The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-05-14

The present issue In the continuation oil
the hearing tomorrow in the Cristy- Mat
thews case lies In the question OF purging
Mr.. John B. Nash. star witness OF Rev.
A. Il. Cristy Of contempt
The charge that Chief OF Police Frank
A. Matthews was directly concerned in
the disappearance of Mr.. Nash on the
eve OF the day he was to be called as a
witness is secondary, and apparently has
been dropped.
The commissioners, after hearing the
witnesses to be called tomorrow in lne IN.
terests OF the chief of police and those in
iebuttal by attorneys for Mr.. Nash and
Mr.. Cr.sty. win ffrsr decide whether or
not John b. Nash was intimidated into
nceinG from the city before they an
nounce whether they will reopen the case
against the chief and gave Nash an OPP
pcrtupity to present his long-deferred tes-
timony along the lines upon which Rev.
Mr.. Cristy's charge OF conpiracy against
tile chief was based.
A decision not TO reopen the conspiracy
case, however. would be practically de-
cision against Rev. Mr.. Sristy. whose
case was based principally upon Mr..
Eash's testimony or affidavit.
Any attempt to forecast the decision at
this time must be based upon pure specu-
lation, unless some one has leaked" as
high authorities charged when the famous
ago.
That all three commissioners will con-
tinuc to sit at the trial until its conclu-
sion and will vote on every question
brought up, seems 10 be certain.
The immediate question. as stated, is
whether Nash was intimidated.
1t is certain that evidence OF intimita-
lion has been presented.
That intimidation can come through
suggestions as we'll as by direct threats
need not be elaborated; and that there
were significant suggestions made 10
Nash through his Fall River manager,
John Victorine, who had talked with In
spcctor Shea, a close friend OF the Prov
.dence police: and by Joseph L. Guild. as
sistant cashier Of the Westminster Bank.
wnere Commissioner Lewis j. Pierce, the
man who sat at the hearing" is a big
dcpositor. has been admitted on the wit
ness stand by Inspector Shea, by Joseph
I, Guild. by Nash and by victorine.
Guild and Shea deny that they made
threats Guild asserts that all he did
was to leave his home after 10 y. m.
and. after talking over the telephone with
Commissioner Pierce was to see Nash at
the Crown hotel talk with him an hour.
until after midnight. and suggest to him
that there was rumor In police circles
that Nash was about to ee from the city.
Guild swore that he did not give Nash
any advice, and that his purpose In see
ing him was not to advise him.
II was merely TO suggest that this rumor
was in circulation In police circles that
ne took the trouble TO come down town
and talk with him for an hour at mid
night.
Admitting that this was all that Guild
told Nash who. according TO seevral wit
nesses on behalf OF the chief OF police.
wa. In a highly nervous condition on the
day OF the hearing-so nervous. in fact.
that the police actually feared he would
run away-the question L. asked what was
Nash's mental attitude on the night Guild
saw him. and what would naturally be
the effect OF such a communication as
his friend Guild said ne made TO him,
even II Nash had not previously contem-
plated flight?
Add 20 this fact the further state
ment OF Nash which Guild corroborates.
that Guilds story came from "a man
who sat at the hearing" and was there
fore spoken as with authority and the
sueeestiart of fiisht would be far stronger.
IL Is claimed.
II may or may not be signicant that
the police, though they feared Nash might
fee made no effort to prevent his flight.
~ far as testimony at the hearing shows.
No one save the commissioners them
selves knows just what their view Of this
phase Of the hearing f.; but the public
generally may have a suspicion Of the
light in which Commissioners Pierce would
naturally view H.