The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-11

ACDOfney Murray cOnJmueO tnt reading of the grand jury minute: in this mornings session. The testi- mony was as follows:
 Record:
 @. When you say you presumed you would hear from them Gin re. gard to income tax returns), what did you mean?
 A. I thought that I might heal from them further in reference te amounts received and disbursed.
 e. You were fearful, weren't you of prosecution on income tax return. at the hands of the United State. government? What did you mear by saying you presumed you would hear from them further?"
 A. Newspapers had circulated that I had receive. $24,4O0 in 1883 and $34,000 in 1887 and my income tax returns don't show that amount because that isn't the amount that I had received. It only shows $6,20O
 e. You didn't assume for a mo- ment that the newspapers would grand jury minutes. Williamson said he had seen Larkin at Hart ford, but had always thought he represented manufacturers of Wa terbury on proposition to liberalize the compensation laws.
 q know nothing about any con- nections of Carmody & Thoms, CT any other law firm with the city of Waterbury on legislative matters, he said.
 Williamson referred to Carmody & Thoms as lone of the big firms so-called-throughout the valley"
 Williamson said that he knew former City Court Judge John F. McGrath, and had seen him at Hart ford also. The witness told the grand jury, however, that he did not know what McGrath was interested in had never talked to him about city matters had never seen him appear in committee for bills.
 Williamson said that Mayor Hayes and his cohorts" generally appeared before committees in behalf of bills
 Williamson said he never know Mackenzie to go before committees and work openly for or against bills He said that he had never worked that way either.
 The witness said, however, that j. Henry Roraback, former chief ot the Republican party, had often appeared in the open before com mittees for bills. Williamson re- membered that in 1926, when he was chairman of the house incor- poration committee, Roraback ap- peared four or five times before committees.
 Organization Man"
 Former Rep. John D. Thoms, now facing trial in Hartford on a corrupt lobbying charge, was "an organiza- tion man" said Williamson, and he had never talked to him about bills He did not know, he said, until he read the papers, that Thoms had received $500 from the welfare de- partment.
 ''The only man I talked with was the mayor" he said. My job was to get what they wanted-and to kill off what they did not want"
 Williamson said he saw Weisman once or twice at Hartford, but scarcely knew him." He did not know Martin J. Dunn, or any mem- Der of the board of finance, he said.
 Asked if he knew John H. Goss, he said, i've heard of him for 20 years, but never had the pleasure O. meeting him."
 Williamson told the grand jury that he fixed the size of the fees which the city of Waterbury paid him.
 He said that he knew the city was nervous about its bond issue legislation, but that the bills passed easily.
 "When the assembly adjourned, went home feeling had done a good job," he said.
 Nobody in Waterbury ever said word to me about the horse-racing bill.
 bill, the billboard bill, or the fair trade biil," he testified. He admit ted, however, asking Leary how his representatives would vote on the fair trade act.
 On the question by a grand juror, Williamson went into the state high way department, and said that roads were built with fees from licenses and gasoline taxes, etc. q always felt that the cities were gypped by the country towns" on the highway proposition, he said.
 The witness told the grand jury that after he fixed the size of the fee he wanted from the city, the payment was made within few days.
 Assumed
 The witness told the grand jury that he assumed Mayor Hayes knew what was going on. He admitted, however, that there never was a dis cussion between himself and Hayes concerning fees.
 T would not say the mayor did not know" he said. There is no doubt in my mind that Hayes knew I worked for the City of Water bury"
 T think the only time there was any discussion with reference to money was when I was in Leary's office and he came around" he said.
 T don't think Mayor Hayes thought I was around there just because I was good natured." he added.
 T wish by all that is good and holy that I had retained the list of bills marked wanted and sunwanted'."
 Questioned about his acquaint- ance with Leary, Williamson said he had never met him before the 1885 assembly, although he had heard of him. He recalled that Leary had sought the state controllership.
 Voted Against Leary
 And you had the pleasure of vot- ing against him as Q good republic can," commented Murray.
 There is no doubt about that" :" was the smiling reply.
 rxS ox.cr,nA f<& NH,v~,.a S,sc gv. fa,a,. .~c