The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-02-26
BOLsTERs
UP DEFENSE WITH
OWN TESTIMOhY
Cool as Cucumber, He Flatly Denieo
nominating Evidence of Prose-
outlon, and, Under Lodges Guild "a
ance, Tells Plausible Story.
Says Mabel Millman Wasn't in Hi1
ofice Aug. 27-More Patients
Aid Defense.

WIN much the same air one would
expect him TO assume il he were Chat A
ing with patient in the privacy az
ms own Office, DR.. George A. Fritck
SAT In The witness chair In Judre Z
rheiah courtroom. Friday AFTERNOONS.
racing u crowd that filled every avail
aDie men OF space, and without ever
batting an eyelash.' coolly Informed
the jury that he was in no way re-
spohslble Tor the death OF Mabel Mill
man and the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of her
body which was fished out OF Ecorse
creek In sacks last September.
PATIENTS who claimed to have been
In the doctors office. on the afternoon
the girl is alleged to have died on his
operating table. testified TO his calm
ana collected demeanor on the occas-
ION of their visit They found him
peasant and smiling, just as he al
ways was, and DR.. Fritch lived up
10 The picture on the witness stand.
Yes, even the smile was there. though
sarcastic at times. How perfectly
absurd 1t all was. anyway. The very
IDEA OF conscientious, Woodworking
little doctor like George Fritch being
accused OF such a heinous crime.
Preposterous, That was what he said
I'm effect
His story was summing up and
plecing together of the testimony OF
his patients, with the addition of his
emphatic denial of the main facts ser
lorth by the prosecution. touching the
alleged crime. He gathered up the
incidents related by his friends and
patients In one, big metaphorical
blanket. as IL were, then stitched IL
together and tied the ends with a
surgeons knot III he had studied his
lines and committed them To memory
his testimony could not have run
more smoothly.
Prosecutor Appears uninterested.
Least interested of the doctors
hearers, to all outward appearances.
was Prosecutor. Van Zile, who sat
munching quid OF gum with evident
satisfaction, and coming the pages
OF his notebook the while. To him
there was nothing new in the doc
tors story IL was all too familiar.
! The doctors hand went MP prompts
| ~ as he rose TO he full height of his
diminntiye stature To be sworn. and
II never wavered a particle as Clerk
| Barlow hurried through the formali-
ties of the oath.
You do solemnly swear"-tho
clerk was saying. The doughty little
doctor looked him squarely in the
face.
ITO tell the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the TRUTH Barlow
ratified on.
Il do" came the words. clearly and
distinctly, from the witness stand.
The doctor slipped easily into the
chair threw one leg up over the
other, folded his hands in his lap and
settled back to await his counselor'sl
first question. 1t was the beginning
OF the end of the FTitch manslaughter
trial.
In answer TO Attorney Lodges
preliminary questions. the doctor said
he was ~ years old. that he was born
in Ontario and told briefly of his
preparation for the medical profess
sion He had started practice in De-
troit seven years ago, 1902. TO be more
exact. his first Office being located at
No. III Trumbull-ave.. where he also
had his home Though i'm general
practice. he had devoted his attention
more particularly to women's COM
plants the past two years.
Tells Of Mabefs Visit.
Getting down TO the case, Dr. fritcn
told of the visit OF a girl ne -presum-
ed 10 be Mabel AIillman' and her
friend Martha Henning, TO his Office
on the evening OF Aug. %. The for
mer wanted To make an appointment
for an examination, not being prepar-
ed for il then. and arranged TO come
the next evening That was the Ia9
ne saw o her however. for she never
came back. No mention was made or
an operation, he declared. me girl
did not even intimate she was in
trouble.
Asked what his practice was in adj
hitting Datients into his inner of1ces
the doctor said h. made IL rule
never To mention names in addressing
patients.
some patients are timid about
that. he explained.
Now about this Mrs. Messenger.
who claims she was in your Office
Lodge continued.
smile lit up the little doctors
face and he leaned far forward in his
CONTINUED ON Page Two)