Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-25
SUDDEN CHANGE
IN MEMORY ON
WITNESS STAND
POLICEMAN BERCHT0LD BE-
GINS TO REMEMBER
TELLS ABOUT MANY DlsoRDERLY
HOUSES IN BRoADHEAD CASE
All Appear to Have Been Outside the
Oswald District-Tom McCarey
Also Tells About Pass
List

According to the testimony of a
patrolman called by the defense in the
Broadhead trial yesterday, there were
more houses of iIl-fame in Los An
geles in 1908, exclusive of the Oswald
crib district, than there We're in 1907,
in spite of the closing, for good and
all, of the Arlington, Belmont and the
various crib houses outside of the dis
tTict controlled by Oswald. With the
addition of the district which former
Chief of Police Thomas II. Broadhead
is accused of protecting in COnSidera-
tion of a bribe, the increase was enor-
nous, if the witness is to be believed.
A. c. Berchtold went upon the wit
ness stand for the fourth time in the
present trial when the defense called
him yesterday.
First he was called by the prose-
cution, but convinced the district at
torney that he knew little or nothing
of the Oswald redlight district.
His next appearance was as a charac-
ter witness, for the defense testifying
to the bad reputation of Oswald, and
was called again to contradict a state
ment made by Oswald.
Yesterday his knowledge of houses
of ill-fame outside the Oswald district
in 1907 and 1908 seemed little short of
marvellous, in view of his asserted
ignorance of that district when on
the stand for the prosecution.
Tale GibIy Told
Glibly he told of such houses, gen.
orally giving street number and name
of the landlady, on various streets of
the city from North Main to Hoover
and from Spring street to Central
avenue.
He declared that there had been a
crib house in operation in 1908 on
Spring street between Fourth and
Fifth but, on cross-eXamination, he ad-
mitted that it had closed of its own
accord in that year and that he knew
of no other houses of that specific
character existing outside of the Os-
wald district after 1907
Thomas j. McCarey, president and
manager of the Pacific Athletic club,
testified that Oswald, at the time own
er of one-fourth interest in the club,
frequently took prize fight tickets to
the police station in 1908. Asked, on
cross-examination, if tickets still were
sent to the station, and If he had
knowledge of the ordinance prohibit
ing the distribution of prize fight
tickets to city officials, the witness
replied that tickets still were sent, for
the use of persons not Comprehended
in the scope of the ordinance
MCCdfeyNnSW FaSS LIST
"I sure do know of the law" said
Tom McCarey I'VE had to overhaul
our pass list because of it, and make
many changes
McCarey testified that N. D. Oswald
withdrew from the Pacific Athletic |
club about the time Mayor Harper re-
signed.
Much amusement was occasioned in
the courtroom by McCareys testimony
4 l., I
been a frequent bearer of tickets to the
police station. This parsonage proved
to be an Office boy, Charles McHugh
by name, but known in the sphere of
his employment by the more preten
tiOus cOgnOmen.
The testimony of e. /. Oller re-
garding the existence of reputed houses
of ill-fame outside of the Oswald dis
trict in 1907 and 1908, which consumed
most of the afternoon, Monday, was
continued yesterday morning up to
10:45, when he finally left the stand to
give place to another of the occasional
character Witnesses this time a former
partner of Ed Kern in the insurance
business, who declared that the repu-
tation of the former chief had been
oker Makes Admissions
Under a cross-examination by
Joseph Ford which was sharp as the
continuous cracking of a whip, Oker,
the man who knew all about the
houses of ill-fame, admitted that he
had given orders to the inmates to
refrain from showing themselves in
the doorWays. to keep their curtains
ddwn and not solicit. The reason he
gave for not arresting the inmates or
closing the houses was that he lacked
sufficient evidence.
The trial dragged YEARLY, through
the seemingly endless enumeration of
houses of ill-fame which Oswald had
not controlled by Oker and later by
Berchtold. Attorney Appel more than
once bringing out information regard
the same place twice, by asking first
if there was a house known as the
Lyon, and later, asking If there was
a house in such and such district,
and avoiding any references to the
name of it. Once the witness un-
thinkingly called attention to the
doubling up, and Appel did not ap-
pear at all pleased.
The defendant constantly coached
his counsel in the interminablo eXami-
nations regarding names and places
of houses Of ill-fame, and seemed to
feel that it was excellent testimony for
his defense; but even he Wearied of
It at length, and yawned in company
with District Attorney Fredericks.
Lawrence" Deal Explained
c. Waldenfels, who owned the prop
erty sold ostensibly to William
Lawrence" testified regarding the
deal Oswald had conducted all the ne
gotiations he said The price was to be
100000, of which $4,000 was to be paid
down at the time of closing the deal,
and $4,000 every six months until $4,000
was paid. The first and second pay
ments only We're made, the witness de-
clared. and the second was delayed.
Il asked Oswald about it, when it
was month overdue, and he said Mr.. !
Lawrence was somewhere in the east. !
but he would see him on his return and |
get him to pay the money"
Another bit Of testimony tending to |
show that Oswald could be untruthful |
when it served his interests was given |
by w. I. Foley, an attorney who ap-
peared for A. c. Harper in libel suits .
brough by that parsonage against an .
evening paper. Foley testified that Os-
wald, before deciding to turn upon his
alleged co-conspirators, had signed
deposition in which he declared he |
never paid any bribe money to any
body.
The trial viii proceed, even if but
slowly, at 10 o'clock this morning.
It's as easy to secure a bargain I'm a used
automobile. through want advertising, as 1t
used to be-and still is--to secure a horse
and carriage. /