The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-05-19
F|XEL
LOOTED STORE
Cross Examination Fails to Shake
Mrs. billions Sensational Story
in Insurance Suit.

The cross examination III Mrs. Hugh
Dillon. which began In Judge Man.
dell's court. Tuesday. was not con.
pleted when court adjourned at noon.
Wednesday. After Attorney T. J..
Navin had finished with her. Bernard
B. Selling took mp the questioning, and
while there were times she tried to
dodge. most OF the questions were an
swered promptly. and the majority OF
the answers stamped Mrs. Dillon as an
exceedingly clever witness. Only In
minor details was her testimony OF
Tuesday shaken. The billions are su-
ing to recover from Craig. Wright 4
Walker A. Krolik & Co., and Burnham,
Stoepel & Co.. $4,000 paid to Craig.
Wright Il Walker for adjusting the
loss after the Are which almost de.
stroyed the Dillon store two years
ago.
On the stand. Tuesday, Mrs. Dillon
charged that Adolph Fixel. credit man
for Krolik Co.. who took charge OF
the store after the fire, had looted the
place. FiXel smiled broadly, and seem.
ed to treat her testimony as a joke.
When the cross-examination failed to
shake her story, he became more at
tentiye and conferred frequently with
his attorney. Mr.. Corwin. credit man
for Burnham. Stoepel K Co, was also
mentioned frequently. but not 20 prom
inently as Fixel.
What goods did you see Etxel
take?" Mrs. Dillon was asked.
II saw him take dress goods.
How much?"
Il cannot say the number Of yards.
He ordered clerk to wrap them up
and he took them out the back door"
How did you come to watch him.
Well, We had been missing goods,
and my son told me TO keep an eye
on Fixel. Others told me the same
thing. He had taken a lot OF things
before was warned"
Did you protest?"
NO What good would a protest
do? We were In the hands OF our
creditors. Fixel was running things to
suit himself. couldn't protest TIL
we got out OF their clutches"
did you protest to the creditors
" hen you learned that Fixel had paid
over $4,000 to Craig, Wright &
Walker"
w no WAS W piolSoe W.
we were in their hands"
They could do as they pleased, and
were doing So" added the witness.
''Fixel told us to leave It to him and he
would keep the creditors off and allow
us TO make a complete settlement. HE
said he would see that all the money
from the fire sale was deposited In tho
Old Detroit National bank. He toid
us he would see us through, and we
told him we didn't want cent I'LL
our creditors were paid"
Through the intervention or j. l..
Hudson the billions finally settled with
their creditors at 80 cents on the
dollar. Attorney Selling tried for an
hour 10 get Mrs. Dillon to say that
they knew that II the creditors knew
they were going 10 claim the $l0,0O0
paid to the sdiusters, they would new
err have consented to the settlement
at 90 cents Mrs. Dillon refused TO
answer the question with a yes or
no" and continued TO explain more
of Fixel's doings until warned by the
court to answer the question as put
To her. Then she cleverly said that
she didn't know what the wholesalers
would do under those or any other
circumstances.
In Tuesday afternoons hearing Mrs.
Dillon also testified that Mr.. Wright.
one of the adjusters called at the
store with his wife. selected some OF
the best goods in the store and took
them away. She said that Wright ana
his wife looked over the stock and
whenever they saw anything they
wanted he would say: Put that down,
wife" 49,.
And To think | had to watch that
kind OF business going on saiu lhe
witness. When ! protested 10 riAei
about It he said It was all righ'' "
aay nothing about II.