Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-03-05
defense GETS HARDBLOW
lN.NEWBERRY FRAUD TRIAL
Judge Sessions Rules Ont Much Tcs-
timony offered in Defense OF
Remaining SIS! Defendants.
IBy Associa Prrss. ]

tBy Associated Press
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH, March g.
Testimony which. counsel for the de-
Tense characterized as highly impor-
tant" was ruled out at the start today
of evidence in behalf of the eighty
five defendants left in the Newberry
i elections conspiracy trial. Baked in
this effort the attorneys then put two
defendants on the stand interlarding
witnesses.
The defense opened after Judge SEES
SONS had denied all motions for dis
had announced that the govern
ment had established case sufficient
TO warrant verdict of guilty if the
also held, incidentally, that 1t would
be possible for Senator Newberry to
be convicted or acquitted without
neeessitaiing similar outcome OF the
cases OF the other men.
At the outset the defense called
George L. Miller. editor in-chief OF
the Detroit. News. but failed TO get
before the jury a series of letters cN-
changed by Mr.. Miller and Senator
Sewberry in the early months of 1918
Rules Out Letters.
Martin w. littleton and James q.
Muffin argued that the government
had charged that at the inception OF
the Newberry candidacy there was
sst ,oTsI to purchase The United
said the letters would show every
thing that animated him" But Judge
Sessions held that the letters were
beside the issue" and that the good
faith of the candidacy was not in
question.
Objections by Frank c. DALEY. as
the testimony. of the second witness
for the defense. Constantine \.
Eersatiop with Chase Z. Osborne.
berry In the 1915 primary. Governor
OSBORNE had testified that he talked
With Daniels before asking Mark T.
Mckee, Il defendant, about an organ
ization which Daniels said could swing
the senatorial nomination for s15O QO0
Judge Sessions, held that the only
point in issue here was the osborne
Mckee talk.
After many objections by the gov
eminent one. OF two physicians called
to the stand was allowed to express
Detroit, would endanger his health by
testifying in his own behalf.
stump Sneaker Tcstifcs.
George 5, Laid. of Sturbrdee, Mass.
was the first defendant. to take the
stand. : !.
on direct, examination, i.add said he
Grange for Twenty-Five years up TO
last December and came to Michigan
early in August Of 1918 to take the
stump for Ecwberry. at the invitation
Of Horatio S. Earle. He said the latter
Introduced him TO Paul King, New
perry berry campaign manager, and T.. V.
Chilson, head Of the speaker bureau.
and that these were the only men con-
nected with the campaign whom he
met. He said that before that he had
never heard of any of the 1874 other
men indicted with him. Ladd related
that there was no question OF COM
pensation raised. but that before he 1
left on the first of the Speaking tours,
which lasted nearly four weeks Chill
son gave him 500 for railroad fare.
He made speeches on an average OF
every other day, visiting many parts
OF the state and when his work was
finished Chlson asked 5 how much. the
II told him nothing, unless they
wished TO pay my expenses" Ladd
said. He wrote me a draft for $3.50.
which 1 cashcd before leaving for the
East" ID.
Ladd said he never solicited any.
campaign funds nor asked whence the
money for his expenses came, He de-
MED having any criminal intent.
Much Money spent.
CLIFFORD l.. Sibhen, private secretary
to King in the campaign, said he and
his employer spent 90 per cent OF their
time on the road. He said he knew
did not visit. and that they also went
TO New York to visit Newhcrry. Sib-
ben handled expense money on the
trips and said nc turned in mcmoran-
One of the government witnesses
Frank H. Whitney had quoted Sibben
as saying at Marquette that there was
barrel of money in the campaign,
Ivy" Today Sibbcn denied this say
ing they had discussed finances in only
n general way, and that he himself
had never heard from where the cam
paiEn FUNDS were coming.
Sibben maintained that ali his trips
around the State and all the CORE
spondencc he had handled gave him
no knowledge of how much money