The Detroit times., 1911-08-24

The star witness for the prosecu.
ton in Wednesdays session OF the
investigation into the charge that Ed
win s. Randolph, justice OF the peace,
OF Hamtramck. received brides from
the slot machine "mngnateI John
Marquette, was the "magnate's" wife,
Mrs. Lillian Marquette. Stylishy at
tired she created hntter when she
took the stand in the court room oc-
cupied altogether by men.
Arthur Pitton, a slot machin mani'-
facturer, also woke the court room
up when he admitted. on the stand,
that he had hundreds of slot
machines operating in the state and
100 In Wayne county. John Mar
quette, the first witness of the after
noon, testified TO having furnished
Randolph with money for "protec-
ton" George Weberline, a Wyan-
dot;e hotel keeper; Ed. c. Vernier,
of Crosse Pointe, and Miss Ella
|O'Connor, sister of Mrs. Marquette.
were also on the stand.
Mrs. Marquette told OF Randolp $
coming to her home while her hus.
band was sick in bed and asking for
money. Mr.. Marquette ordered her
to draw a check for $65. This she
did and gave II to Randolph. She
was shown six checks which the
prosecution claimed were given to
Randolph. She identified five of them
as those made out by her to Cash
for the justice and the sixth as one
made out personally to Randolph.
This last one is the only check which
Randolph admits he cashed, saying
that Ii was part of a loan.
Che answered all the questions OF
both Assistant Prosecutor Aldrich
and Attorney McCIear, quickly and
briefly, wasting no words until Nc.
Clear wanted to know why she made
out some of her checks TO Cash
and some to individuals. She firmly
refused to answer and was apparent
ly annoyed by the question. She APP
peaied to the court for permission to
refrain from answering. but the
court ruled that she should reply.
We'll, II Is easier to make them
out that way" she said, "and / al
ways do when Mr.. Marquette deliv
ers them himself"
Mrs. Marquette said that her hus
band was not In sight OF the street
when he lay In bed sick in his home
so that he could not have hailed
Randolph ard beckoned him to come
I'm the house, as the justice said ht
did. She amused the court room
when she stated that she kept nc
separate account for Randolph's tran
sactions, as she did for those Of many
others, because there was no use
when everything was going out and
nothing coming In"
Mr.. Pitton was a jaunty witness
and from the first he tried to make
his examination hard for the assis;
ant prosecutor. 'T'll prove a Lively
witness for you." he sneered when
Mr.. Aldrich had failed to pin him
down to an answer he wanted
You'll Re a dead one" retorted
Aldrich.
Pitton told of the forming of the
Pitton Novelty Co., with himself, Fred
Postal and other Detroiters, interest
ed. The company manufactures slot
and vending machines of all kinds
but IL was simply a "pecuniary re
muneration" for him, the witness
FHlI htdk CoNdNO anu AhohA ahOC -
his main Inc and at one time he was
associated with Randolph in business
However, when machines were
brought to Randolph as justice of the
peace, "he treated mine the same as
any one else's and II made me sore,
so | quit him." Pitton confided. He
said that slot machines could be ar
ranged so as to win any desired per.
centage by plugging certain colors
and agreed that IL was "a disgusting
business which he wanted TO get
out OF.
He testified to having received five
or six machines of Marquette's make
from George Crouch, truckman, who
had tried to deliver them to the auth.
critics In the county building. where
they were refused, the witness said
Pitton insisted on repeating that 1T
was my understanding that the au'
thorities should have received them
and that they wouldn't do so be
cause" but the prosecution object
Continued ON Page Nine.D