New-York tribune., 1911-07-19
DETECTIVES TRIAL ENDS
May Be Verdict To-day in Stokes
Letter Mystery.
TWO INDICTMENTS FOR GIRLS
District Attorney May Prosecute
Either for Attempted Muir
der or Assault.

btdnam was lnlsned yesterday. iHeli
counsel, George Gordon Battle, has until
noon to-day To submit brief. Deputy
Police Commissioner Mckay will report !
his findings 10 Commissioner Waldo later
I'm the day, and it is possible that the nc
cused men may hear the verdict before |
nightfall.
Mr.. Stokes spent forty minutes with the
grand jury In the morning, and that body |
handed up two indictments charging Miss
Graham and Miss Ethel Conrad with at
tempted murder, assault in the first degree !
and assault in the second degree. 1t rests
with the District Attorney To decide upon
which of the three counts he will prose-
cute. That charge Of attempted murder
should he included in the indictment came
as surprise not only to the defence but
TO tho District Attorney as well.
In view of the fact that the detectives
were allowed to employ skilled counsel TO
defend them, counsel who had every facil-
ity of studying the case, procuring and
examining Witnesses. and also in view OF
the fact that the deputy who presided at
the trial had also t. act in the capacity
of prosecuting attorney the general
opinion seemed 10 be that Commissioner
Waldo had given the detectives every pos
siblc chance of securing an acquittal.
Reporters Go on Stand.
II was reporters day" at Headquarters
Mr.. Battle put the newspaper men who
worked on the story OF the shooting the
night It occurred upon the stand, and got
them 10 tell what they knew. But the
star witnesses came at the end. when
Mike" Bangsund I.evins. "A private de-
! tective in the employ of the Cosgrove
agency, and ;. {. tS. Petry, Sir. Stokes
secretary, took the stand. Cumming. the
house detective at the Ansonia, who mas
already produced two sensations, failed to
make good with another. II was he who
testified that Bangsund had gone to the
Ansonia on July 8, pulled of his spoe,
pulled out letter TO Miss Graham from
it, and offered It for sale to Petry. Ac-
cordng to the defence Bangsund vas work
ing this scheme with Bloom, superntend-
ent OF the Nafuna apartments.
There was considerable trouble and delay
in getting Bangsund on the stand at all
When he finally made his appearance lie
told his story in a simple. straightforward
way, with little hesitation. He denied tnat
he had ever been TO the Ansonia. ) &. S.
Pctry was the witness before him. Here
is the story of Bangsunds connection with
the case, as sworn to by Pctry and Cum
ming:
"Bangsund, friend and employe Of Bloom,
came to the Ansonia on July and asked
to see Mr.. Stokes. fIis secretary saw him
instead The two went out on the stoop
where Bangsund took off his shoe and
produced letter TO Miss Graham signed
Jesse" with a postscript signed "Math-
er" He advised an investigation of IF.
=. No. 1S2 Palisade avenue. West Hobo
ken" and wrote those words and his own
address on a slip of paper
This is Bangsund's account:
"On the afternoon Of July / called on
Bloom At the Naruna apartments Cum
ming was there. Bloom soon left. Then
Cumming questioned me about him. Petry
came in later lie asked me my name and
how 10 spell it, then my address. | wrote
It for him on a piece Of paper. I never
heard of r. F. and never wrote those
letters. / have never been to the Ansonia.
! never offered 10 sell any letters TO Petry
When I left the Varuna | went TO Lcvins
one Of Cosgrovc's detectives at White
Plains"
In connection with the "F. f." writing
Bloom swore that Cumming had gone into
his rooms once when two letters one to
Miss Graham and one to Miss Conrad
were lying on his desk. that he looked at
the one to Miss Conrad, which had p T."
initalled on Il. and he thought had No
ls2 Palisade avenue written on the back
and that after looking at the letter Cum
ming took ont some paper and began to
wrte-presumaby the IF. f." and the ad-
dress on the hack
II later developed that r. r." did not
refer TO Ntr Farley, the strike breaker. as
Petry said both he and Stokes thought it
might, but was the name of girl who
had worked in the same department store
as Miss Conrad.
levins Confirms Bangsund's Story.
Lovins testified that on July he mad
gone from White Plains TO the Naruna with
the latter had watched the entrance TO the
apartment house while Bangsund stayed In
H. had met him when he came out and
gone back with him to White Plains. tbs
testimony confirmed Bangsund's assertion
that he had not gone TO the Ansonia on
the day I'm question.
When Petry was on the stand tho Com
missioner got him 10 describe Bangsund.
lie said he was tall thin raced, had blue
ewes and light hair" After the man him
self had testified ne was directed TO stand
up. and Petry was told to look at him and
describe him again. He gave the same de
scripuon.
You call his hair light
Yes, sir
Sure
Yes sir"
Now. Bangsunds hair is black hut he
hasn't an abundance OF IT, so Mr.. Battle
broke into the game. You are referring,
arc YOU not, Mr.. Petry.' he asked TO the
aua1titv. and not the color, Of Mr. Bang
7"!% "Ccrtainiy sir" said Petry; 1t WAS the
nuantity. not the color. ! meant
.You arc sure that the rest of your tes-
tirnnny iS Just as accurate ana reliable as
vCur description
Il am. and I want 1t distinctly under
stood that Bangsund was tho man who Of
tered me that letter st the Ansona,' cN-
claimed the witness
Tho Commissioners smiled.
Rcporters and photographers told Of their
search for news on the night OF the shoot
Inr An American reporter was asked II
10 couid identify any Of the defendants.
.GcrtainIv" said he; that is Lieutenant
Peabody" pointing to detective walsh.
Another reporter. who had been up 20 the
iris. apartments three times that night.
SSae axamined by Mr. Battle. hut only In
regard to his irst visit II" was COnsld'
cred an important witness, but MI. MCKAY
dismissed him without q question. tonl-
missioner Dillon suggested further efdml-
ration. and then, but not until then, was
he examined IN regard To visits Nos.
and 2
NEW FREIGHT CLAIM PLAN
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