The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-08
Government Prosecutor Tells
What He Expects to Prove.
In the Trial of Diggs on White
Slavery Charge.
CHARACTER OF THE WOMEN
Cannot Be Set Up as Defense,
Says the Court.
Marriage Certificate of the De-
PENDANT Is Introduced.

! San Francisco, Aug. S.-The taking
| of testimony has begun in the first OF
! the Diggs-Caminetti trials.
! Just before court adjourned Judge
Van Fleet gave a ruling that struck
at the vitais of the case. F. ]. Peck,
| a real estate dealer from Reno, with
er Maury 1. Diggs and F. Drew Can't
! netti eloped with Marsha Warrington
and Lola Norris from their homes in
Sacramento, was on the stand. In
| cross-examination the defense sought
to show that the bungalow they occu-
pied during their stay in Reno was not
on the outskirts of the city and had
been rented with no view to sequestra-
ton and cOncealment.
Il don't See," interposed Judge Van
Fleet, how it can make any differ
ence to this case if they went there
openly or secretly and clandestinely.
Unless the government can show that
they went there for the purposes pro-
hibited by the Mann white slave traf-
fic act, then the case of the govern
ment fails. Even If the women were
public prostitutes, if the defendant
procured their transportation and ac-
companied them there for immoral pur-
poses, the case Of the government would
stand.''
Theodore Roche of special counsel
for the government set forth badly
and tersely in the closing hour of the
sitting what the prosecution would at
tempt to prove. 1t would be shown
by documentary evidence and the tes-
timony of witnesses, he told the jury.
The Governments Case.
THAT Marsha Warrington and
Lola Norris, one 20 years old and the
other 10, had been frightened by Maury
]. Diggs and F. Drew Caminetti, mar
ried men with children, one Is and the
other 81, into leaving Sacramento. lest
a scandal explode and criminal prose-
cutions follow.
2-That marriage had been promised
after the two husbands should have
divorced their wives.
3.-That Caminetti raised the money
for the trip from Sacramento to r 10
and that Diggs brought the transporta-
ton and paid the Pullman fares.
4.-That the four Travelled as married
couples, occupying the same stateroom
on a night train.
5.-That on arriving at Reno, on the
morning of March IL, 1913, they regis
tered at a hotel as married and occu-
pied adjoining rooms with a bath be-
7 tween. =
6.-That Diggs hired a four-room
bungalow. paying rent in advance for
month and representa- to the agent
that the parties were from Los Angeles
and intended to spend six months in
Reno.
THAT all four lived in the bunga-
low for three days before they were
arrested, Diggs and Marsha Warning
ton occupying the front room and Cam
inetti and Lola Norris the rear room.
S.-That Diggs was in his night
clothes when he opened the back door
of the bungalow to the officers who ar
rested him on the morning of the 18th,
and that the officer waited in the liV-
ing room while the two girls dressed.
mento Digs had written to Marsha
to keep up her courage and that all
would end well if she would remem-
Der what he told her, particularly if
she was firm in denying that there had
been any improper relations between
them.
There was but scant time for taking
testimony before adjournment came.
After the case had been outlined, Roche
introduced Diggs' marriage license and
it was identified.
The jury is composed entirely of
business men. active or retired, and in
cludes one retired liquor dealer and
one friend of a former partner of
Digs, Sr. This friendship, the juror
was sure, would not influence his YER
dict and his assurance was satisfactory
to the court. Ten of the jurors are
married and eight of them have chill
dren OF those who are fathers, six
have daughters. Nothing in the usual
examination to which the talesmen
were subjected, Indicated the tactics of
the defense.