Well, I didn't find much on Alfred Williams, Ted, but a search of The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music (click) shows that J.P. Skelly was quite a prolific songwriter and lyricist in the 1880's, including that ever-popular song, A BOY'S BEST FRIEND IS HIS MOTHER. Still, I don't buy your theory that Skelly's song came before D'Arcy's poem. The hunt continues...
-Joe Offer-