Evening star., 1938-03-02
Jury SOON TO GET
VOTEFRAUD CASE
Government Rests-Name
of Pendergast Mentioned
at 18th Trial.
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
In the 1886 presidential election.
256,000 potes Uere counted in
Kansas City, of tuhich 10000 pere
Democratic.
Fifty Democrats and Republicans
haze been convicted of the 1886
Dote frauds; nearly $50 others, in
dicted. await trial.
Kansas Citys registration for
the March primary, under new
Bipartisan Election Board, is ap-
prorimately 100000.
By the Associated Press.
KANSAS CITY, March 1.-THE
Government rested today in its
eleventh vote fraud trial after present.
ing hearSay testimony of Republican
committeeWoman that James Pender-
CAST, Democratic leader, supplied 5000
paid her and co-worker prior to the
1896 election scandals.
The witness, Mrs. Elva O'Byrne,
testified Mrs. Frances Ryan, Demo-
cratic ward leader, gave her and Lester
Aulgur, Republican committeeman,
500 each and told her the money came
from Pendergast. nephew of V. J.
Pendergast, head of the powerful
Kansas City Democratic organization
The younger Pendergast was in
charge OF the organization in the 1896
campaign because of his uncle's illness,
Mrs. O'Byrne Pleaded Guilty.
Mrs. O'Byrne has pleaded guilty to
vote fraud conspiracy. Mrs. Ryan is a
defendant in the trial. Aulgur is
charged separately.
What did Mrs. Ryan give you the
500 for" asked Bruce Barnett, at
torney for the defendant.
Mrs. O'Byrne replied that Matt
Devoe, a Democratic worker, said it
was for registration.
Il knew something would have to
be done" she continued.
I knew they had on a big pad and
that was why they paid me slOO."
The Government evidence at pre-
vlous trials has dealt extensively with
heavy padding of the registration
rolls by use of fictitious names.
Pendergasts Are Mentioned.
Mrs. OByrne's testimony was the
first at any of the vote fraud trials
bringing the Pendergasts into the
records.
Mrs. O'Byrne testified she and
Aulgur also were paid $40 each by
Mrs. Ryan to eliminate four Repub-
lican precinct judges to whom the
Democrats objected.
She said Aulgur also asked Mrs.
Ryan for money ito buy the dinners
for the Republican judges and clerks. 4"
Mrs. O'Byrne testified another
Democratic worker spoke up at that
point with the information he had
been told each ward was to get $500
Republican campaign money"
Mrs. O'Byrne said the transactions
occurred in the Office of Mrs. Ryan,
superintendent of the Jackson County
Parental School and known as Kansas
City's only woman ward boss"
The witness said Mrs. Ryan told her
and Aulgur, Il had a hard time getting
this money $4,000; had to make two
trips to see Jimmy Pendergast."
James Pendergast, r. Us nephew,
directed the Pendergast organization
through the 1886 elections, when his
uncle was critically i'll in New York.
Mrs. OByrne, wife of a packing
company employe. further testified:
Mrs. Ryan said to me that jimmy
Pendergast had told them to give the
Republicans $500 votes in the 18th
ward and we had given them only be-
tween 1900 and 1,40O She said he
said he didn't like it but that she
could tell by his actions he was more
than pleased"
Mrs. O'Byrne told the jury Mrs.
Ryan also paid her and Aulgur $40
each for replacing Republican judges
Objectionable to the Democrats with
other Republicans who would not do
too much investigating of the pads"
(padded Democratic registration rolls).