New Britain Herald Newspaper, November 30, 1926, Page 1

News of the World "By Associated Press ESTABLISHED 1870 NEW YORK JUDGES ALLEGED INVOLVED IN ROH PLOTTINGS Reported Using Influence— Score Become Millionaires by (Operations of Ring PACIFIC COAST ALSO IS IN THROES OF SCANDAL 42 Secret Indictments Agalnst Al- leged Members of Smuggling Conspiracy Extending From Brit- ish Columbia To Southern OCali- fornia Voted By Federal Grand Jury. AGREE TO SURRENDER. New York, Nov. 30 (P—Lewis H. Rothschild, vice president of the Chelsea Exchange Bank of | New York; Harold Smythe and James V. Boise, also connected | with the bank, have agreed to surrender and plead to'the in- | dictment against them and others in Boston, charging vio- lation of the prohibition laws. This was announced today after a conference between counsel for Rothschild and federal offi- cials. Boston, Nov. 30 (A—Two New York city magistrates have been in- volved in the glgantic rum conspir- acy disclosed by the indictment of more than two sore persons by a federal grand jury here, the Boston Advertiser says today. Louis H. Rothchild, vice-presi- dent of the Chelsea Exchange bank of New York, two of his assistants and the captain and crew of steam- er Cretan which was seized here last August with an $800,000 cargo of alcohol besides numerous others al- ready have been connected With the alleged plot. The Advertiser quotes an unnam- ed official as saying that the New York judges used thelr influence to secure fmmunity for members of the gang, in providing protection to those unloading cargoes and in get- ting money backing for enterprise. Score Becomo Millionaires “At least a score have been made | millionatres by the operations of this vast rum-ring,” the official de- clared. Fifty-one secret indictments were voted by a federal grand jury here and warrants have heen served on most_of these, it was revealed here Sunday with announcement of the| proceedings against the bankers. Those under indictment include| alleged “fixers” rum dealers and distributors and the men who nego- tiated the purchase of the Cretan from the Merchants and Miners Transportation company In addition to the ship’s crew. Lawyers Confer New York, Nov. 30 (P—Assistant United States Attorncy Thompson of Boston and counsel for the Chelsea Exchange bank of New York went into a confercnce today with Assist- ant United States Attorney Fogarty hera concerning Boston indictments| of three officials of the banlk. With more than two score other| persons Lewis H. Rothschild, vice-| president of the Chelsca bank, his secretary, and another of the bank’s| officers, were indicted for violating| the prohibition laws in connection With an alieged liquor ring. Today's conferenco was behind closed doors but it was learned| that the question of the three New| Yorkers waiving extradition and| going to Boston to face the charges agalnst them was under discussion. 42 Are Indicted San Francisco, Nov. 30 (R —Forty- two secret Indictments agalnst *al- NBY BRI TAIN HERA NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1926.—TWENTY PAGES. Tilson Is Qutspoken in His Hope That Insurgent Republicans Will Return to Fold of the Old Party Connecticut Congressman, ' Floor Leader of House, Favors Admission Without Any “Test”—Expects Short Session of Congress to Be Busy One—Presi- dent Likely to Discuss Taxes in His Message. Washington, Nov. 80 (P—An ex- pression of hope that the republican insurgent group in the house would return to the republican party councils was made today by Rep- resentative Tilson of Connecticut, the majority house floor leader. “We republicans always have re- gretted,” Tilson asseried, “that some of our party deserted to support the presidential candidacy of the late Senatop Robert M. LaFollette of Wisconsin. I do not see that the situation with respect to this insur- ‘gt-)l! group has changed at all. Per- sonally, I always have hoped they would come back into the regular party and assume their share of the | burdens and responsibility of that party.” Tilson indicated that he favored the return to the insurgents with- out any “test” of party regularity | being required. The pronouncement of the floor leader comes on the heecls of a move | by Representative Frear, of Wiscon- sin, an insurgent, to solicit support of progressive senators in forcing administration house republicans to accept the insurgent group back in the party fold. The house will have little time to twiddle its thumbs it it carries out a program bulging with ap- | propriation bills, radlo, banking, alfen property and judigjary legisla- tion outlined by Represéntative Til- son. Back at his desk for work for the first time since elections, Tilson said that disposition of such legis- lative matters would keep the house working at full speed during the short three months' session. | Asked as to his views on the possi- I bility of tax legislation, Tilson said |that this was a question for the |house ways and means committee to decide. He feels, however, it would be unwise to revise the revenue act at the present time. At the White House, where Til- son 1s a guest, it was said today Ithat although the president had not talked taxes at length with members of congress, he had received indi- cations that members of both houses would glve conslderation to recom- nual message. FOUR NEW BRITAIN ATHLETES WIN FORDHAM GRID LETTER Al Smith Signs Name On Hard Boiled Egg For Kensington Boy Troy, N. Y., Nov. 80 (M—A fraternity at Rensselaer Poly- technic Institute has the signa- ture of Governor Smith on a hard boiled egg. Two initiates of Alpha Phi Deltd, Larry Piscatello of New London, Conn., and George Pola of Kensington, Conn., obtained the signature as part of their Initiation after no little diffi- culty at the executive offices. George B. Graves, the.governor's secretary and a fraternity man, added the final touch needed to persuade the governor. THREE FAMILIES LIVE INTWO FAMILY HOUSE City Inspectors to Look Over Belvidere Struc- ture Today Following complaints that Charles S. Andrews has converted a two- family house on Lake Boulevard into one containing three housing units, Inspectors A. N. Rutherford and P. J. Tormay of the building depart- ment announced they will make an inspection of the premises today. Andrews received a permit for a two-family house. The completed building resembled a three-family house in so many respects that a common council investigation fol lowed. It was found that one fam- fly lived on the first floor, and on the second floor another family re- leged members of a liquor smug-| gling conspiracy extending from| British Columbia to Southern Cu!l-! fornia were voted by the federal| grand jury here late last night. The ! indictments were returned as the first step in & move by the govern- ment to break up what it calls thel largest rum running combine ever to operate on the Pacific coast., Four-Way Drive San Francisco, Nov. 30 (—Pro- hibition forces moved against the organized liquor traffic of the Paci- ‘fic coast from four directions yes- terday. ‘While a royal commission at Vic- toria, B. C., was learning in its in- vestigation of rum smuggling that great quantities of liquor s being shipped by Canadian exporters with the full knowledge that it later will find its way into the United States, indictments were returned here against the allcged leaders of what the San Francisco newspapers call a $10,000,000 smuggling combine which has been operating all the| way from Canada to Mexico. | In addition to that, the federal government today set up a 24 hours| customs patrol which will operate ‘against liquor running at every port| of entry In the state. This force will| supplement the coast guard by pa- trolling the sho To Be Fishing Boat The name of one of the most pic- turesque rum ships in the game was sviped off the shipping register when he three masted schooner Marion 'G. Douglas, recently confiscated as| @ runner of contraband, was sold at auction here and will become a fishing craft. She was purchased by | H. B. Rose, of Palm City, Cal, for| '$7,300. The Marion G. Douglas thus| ‘comes into her own, for she was| built for the fishing industry out of Halifax, N. S, to the Grand Banks. (Continued on Page Four.), sided, the head of which paid the rent also for the third floor where his parents lived. The second and third floors were used in common and several home necessities in fix- tures were not on the top floor. Since that time tenancy has changed and neighbors say there are now three families. Inspector Rutherford will make a general inspection, and Inspector Tormay will determine whether plumbing fixtures have been added to malke the top floor actually a separate housing unit, PROSECOTING ATTORNEY DIES IN SOUTHINGTON Warren D. Chase was 48 Years of Age and Victim of Heart Trouble Southington, Conn., Nov. 30 (P)— Prosecuting Attorney Warren D. Chase of the Southington town court died at his home here early this morning. He was 48 years of age and has been {ll for less than a week. The cause of his death was given as heart trouble, Mr. Chase was a member of the Jeremiah ‘Wadsworth chapter, Sons of the American Revolution of Hartford; of the Hartford club; the Colony Club of New York; the Connecticut Historical Soclety; the Southington Exchange club and was a Knight Templar and a 32nd degree Mason. Besides his widow he leaves two sons, Charles Ward and Warren D. Jr., both of Southington; his moth- er, Mrs. Charles D. Chase of Daniel- son; three sisters, Mrs. Clayton M. Smigh of Springfield, Mass., Mrs. Harry V. M. Storer of Spokane, Washington, and Miss A. Blanche Chase of New Haven and ona broth- er, Herbert G. Chase of Danielson. Beloin, Grip, Scully and Politis Awarded “F” for Stellar Work With Foot- ball Eleven This Year. Howard Beloin, John Grip, Roger city, have been awarded their major letters for football at Fordham Tni- versity, Graduate” Manager | Coffey announced today. The re- | quirements for the winning of the “F” stipulate participation in half of the total periods In the letter games. A recommendation from the coach is sufficeint to give the insignia to any member of the | squad. Beloin has played guard regularly this year, it being kis second as a member of the varsity squad. He was an alternate last year. Grip played halfback as a regular this | vear. Politis made his mark at end, | while Scully played at center. An exception was made to the general rule by Coach Frank Gargan in the case of Grip. Last year, Grip, falled to play the required time in the letter games and the same thing happened this year. He miss- | ed winning the coveted letter by a single perfod. “Exceptional work while in action” earned him the award on recommendation of Coach | Gargan. | The four local boys are all former | stars of New Britain High school football teams. Grip and Beloin | have been attending Fordham for | having graduated from New Britain | High last February, were awarded | scholarships and entered the univer- | sity at that time. Two other New Britain boys are 1mttswlhlg the university and have been members of the freshman team during the past year. They are How- ard Belser and Henry Bojnowski, both former star athletes at the lo- cal high school. SHAFT T0 BE VISIBLE - FROM WEST MAIN ST. |[Park to Be Graded to Permit View From Highway In order to have the World war memorial when it is erected atop Walnut Hill park visible in its en- tirety from West Main street, the | committee has decided to grade one |sloping hill where a series of high- | crested banks now exist, which | would make only the upper portion of the obelisk visiLle. The huge eagles on top of the | shaft will be visible from almost | every point in the city both by day |and night since it is planned to have | flood lights thrown on it during the evening hours. The committee felt, however, that it would be advisable to make it possible for those passing through the city to have an un- |interrupted view of the entire me- | morial, hence the decision to grade | the park at this point. George V. Hamlin, who is leading the movement to erect a permanent court of honor instead of a shaft on Walnut Hill park, stated today that he has not vet forwarded to Mayor Weld the petition of protest which he has been circulating but will do so toward the end of the week. GENERAL INVESTIGATION ‘Washington, Nov, 30 (#—A gen- eral investigation into freight rates on cotton moving to practically all destinations was ordered today by the interstate commerce commission. A conference to complete arrange- ments for it was called to be held in New Orleans, Dec. 17, mendations he transmits in his an- | Scully and Elgert Politis, all of this | Jack | | two years while Politis and Scully, | DAUGHERTY CALLED IN SCANDAL TRIAL Denies He Ever Was Gonsulted on Ol Leases MEMORY NONE TOO GOOD Feels Certain However, He Never Gave Any “Curbstone Opinion” on General Subject of Elk Hills Negotiations. Washington, Nov. 30 (A—Moving swiftly in the presentation of the oil conspiracy case against Albert B. Fall and Edward L. Doheny, government today placed Harry M. Daugherty on the stand and ob- tained from him the statement that he had mever been consulted as to the legality of the Elk Hills naval oil lease negotiations. Gave No Opinion Furthermore, the former attor- ney-gentral said, he had not been asked about the proposal in cabinet meeting, and had given no ‘“curb- stone” opinion on the general sub- ject. The defense obtained, on cross- examination, testimony to the effect that legal staffs of the various de- partments usually handle questions concerning their immediate affairs but Daugherty insisted that he had no recollection of having been ap- proached on the subject by Fall or of having ventured an informal word of advice. The ling of Daugherty at this time marked a shift in the prosecu- tion’s plans, the desire clear up legal phases of the case before proceeding with the testi- mony as to the $100,000 passing he- tween Doheny and Fall, which the government charges was part of a conspiracy aimed toward the con- sumption of the oil leases. Memory Not Clear In reply to one queostion by the defense Daugherty, who is under in- dictment himself in connection with the disposal of seized alien prop- erty, told the court that “a lot of water has gone over the.dam” since | he held the post of attorney-general, jand that therefore he could not make a positive answer. Fall's Travels Preceding Daugherty on the s were a number of witnesses e outline, iall’s travels ' in the west after he had received the $100,000 | from Doheny and which the defense asserfs was a loan. One of these, Clarence B. Chase, of F in-law of Fall, told of at El Paso with $100,000 in cash to open negotia- tions for the purchase of the Harris ranch near Three Rivers, New Mexico, which he had long desired. Great masses of documentary evi- dence were placed in the record by a number of witnesses, including Commander Harry A. Stuart of the | navy, E. L. Mahony, of the comp- troller-general's offic and Holland, geologist of the interior de- partment. Both prosecution and de- fense sponsored parts of this evi- dence. John E. Judson, vice-president of the engineering firm of Ford, Bacon and Davis of New York, one of the government witnesses, produced copies of bureau of mines requests | for bids on the storage project at | Pearl Harbor, Hawail, which is link- | ed with the Elk Hills, California, oil lease. The prosecution contends that bids were not sought on the EI Hills lease, which finally was made | in a supplemental contract to the Pearl harbor agreement. S. Graves | Hansen of the Standard Oil Com- | pany of California and Harry G. Kennedy of the J. G. White Con- strustion Corporation, ot New York, | gave similar testimony BUYS HUNDRED MILLION General Motors Places Huge Order | For 100,000 Employes With Metropolitan Company New York, Nov. 30 (P)—Group | life insurance exceeding $100,000,- | 000 has been taken out by General Motors corporation with the Metro- | politan Life Insurance company for | more than 100,000 employes who have been on the payroll three months or longer, Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., president of General Motors, an- | nounced yesterday. The policy covers each worker for §1000 with- out medical examination. All new employes will become eligible after serving three months. The plan is cooperative, both em- ployes anu corporation sharing the | cost, but in order to get the plan in- stalled promptly, Mr. Sloan stated, Geperal Motors is paying the entire cost for the month of December. The | insurance is payable at death to the beneficiary designated by the em- ploye, or should an employe be total- ly or permanently disabled before he is 60 the amount will be d to him in 20 installments of $51.05 a month after three months' waiting period. The policy is one of the largest for group life insurance ever | issued. General Motor cities in the United da, and in 17 ovel has plants States and Cana- eas countries. in Sfii *# THE WEATHER New Britain and vicinit Generally fair and colder to- night; Wednesday increasing cloudiness with rising tem- perature. * the | being to | " POLICE WITHOUT CLUE G W.| OF LIFE INSURANCE FRANKLIN CRAWFORD DIES | | at (. 0. . INSURGENTS ' JUMP INTO ACTION ‘Fourth Ward Rebes Aroused by Dropping of Johmson . PLEDGE AID TO PAONESSA to Judd Machine, Declares He and Followers Would Support Demo- cratic Ex-Mayor in 1828, | | i | | Nettled at the action of the board |of public works in dropping from its staff of inspcctors, Robert C. Johnson, a republican worker and |former town committeeman, the in- argent wing of fourth ward repub- licanism today termed the move as another slap at the ward which, ac- | |cording to Louis Horwitz, the in-| !surgent chairman, has been in con- | | templation for more than a month. | Johnson's political actlvity has |been concentrated for the most part in the fourth ward, he having served |as town committeeman from that | district and as chairman of the |fourth ward club. That district has !been the scene of the most spirited |anti-organization drive in several | |years. During the state election this | | month the republican party made its | poorest showing in the district in | which Johnson had been recognized |as one of the leaders, a tabulation | of the election figures showed. | The fourth ward opposition to the G. O. P. Is based on a complaint that the district did not receive its share of the spoils of political suc- |cess, several recommendations for appointments to office having been |turned down, according to insurgent | republican Tollowing yesterday's announce- ment that Johnson had been dropped | a meeting of voters prominent in the | anti-o. ganization drive was held, and | |it was voted to confer with former Mayor A. M. Paonessa and endeavor | to have him consider candidacy for | mayor in 1928, with assurance that |he would carry the fourth ward. | |This will be done without delay, Mr. | Horwitz sail. | The public works department’s | program to reduce its personnel will not be interfered with by Mayor Weld, who declared this afternoon he has confidence in the ability of | his commission to run the depart- ment. He was informed several wecks ago that discharges were con- templated, he said today. i ' TOTHEATER ROBBERS | |Five Suspects Taken Into; Custody But Set ' Free ’ \ | After having questioned suspects in this city and Bristol and run down | other clues coming to their atten-| tion, the police today had made no | progress in the hunt for the two | youthful bandits who bound and | sagged Manager Carlyle G. Barrett of the Capitol theater in his office | vesterday morning and stole the | theater payroll amounting to $250 and $7 of his own money. Although there are reasons to be- | lieve that the bandits were amateur: Mr. Bs ett is of the opinion that least one of them has had exper- | nce in the hi-jacking game, be-| cause of the completeness of the binding and gagging and the nimble- | ness with which it was done. Late yesterday afternoon three | ects taken into custody by the| Bristol police were examined but al- | lowed to go when identification proved impossible. Two local young men who were questioned at local police headquarters likewise estab- lished alibis and were released. su Spent Quarter Century With North & Judd and Traut & Hine, Most- Iy in New York Sales Office. Franklin Crawford, 59 years old, a member of the New York sales| force of North & Judd and Traut &| Hine companies for about 25 years and a former resident of this city, died in New York erday. Mr. Crawford was first employed by North & Judd and then went into the employ of the Traut & Him“ company. When that company wa taken over by North & Judd he re-| turned to his former concern and covered territory in the nelghbor- hood of his New York office. While a resident of this city he lived on| Sherman court. He was a ) Mrs. George Rogers of Hills, L. I, his daughter; two grand- | children; a sister and brother sur-| vive him. The funeral will be held the daughter's home tomorrow morning at 10:30 o'clock. Burial will be in Forest Hills. French Duelists Battle For Nearly Half an Hour Paris, Nov. 30 (A—A duel, which ended with the wounding of one of the contestants, was fought today by Serge Andre, newspaper proprietor, and Bernard Denisane, political writer on La Liberte. The men fought for 24 minutes in 12 rounds, before Andre half fainted when his opponent’s sword penctrat- ed his elbow. Blood flowed from many slight cuts on both men, who wore thin cotton shirts. Andre, who also is chairman of the board of the Spidoleine Oil com- pany, challenged Denlsane because of an article written by Denisane which was considered insulting, | | on Sept. 9. | ter, her parents s | two at Gale college when the father | | rock of | Chief of Police Hill. | torthcoming “jobs’. Average Daily Circulation For W Nov. 27th ... eek Ending 14,027 PRICE THREE CENTS ONE OF STATE'S OWN WITNESSES ON STAND SAYS THAT MRS. GIBSON HAS BAD REPUTATION FOR TRUTHFULNESS HER LOVER SOUGHT Wisconsin Has Peculiar Case— Youth Accused of Murder BUT NO KILLING IS KNOWN| All Police Know Is That Girl Dis- appeared On Sept. ® and That | Foew Weeks Later Her Sweetheart | Fled When Questioned. | Prairie Du Chlen, Wis,, Nov. 30 (A—A case unique in Wisconsin criminal history confronted authori- ties today as posses scoured the hills of picturesque Kickapoo valley for traces of Clara Olson, and search continued for her youthful college boy sweetheart, Erdman Olson, for whom a warrant charging murder has been issued. The strange situation was present- ed by the disappearance of the girl nearly three months ago, the subse- quent disappearance of young Olson 18 year old student at Gale college at Galesville, Wi and the uance | of the warrant despite the fact that | the death of the girl has not been established. | Are Not Rclated. The story goes back to last May when Erdman Olson, son of Albert Olson, wealthy Crawford county to- bacco grower, met Clara Olson, 22, daughter of Chris Olson, bacco grower. The fam reiated and never met until tragedy touched their homes. Erdman, home from college, fre- quently was seen with the Olson girl. They went to dances together and often on long automobile rides over the hilly roads of the Kickapoo country. Disappeared Sept. 9. On September 7, investigators have established, rdman wrote the girl a long letter which ghe received | She destroyed the let- and retired to her room. Shortly after midnight | the girl's father heard an automo. bile drive into the yard and leave | ain. He found Clara had gone and from her window a lamp cast its light into the yard. In her room he found which read: “Dear Folk I know you all will be surprised to find me gone, as I am leaving this evening. I will| have to go tonight. * ¢ *. “Please do not worry ahout me I will not be gone very long. If anyone asks about me tell them I have gone to Lacrosse. “Again I must tell you not to worry about me as I am taken good care of and will be back soon. Don't take it too seriously as it will mean nothing—only a little surprise. will be back soon from my trip.” Olson Also Disappears, dman Olson returned to his studies at Gale college, a prepara- tory school on Sept. 25, and a few days later Chris Ols the girl's father, told county officials he went there to plead with him to bring his daughter back. A few days later the boy disap- peared from Gale college. Officers also have found that he wrote to his parents just befors he disappeared. Chris Olson yesterday signed a complaint after investigators had laid their information before District Attorney J. E. Earl and Justice C. H. Speck, and the latter issued a warrant charging first degree mur- der. A hint of suicide was contained fn the letter Erdman wrote to his parents and another which he sent to Clara's father. You'll never see me again unless it's in my coffin,” he wrote to the former. “I'd take death rather than capture. Orvid (his brother) may live down the shame I have left.” In the letter to the girl's father, which referred to the meeting of the | 1 i \ d, a note, n, demanded that his daughter be re- f turned in three days, the youth | wrote: “I know Clara can’t be back | by the time you say. What a fool | I would be to wait for the sheriff. Your daughter will come back to you when I come back.” Warning Broadcast to } All Police Departmenti | Pawtucket, R. I, Nov. 30.—(®-—) gang of safe-crackers is at large in New England with equipment enough to “burn through the Gibraltar” according to He sounded a warning to police departments of New England when he learned that thieves had raided a welding plant in the center of this city, stealing acetylene torches and other equipment. Chief Hill is convinced that the thieves were & gang of safe robbers preparing for MERGER IS ACCEPTED Roston, Nov. 30 (R—Stockholders | of the Massachusetts cotton mills of | Lowell, Mass., today voted to accept the plan of merger with the P(‘D-} perell Manufacturing company pro- posed by the trustees and directors of both corporations on November 16. The plan calls for the exchange of | five shares of Pepperell stock for eight shares of the Massachusetts | common stock and involves no new financing or cash outlay, | anything any more? R a1 °""°"’"MISSlNfi [ilRl AN[] l‘Pmsecutor, Seeking to Off-Set Defense Testi- mony, Seems Astounded at Statement Re- flecting on Alleged Eye-Witness—Simpson, Claiming Jurymen Are Prejudiced, Threatens to Ask For Mistrial as Result of Disclosures By Hotel Owner. CHARLOTTE'S FAITHIN | JUSTICE SHATTERED | | “Trial for Murder Turned; Into Farce,” She | Says [ BY CHARLOTTE MILLS Copyright 1926, Syndicate Inc. Somerville, N. J.,, Nov. 30.—The atmosphere of uncertainty which hangs about the court room today overshadows fhe actual testimony. Famous Features My heart is heavy with depression | aken, | over the turn affairs have with all this tempest about the jury. After all this can I ever believe in Tt is sald that nine of the jurors have made up the minds for acquittal without hearing all the evidence. If the jury, after a calm consideration of the facts, had freed Mrs. Hall and her two brothers T would have been sat- isfied. about irregularities, how can I have aith? Can men be so heartless and un- | fair that they will let petty politics | and such things cloud their judg- ment in a trial where the state is testing the guilt of charged with murder. Of course, I liave a personal intersst. The mur- dered woman my mother but I should be just as furious if it had been a person I never saw. Must I now face life convinced there is no justice in the world? Must I lose faith in mankind? Must I build my future life on bitterness. I am heartsick over the whole thing. A trial for murder turned into a farce. Things looked pretty bad for the prosecution a few days ago when the Hall-Stevens lawyers were { building up such beautiful alibis and charging that Willie Stevens’ finger- prints were forged, and all that. But now the state is having its day, and is tearing great holes in the “perfect de Senator Simpson showed that the fingerprints could not have been (Continued on Page 17) ALEX BESSOFF DIES AS RESULT OF FALL Well Known Business Man Slips From Roof of House Injuries suffered by Al 49 years old, of 14 Trem when he fcll from the house at 72 Grand street yesterday, | proved fatal, his death coming at 9:10 o'clock this morning at New Britain General hospital. He was admitted to the institution yesterday afternoon after th~ accident. Mr. Bessoff was inspecting work done by «mployc. on the house, which is two stories in height, when he slipped and fell to the ground. He sufferéd fractured ribs and in- ternal injuries, his attending physi- cfan, Dr. David P. Waskowitz, said. He was put on the critical list of the institution. A resident of this country for the past 24 yea's, he !as spent 19 years in this city. He was owner of the New York Cornice and Roofing Co., and also owner of considerable prop- erty in the northern section of the city. Surviving him ara his wite, Mrs. Esther Bessoff, three daughters, Misses Ray, Pauline and Hildah, and a son, Philip Bessoff. The funeral will be held this af- ternoon at 4 o'clock at the home. | Burial will be in Beth Alom ceme- tery, MANY ANIMALS SUFFOGATED | 4 Parrots, 3 Monkics, 300 Canaries, 6 Dogs and 4 Cats Lose Lives n New York Store Fire. New York, Nov. 30 (A —Animal cries such as one might expect to hear when fire sweeps through a tropical wilderness resounded through Lexington avenue between 58th and 59th stre smoke suffocated four parrots, three monkies, three hundred canaries, six dogs and four Angora cats in a pet store, Two parrots, a monkey, a ferret, ten cats and a dog with five puppies were saved by a clerk who made stora to the street. The fire was confined to the basement below the store, But now with all this talk | tered, while others ets today, when | Charlotte Mills Fails to Appear When Called to Testify This Afternoon —Faurot Again on Stand Courthouss, Sommervills, N. J., Nov. 30 (® — Introduced by the |state to testify as to the reputa- |tlon of Mrs. Jane Gibson. for truth and veracity, a witness created a mild sensation in court during the trial of the Hall-Mills case by say= ing that it is “not so good.” Pig Woman’s Reputation The defense had offered a dozen witnesses to say that Mrs. Gibson, regarded as the star witness for the prosecution, has a bad reputae tion in the community in which she lives and Special Prosecutor Al nder Simpson announced that he would offer character witnesses for Mrs. Gibson in rebuttal. Dr. Walter Madden of Trenton, first character witness called, was not permitted to testify when it de- veloped that he had not known Mrs. Glbson for 12 years. Another physiclan, Dr. J. H. Cooper of Millstone, was next to furnish the surprising testimony, from a state’s witness, The crowd in the courtroom, fill« ing only part of the seats in cone | trast to the previous days of the :\ , scemed bored as a hande | writing expert testified as to the pencilied entries in Henry Stevens® 1922 diary. There was no great in. when the prosecutor asked | Dr. Cooper the sterotyped questiong The Crowd Sits Up it up when Dr. Coop- ot so good.” in the examination the | Witness said, in reply to a question from the state's lawyer, what her reputation was among people. The witness said it was “about 50-50." There was no cross-examination. Mistaken Identity | Mistaken identity halted the pro= ceedings of the Hall-Mills trial for a time today when five Somerville men were marched from a gallery, into the courtroom and then marched right out again. The five suspects, sitting together |In a front row and leaning over the gallery, came under suspicion as photographers, barred from the court room by a judicial order. Justice Charles W. Parker, pre< | siding, thought he saw a camera in {the gallery and sent John Bunn, the court crier, to investigate. The | first man the crier accosted plead- | ed “not guilty,” and Mr. Bunn after a search, called to the court below, |that he could not find & camera. “Bring those men in the fronf row down,” replied the court. “Are you photographers?” asked Justice Parker. Some of the quintet seemed flat threatened to | grow indignant, all denying the ima | peachment. “Take them out and search | them,” was the further order of the | court, Honorary Membera A thorough “frisking” in the sheriif's office showed every man |innocent of a vest pocket camera and they were released, to be | quickly seized by the regular news« | paper photographers haunting the | corridors. | The suspects were photographed in the hands of the law on the courthouse steps and made honor- jary members of the photographers® union, It was learned at the luncheon | rec of the court that rebuttal timony will occupy the remain. of the day's session, to the ex= S on of a possible motion for m mistrial. | Special Prosecutor Alexander Simpson announced yesterday afte | ernoon that he was assembling ma- 1 for use in an application to have the jury dismissed, the mo- |tion to be made when the evidence lis in. | | Writing Expert Recalled August Hartcorn, the handwriting {expert who testified yesterday that |an entry in the diary of Henry Stevens for September 14, 1922, dif- {fered from all other entries in the }di:\r)’. was recalled to continue his testimony on resumption of the Halle Mills murder trial this morning. When court opened, Alexander Simpson,, special prosecutor, asked for permission to call several wite nesses to testify as to the reputation of Mrs. Jane Gibson, state’s star wite ness, for truth and veracity, but tha efense insisted that it be allowed to | cross-examine Hartcorn in “due | process and order.” Another photograph of the much discussed calling card, which the state claims contains the fingerprint of Willie Stevens, was introduced in | repeated trips from the smoke-filled | evidence over the object of the de- | fense which claimed that this was (Continued on Page 18.)