New-York tribune., 1908-04-02
FISCHER-HANSEN HELD
EYTORTION THE CH1RGE.
PhHadelphian appears as Complain
art AGAINST Ld1cyer.

brother -in-laW of W. Gould BrokdW was iiluleeu
| Yesterday afternoon by the March grand jury OH
| the charge of eXtorting $4,000 from Joseph T.
ORrien. a decorator with an Office and store at
| No 1852 Chestnut street, Philadelphia he was
arrested a few minutes after the indictment mad
| heen handed I'D and later released on $4,000
| bail which was furnished by his father-in-IaW'
| Isaac V Brokaw who gave his house at NO. 10
| East 25th street 5 security.
| Last night Mr.. Fischer Hansen made state
| ment in which he said that instead OF being a
| blackmaiIer he was himself the victim of black
| mail and asserted that if the grand jury had
! heard both sides of the case it would have re-
! turned no indictment against him.
| That Mr. Fischer Hansen was the subject Of
| investigation by the District Attorneys office
| had been known for several days around the
Criminal Courts Building, and it was understood
that his case was especially presented TO Mr.
Jerome by the Bar Association with the request
that he make investigation
O'BRIEN ONE OF WITNESSES
Assistant District Attorney smyth for hve
! hours yesterday morning examined witnesses,
among them Mr.. O'Brien himself. and immedi-
| ately afterward went before the grand jury
| While MI Smyth was before the jurors Mr..
| Ffscher-Hansen was in the Criminal Courts
! Building defending a client in General Ses-
j :
/ luncheon, Mr. Smyth went before Judge Foster
! with the indictment which the grand jury had
! handed up against the lawyer: Judge Foster at
! once issued a warrant for the lawyers arrest
/ and turned it to Detective Russ, of the
! District Attorneys office. who arrested him
! 1T is my unpleasant duty" said Judge Fos-
! ter. as the lawyer appeared before the bar, 10
! inform you that an Indictment has been fled
against you. 1 know you have long been an
/ honest member Of the New York Bar Associa-
! ton. l directed the officer TO whom 1 gave the
warrant to spare you the humility OF pubic
arrest. The statement before me leaves moth
/ ing else for me to do but TO hold you for trial
/ on the charge of extortiOn."
Mr. Ffscher-Hansen hurriedIy obtained Alex
| ander Michaelson and Robert Townsend as
counsel. Il ask that the defendant be paroled
In my custody" said Mr. Townsend There is
no danger of his getting away"
CALLS CHARGE SERIOUS
Mr. sn2vth Immediately objected The charge
is a serious one, if it please your honor he
said. "and parole should not be thought Of"
Then heated discussion as to the amourt Of
bail arose Mr. Townsend wanted the bail fixed
at a nominal sum. holding that it would be a
humiliation fix it at any large amount Mr.
Smyth again objected strongly. 4 ask for a
heavy bail" he said lin keeping with the char
acter OF the charge"
Il don't see how I make the bail nomi-
/ nal" said Judge Foster, and fixed it at $1,000.
Mr. OBren. in an affidavit, charges that the
defendant conspired with two Italian boys, who.
he alleges pretended that he (O'Brien) had
wronged them. These boys. according TO the
affidavit obtained the defendant their coun-
sci and the latter offered TO settle the suit for
a large sum Of money, threatening that if the
| case was not settled by payment he would bring
it to trial and exposure would ensue On this
threat. the affidavit states. Mr. OBrien gave up
$1,000 to Mr. Fischer Hansen.
! The three witnesses examined by Mr.. Smyth
yesterday were Mr.. OBrien. John ]. Buckley.
/ counsel for d friend of Mr.. Brien. and the
/ lawyer who. il is said. conducted negotiations
with Mr. Fischer Hansen, and Joseph Nc
Carthy.
According To the testimony which is said
to have been given To the District Attorneys
/ Office, Nj O'Brien employed a boy named
! Anthony MarcuIoso. nineteen years old. who
lives at No 417 West 9th street. The latter,
/ it is said. alleges that Mr.. O'Brien promised to
adopt him and give him college education.
T The boy alleges he kicked and abused by
I Mr. O'Brieu and discharged without recon-
+ pcnse for his services.
Later according to the testimony which is
said to have been laid before the grand jury.
, Marculoso made an affidavit containing these
/ and other charges against OBrien. 1t is al
/ legged that NIr FischerHansen drew up papers
for a suit for 100000 damages against NJ
OBrien. According to the testimony, before
serving the papers Mr.. F'ischer-Hansen told
Mr. O'Brien that the suit could be settled with
cut being brought trial for $4,000. it is
/ ALLEGED
/ CONFERENCE IN LAWYERS OFFICE.
4 conference was held at the lawyers offices,
at No $40 Broadway it is alleged. Mr.. O'Brien
and friend Of his, decorator. it is said were
at this conference IL was then agreed that Mr
O'Brien would settle the matter by payment.
and il is said Mr O'Briens friend paid Mr.
Fischer Hansen $4,000 and obtained the ser
vices of Mr.. Buckley TO wind up the affair.
Mr Buckley, it is understood called the
defendant and after much arguing compromised
by giving him $4,000 more instead Of the SIS, 900
In return for the total payment of $4,000. it is
said that Mr. Fischer Hansen turned over to
Mr. O'Rrien the affidavit made by the MarculOsO
boy and another affidavit which was also made
by him and in which it is said ne had retracted
the charges he made in the first He also.
it is said, gave Mr. O'Bren the letters which
the latter is said to have written him and which
are alleged TO be discriminating, although Mr.
O'Brien denies that they were. Mr.. O'Brien, it
Is understood. received a full release from the
boy. This was January %
Mr. OBrlen told the District Attorneys Of
flee that he. h>d given up $4,000 He kept #
is said. the two altidavts and the copy OF the
Ipapers in the 100000 suit which had never been
served. These attidavts the papers in the
case 1t is understood. turned over to the
District ATTORNEY
ON February % the boys mother went to Max
Brown who until recently a lawyer in Mr.