Norwich bulletin., 1914-09-18
SILVERMAN COLLAPSES IN COURT
Accused Fell Floor When Pleading Not Guilty-Water Soon Revived flim-Pleads Guilty When State Shows Case Against Hun--Anne Smith Also Pleads Guilty Victor J. Barry on Probation.

The criminal superior court with Judge M. A. ShuTnway on the bench and a jury in attendance, had a rather short session here on Thursday, not coming in until near noon and adjourn ing shortly after 3 o'clock. In that time one plea Of guilty was received and the sentence in the case was pro- nounced and the trial of another case was started, but came to an end when the accused man, Benjamin Silverman, alias Joseph Silverstein. pleaded guilty after the evidence against him had been put in by the state
 Silvernan collapsed in court in the falling on his face after he had an- sWered Mot guilty" to the reading of the information by Clerk George E. Parsons.
 SilVerrnan was not hurt in his fall, but was helped up from the floor by Sheriff Casey. who took the man into an ante-roorns from which he was able to return in a few minutes, after be had been given a drink of water.
 Annie Smith, who is connected with the Silverman case, also pleaded guilty to the information read against her in the afternoon. Sentence for both, who are accused under the 1911 statute relating to houses of i'll re- pute and immoral women. will be pro neslneed this morning at Il o'clock
 
 ute provided for in the mans case is $1 900 fine and 15 years in states prison.
 When court came in in the morning the case of state vs. Nathan Pumer- antz of New London. accused of arson, Geary, one of the lawyers in the case, is just recovering from a severe ill., ness.
 Pumerantz conducted a store in the Lawrence Shea building, Bank street, New London. Last December there was fire in his store and the(bufld- ing and his store were badly damaged. The damage was placed at S1O.000. The circumstances connected with the fire aroused the suspicious of the authorities, who conducted an investi- gation for several weeks. at the con- clusion of which Pumerentz was placed l under arrest by State Policemen Jack son and Downins. Tn the police court probable cause was found and the ac- cused was bound over to the higher court
 plea of guilty was made by Victor
 J. Barry of oalt'c who wes aroused of | making false statenrents to the apents of the Continental Insurance comp of New York ard the Allerraria Fire rrsurance comrany of Pittsburgh. These corrparieS cerried n ce rp- | on the stock that Barry had in the "aitte hc+e' that was ra-+ialIv de- strcyed h-- --e ard t i~ c'airred th~ { he made fal-e sta ternents reoar6ing the amount of insurance he carried. In the papers in the case it is stated | that to each of the cep1-anies he said | he had only tn sum of S2 900. whereas he had $s.nhO in each company, making s6 roc in all. =
 This was fou-d out. 1t is claimed by | the state police. by insurance adirsters conferr1ne on a train where one forrd l that the other had agreed to adjust l the loss for S1 eaa wl,iIe he himself was to adiust for s2 2nO. Eaoh agent before that had been ignorant of the action Of the other.
 Witnesses from Boston. Hartford l and Baltic had heen spI,nrr,one ed hv l nenutv Sheriffs Draper Martin and Stanton. There was conFe-ence over | the Barr matter between Ma tor Hull and the state police and Attorrev ' T. ne~mord counsel for +he accused also l had a conference with trhe court in the l iudge's private room.
 1 Judge Shumwav f,ade the eertenee
 for Rarrv year in iail ard ther | nIaced him on proba ton PerdIne l the. trial of fhe case in the z,1ner'o- | court Parry has heer, out Or, hail He | did not get arv of the insurance paid | After the Parry case a jury wa~ l chosen for the trial of BeriiarniJ1 Sil- | verman of New York, alias Joserh l siIverstein accused on two counts of | taking. receiving. harboring two wo-
 men for immoral purposes on May 1st