New-York tribune., 1920-02-12
100000 Spent
For NeWberry,
Defendant Says
Witness Describes Pile Of
Money at Campaign Head
quarters as Looking Like
"a Million Dollars
Helme Petition Underline
Government Contends Some
Signatures Promoted by
Senator's Agents Forged

GRAND RAPIDS. Mich, Feb. IL
The candidacy of James w. Helme in
the Democratic Senatorial primary of
1918 was under fire by the government
at to-day's sessions of the Newberry
election conspiracy trial
Starting with questions in an effort
TO show that some signatures to the
Helme nominating petitions, circulated
at the behest of the Truman II. New
berry Senatorial campaign committee,
were forged, the assault was switched
later to frontal operation. A Grand
Rapids printer swore that William j.
Nickel. the second Democratic defend
ant, arranged with him for printing
the blank petitions. and local hotel
manager said Nickel rented hcadquar-
ters in local hotel at SIS week.
Ihis testimony was brought out I'M
mediately after Frank c. Daley, AS
~sistant Attorney General, had read a
Ncwberry committee filed with the
state in December, 1918. The reports
showed receipts and expenditures of
approximately $175,000.
Says $S00,O00 Was Spent
~ Sos Si HiiSiie aiso hePI up itS pom
bardment on the money issue getting
into the record quotation from one
defendant that the campaign cost
around $800,00O and from another that
he saw on a table in the office of Paul
King, Newberry campaign manager, a
pile of money that Cooked like a mill
ion dollars.'
Frank Sparks, associate editor of
"The Grand Rapids Herald" said he
talked last spring with Richard r.
Fletcher, State Labor Commissioner, at
Lansing. He said he told Fletcher that
he heard the expenses Of the campaign
reported, and Fletcher replied that it
was nearer 100000, and ne knew
what he was talking about"
The money on the table was de-
scribed to the grand jury by r. f.
Glocheski, a Grand Rapids defendant,
according 70 c. B. Higbee, clerk of the
grand jury. He testified several days
ago concerning testimony given by
three campaign field agents, and to- day
was recalled to relate what Glocheski
and Frank c. Gilbert, of Bay City, told
the inqusitors.
Higbee was subjected to another
searching preliminary questioning by
Martin w. Littleton OF the defense be-
fore he was allowed to read from a
typewriter transcript of notes he
made in the Grand Jury room.
Rules on Higbec Testimony
The jury was again instructed by
Judge Clarence w. Sessions that Hig-
bees testimony could be used only
against the defendants whom he
claimed to quote. His general cross
examination was postponed until to-
morrow. but Hal Smith, attorney for
Frank w. Blair, had him state plainly
that checks which came to Glocheskie
signed by his client had not been
handed to him by Blair personally.
According to Higbee's version of
Glocheski's story, Paul King summoned
the Grand Rapids man to Detroit, told
him that William Alden Smith, of this
city, would not be a candidate for the
Senate, and hired him at $3.50 a month
and expenses to travel among the Poles
OF the state in Ncwberry's interest.
Glocheski was quoted as saying King
warned him to keep his real mission
under cover, and that he received reg
ularly- checks signed by Blair and
drawn on a bank near the Newbcrry
headquarters in Detroit
On n second visit to the grand jury
room Glocheski was said to have de-
sciebed table in Kings office, about
three feet long, which was half covered
with bills and currency in denomina-
tions Of $50, $50 and $lO0
'He thought at the time there must
have been a million dollars there"
Higbee read from his notes.