he re-
Piled:
Politics is funny, 1 was taking
no chances"
w. j. Crotty, former employe
of the Newberry estate, testified
but was not cross-examinedl after
he had sworn that contributions to
the campaign fund by John New
berry, brother of the senator, |
amounted to between $4,000 and |
$4,000 by June IS, 1918.
MARCUS Hanson, banker from
|Grayling, Mich, said he found $50 |
bill in a magazine which b. Frank |
Emery, senatorial committeeman, |
picked up and placed before him
and that the defendant explained it |
was for possible expense in circu- |
lating petitions. The banker said |
he used Sl5 and retained the other |
$35
McKeighan, on direct examina- |
ton, coolly told of his conviction on |
the assault and robbery charge and |
said he was facing from two to f!f- |
teen years in prison when four of |
the defendants called on him be- |
AoiC lllS pIiilldiISo OL august 4,
1918.
1T was about a week or ten days
before the primary" he testified |
king said he was making his last |
trip through the state ironing out |
the rough spots, and that | was one |
of the rough spots the boys couldn't |
smooth out, so he thought he had |
better come and see what was the |
matter | told him there was moth |
ing the matter but that / couldn't !
do anything for him as / was not
for Newberry.
king told me a big expense ac-
count would be allowed for my
workers if ! did not need any mon
ey for myself, and | told him l |
didn't need anything, that | was not |
for Newberry and didn't intend to |
be.
Fletcher spoke up and said: L |
told you before we came up here |
that there was no use talking mon
ey to him. l know how to straight !
en- him out. McKeighan has been |
with me before. He knows how |
stand in Lansing and regardless of |
whether Newberry goes as United |
States senator we will still retain |
power in the state of Michigan. He |
knows we'll enough that his case is |
up in the supreme court and | am |
in shape SO | can see whether it is |
affirmed or reversed, and that if he |
wants to get out and work for New
berry we will see that he doesn't |
go to Jail, his case will be reversed, |
MI tnt, III
district regardless of whether New
berry carries the state of Michigan |
or not, it doesn't matter. If you |
carry this district for us we will |
take care of you; If you don't you
are going to Jail.
McKeighan said Fletcher added |
that che didn't care to have me
promise what l would do, because |
he would know by watching the re-
turns"
after this talk, what did you
do?" asked Judge Eichborn.
why, / figured it was safer to
play on the safe side of 1t, so we
kind of decided we would be for
Newberry," said McKeighan. Two
of my main supporters in the diff
IeTonI eltCtlOilo loppChoh w NC III
the front part of the store and /
walked out in front, told them of
the conversation, what 1t meant,
the way it was put up to me.
Now | says, we better see that
gets a very good vote up
here: don't care whether he wins
or not"
''Was the district carried for Mr.,
2"
ut was"
"What became of your case?"
''It was reversed"
On cross-examination. Martin W.
Littleton had the witness relate
that he came to Michigan from
Cleveland, had been in politics six
or seven years and besides the as
assault and robbery conviction. had
been arrested two or three years
L. n |