The Detroit times., 1913-06-04
ny JOHN r.. NEVIN.

ny JOHN r.. NEVIN,
STAR Cnrrsspond~nt OF the United Press
BOSTON, Mass, June 3.--The pros
ecution completed its case this after.
noon against William NJ. Wood. head
or the American Wooden company,
and Frederick T.. Atteaux. OF the sup.
ply house OF Atteaux and company.
on trial for more than two weeks,
charged with conspiracy to plant dy-
Mantle to discredit the Lawrence
strikers. The defense Immediately
began preparations TO present its side
and II was expected that verdict
would be reached before Friday night.
Counsel on both sides-for the de-
Tense admittedly the best criminal
lawyers in New England-were
thrown into confusion by an alert
juror. John Enos, who made a dis
covery which for a time threatened
to cause mistrial in the case. The
prosecution rested its case mainly on
the evidence Of Arthur Pira, q chauf-
feur He has furnished the material
link, under the conspiracy
law, between the alleged conspira-
tors through his story OF driving q
man resembling Atteaux to the rem.
devious where Breen has sworn that
he was given the money to finance
the conspiracy.
Pira refreshed his memory with a
record card kept by him OF his move
ments on January 10, 1912. the day
the alleged dynamite plot was plan
ned. District Attorney Pelletier In.
terrogated him at great length. using
the card as a basis for his questions.
For three hours yesterday and all OF
this morning. Attorney Coakley, for
Atteaux. hammered away at Pira. In
an attempt TO weaken his story. Wav-
ing the card aloft. the defense at
torney used il time and again to
runctuate his interrogations. When
he finished the card was displayed TO
the jury. All examined II casually
Enos, No. in the box. he
scrutinized it carefully. Then when
Pelletier took il back, he called for
il again. Their he called the prose
cutor TO the box and pointed TO the
card II bore the date OF January 10,
1911, and not 1912 as had been con-
tended by the lawyers.
Both sides were dumbtounded. Coax.
les for the defense was the first 10
see the opportunity and he challenged
he authenticity OF the card. He claim
ed that IL upset the states entire case.
The Prosecutor, after brief consul
.ation with his assistants, called Al
bert S. Marvin, an officer OF the Bos
ION TaXicab company, To the stand.
hat al A
numbered coLsecutively and that the
one in question bore similar number
10 those dated in January, 1912. But
he refused positively to swear that
he card should have been dated 1872.
The witnefs declared that, while the
routine of the cards indicated they
we're issued In the regular way and on
January 10, 1912, he was not prepared
10 swear positively that this was 80.
Some of the cards bore no year at all.
the date of the month.
But Pelletier was not satisfied with
his witness statements and sent for
the duplicate books OF the taxi COM
pany to show that this card was actu-
however, declined to make any posi-
tive answer even with the books be-
lore MIN. and the district attorney de.
handed:
Ernest w. Pittman was an officer
Of the taxi company, was he not?"
He was
And William M. Wood is one OF
your best castomers?" .
The defense objected, and Pelletier
exclaimed:
Il demand the right to show, in
view OF this witness attitude, that he
Is biased In this matter. With the
records of the company before him.
and he "A responsible official In charge
Of It's records. he tells us he cannot
say when this card was filled in"
The court ruled the question incom-
netent.
Pelletier then secured q recess I'M
I'll | o'clock so that he could produce
all OF the original records FOR January.
1911. and the charge books of the taxi
company for January, 1912, SO that he
could prove his contention that the
card in question was made out as he
had commended
Outside of this incident. the most
sen sational occurance OF the day was
the attempt of COakley 10 dfscredit
Chauffeur Pira He tried to make
h i'm admit that his story as told OF
the Atteaux trip was In reality in
spired by Police Inspector Lynch.
and that he had so admitted to as
but the chauffeur declared
this was not SO and stuck generally
to his original story.
On redirect examination, Pira
told Pelletier the reason he remem-
bered the trip was because his fare.
after going to the Franklin-st,,
ordered him to go to a
saloon. and then back
again to the same place
"He wasn't the kind who goes to