The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-21
SHADE OF CASSIDY
WALKS in NASSAU
GAMBLING TRIAL
Little Revealed by Wit
nesses in Case Against
I County Officials.
DENY PROTECTION PAY
Admit Making Race Bets.
but Not Tribute to Halt
Interference.
FLEISCHER BARES OFFERS
Association Secretary Tells of
Alleged Proposals by Some
of Defendants.
FLEISCHER BARES OFFERS

The value OF professional gamblers
as witnesses for the State in criminal
prosecution involving gambling was
made manifest in the Supreme Court
at Mineola Yesterday when William III.
Busteed. David Gideon and John
shaughnessey. all seasoned veterans OF
the green cloth and the spinning ball,
were called in turn to the witness
stand anJ told as little as the law
would allow.
They WITH John y. F1eischer, as
sociate secretary Of the Nassau County
Association were all the witnesses
heard Yesterday in the case of the four
officials of Nassau county who are ac-
cused Of having conspired to protect
certain gamblers against interference
nv the law. The three professionals
occupied all but an hour of the court
day i'm saying what they had to say.
and disclosed hardly anything of value
to the State. F'leischer in the little
time they left over for him testified
succinctly to nearly every main fact
in the chain of evidence which goes %
make up the case.
The four officials who are charged
with giving cover to gamblers are AS
semblyman Thomas A. McWhlnhe!'
Sheriff Charles w. Smith Supervisor g.
Wilbur Doughty and Postmaster Thomas
H. OKeefe of oyster Bay.
Cassidy to the Rescue.
Josepa Cassidy one time Borough
President Of Queens and for long time
Democratic boss there, was indicted
With the other four but died month
ago. And so every time gambler CIV
ing testimony yesterday found himsei
in n narrow corner or compelled to name
money and man. the shade or Cassiu!
was made to walk.
John Shaughnessey. youngest of the
gambler witnesses. whose house at Lyn-
brook was raided and closed in 1919.
was the one who called Cassidy to MS
aid and comfort most often. Cassidy,
he said had inspired him originally with
the notion OF opening a gaming mousse IN
Nassau He said he had discussed with
Cassidy the project Of arranging with
the right parties" so that his house might
earn itself a competence undisturbed: he
had paid Cassidy between $4,000 and
$4,000. principally in bets at the race
track and Cassidy had told him he
would put the money where il would do
Shaughnessey the most good. HAVING
told all this and being asked to give the
names of the men who finally got the
money. Shaughnessy said he didn't be-
lieve any Nassau official got II.
II told joe" he said. 81 have been
giving up for protection right along and
have had no protection at all. | don't
know who your friends are, but all
can say is that my house has been
-aided and your friends did nothing to
prevent it. Either somebody has been
bulling you or else you're bulling me
now. There amt no such thing as pro-
lection in Nassau county. My house is
closed up and know"
Denied Tribute Was Paid.
Gideon. testifying before Shaughnessy,
denied with all the professional suavity
In him that he ever paid tribute for
protection. He had made few bets for
his friend. Supervise Doughty, at the
race tracks. but there never was talk
about protection.
And Busteed's testimony was simplest
of all three. He said merely that he
never had paid q penny of protection
money. lie had run 4 gambling house.
quite true But he had saved himself
from raids by the obvious device OF
keeping his two eyes bright and his ear
20 the ground.
Henry \. Uterhart. who is conducting
the burden Of the defence for the men
on trial. devoted little time to cross
examination Of the gamblers. but was
often on his feet when the state called
John y. Flelschcr OF the Nassau County
Association.
II was riding in 20 New York on the
train one day" F'leischcr testified.
when O'Keefe said to me There is a
publisher on the south side who has
been taken care Of for not writing any
more articles about gambling. We would
like 70 fix things up for you. You car
be taken care Of in New York"
Naming McWhnney. Fleischer said
that McWhinney said to him
"If you get the directors of your as
ISOLATION to stop their publicity about
gamblers I can see that you get So. 600.
AS TO gambling itself. there are too many
pikers In 1t and too few are getting the
money. The pilIers ought to be cleaned
out" subsequently. Fleischer said,
Doughty sought an interview with him
and told him he disavowed AIcWhinney s
crazy" offer.
As TO Doughty. Fleischer related that
Doughty said this 20 him:
I'm against gambling but I've ar
ranged 10 allow few places in Long
Beach. never get money from any OF
them. but they give tips on races and
contribute to our Political funds Would
YOU like me to declare you in on the
CAMPAIGN next fall?"
Finally Fleiscllcr told Of an incident
Of Doughty and Smith together
lie Was sitting in room In the super
visor's office. he said, when he heard two
men talking in the corridor. one said
10 the other: "If anything goes wrong.
telephone ll4i Lynbrook and say that
Nandewater Counsel TO the Nassau
county Association is on his way" The
Telephone number given was that of a
house which ultimately vandewater
raided. Fleischcr going quickly into the
hail. found Doughty and smith together.