The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-30
Under Direct Examination He Makes
Complete Denial of States
Evidence.
CLAIMS NOT TO KNOW
WOMEN WHO ACCUSE HIM
Alleged Prince of Grafters, However,
Admits He Told Women to Call at
His Office and That Fifteen or Twen-
ty of Them Accepted the invitation.

Testimony of the most damaging
character was received yesterday in
the trial of former Superintendent of
Police Frederick w. Ames in Mime
apolis on the charge of accepting
bribe from a woman in return for
granting her police protection.
The chief witness was Detective Otto
Wirtensohn, a member of the police
force and formerly a subordinate of
Chief Ames.
Wirtensohn, not only corroborated
the testimony of the women who told
of his visits to them and his direction
that they should cease paying money to
Gardner, but he further sWore that
after he had visited these places with
the superintendent of police the latter
instructed him to take Joseph Cohen
with him to the Identical places and to
inform the women that they must
thereafter pay their money to Cohen.
This fatty contradicts the statement of
Ames that he knew nothing of Cohen's
trip and that he never authorized it.
Fruitless was the attempt of the de-
fense to break down or even shake
Wirtensohn's story. The state rested at
2:30 o'clock with:hlt putting Cohen on
the stand, much to the surprise of the
spectators. The first witness called in
the forenoon was frankie Buell., who
said the chief had told her not to pay
any more money to Gardner, and to
come to headquarters in few days
and he would let her know what to do.
Millie Roselle, of 242 Hennepin ave-
nue., testified that she had given her
housekeeper $40 on two occasions and
told her to pay the money to Cohen.
"What did you pay the money for?"
asked Mr.. Boardman.
81 don't know. 1 was never told
what it was for" replied the witness.
Maude Meyers, housekeeper for Car
rie Emmerson, gave similar testimony.
Wirtensohn Is Called.
"Call Otto Wirtensohn," said the
county attorney. The states star wit
Boardman's first material question, De-
tectiVe Wirtensohn testified:
"Some time last January I visited
several places with Supt. Ames. L
was ordered, with Mr.. Bracket, to go
with him on the trip by Supt. Ames.
We went to twenty-five or thirty
places. 1 couldn't say exactly. Mr..
Bracket was with us most of the
places and Chris Norbeck went to
three or four with u.s."
do you know what the general rep
utation of those places you visited
was?"
"Yes, sir. Candy stores and places of
bad repute."
"rell what was said by the chief at
those places"
81 can remember what was said; but
Oa11't i11cf what r11ooa MO col
at. AT some of them I didn't hear
what was said. He told them he heard
they were paying money to some one
and he wanted it stopped"
The witness insisted that he heard
no more except that the chief asked
the women to come to his office. In
all cases the chief stepped into another
room, or to one side, when they talk
ed with him.
'Who sent you with Joseph Cohen ?"
1.-THE chief. He ordered me to go
with him. introduced Cohen to them
and IN Sonic cases 1 said: Here is
this party you were talking about
or something to that effect"
"When you made that first trip did
you have a list of names?"
Either the chief or Bracket had
a list"
did Ames give you that list?"
mo. When I went with Cohen he
had a small book with him, and he
took 1t out at the places. I might have
read what was on some Of the pages
1 did read some of it, in fact"
''What was 1t you read?"
Names and addresses of those
places"
"Do you know in whose handwrit-
ing that wasp
mo, sir, do not"
did you hear any of the conversa-
(N1I,1 IL.
en?"
mo, sir. 1 did not"
Conducts introductions.
did you introduce these people to
Cohen in every instance?"
Eyes, sir"
"Then tell us what you said"
"Well, I told them this was the
party who was sent down to talk to
them. I can't remember just exactly.
/ generally told them that was the
party who was to talk to them"
"Give me the conversation between
Ames and yourself when he sent you
with Cohen"
"He didn't say anything"
'Well, he didn't send you by signs,
did he?"
mo, he just said to go with that
party"
On cross-examination MI. Welch in
sisted on the witness giving his best
recollection of the order issued to him
by Ames
'TIe told me to go with Cohen around
to those places we had gone to be-
fore" said Wirtensohn.
Sticks to His Story.
The answer was unexpected and
highly damaging. 1t aroused Mr.. Welch
at once, and he made vigorous efforts
to break down this testimony. Ques-
ton and answer fell thick and fast,
but although Wirtensohn became