The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-22
MAY BE BIG UPHEAVAL
Aids of Girl Wife Attacked
in Cassidy's Club Call
for Inquiry.
JUDGE POINTED THE WAY
Criticised Action of District At
torncy's Office After Wom-
ans Story.

4, o'clock last Christmas morning
rranS Ebert. twenty-one-year-old
husband. having delivered his last ex-
press package OF holiday gifts. walked
Yearly into his home at AIS Jamaica
avenue, Richmond Hin. and was aston
shed to find his sixteen year-old bride of
seventeen days sitting forlornly at the
kitchen table, her head in her arms. She
vas c"ying.
Under his coaxing she had told him OF
diea lful experience week before.
Ebert had been locked up then, falsely
accused Of robbery. Acquitted two days
before Christmas. he had Immediately
gone to work for an express company and
Nd hardly seen his young wife.
While you were In Jail I went down
10 the court house in Long Island City
70 see about getting you bail. Frank /;
ycu know that?' Then Clara F,llert
told him IT meeting two men in the
Witness room of the Queens District At
'oraeys office. They had promised to
help her In getting her husband out. They
wanted her to 20 with them to see an
Assistant District Attorney with whom
they had pull"
attacked I'm Club, She Says.
She had gone with them to hotel
and thence. in the quest for Assistant
District Attorney Dana Wallace. to the
Democratic clubs house. There In a
room on the third floor. she said, both men
had attacked her.
This story, told with many sobs in the
little Richmond Hill home early Christ
mas morning. has led TO the conviction of
James Heffernan of Long Island City and
his sentencing to from three to five years
in Sing Sing prison as one of Clara
Eilert's assailants But this conviction
q the least thing the young wife's tale
has accomplished.
As a direct result OF her experience the
District Attorneys office in Queens county
faces the prospect of a rigid investiga-
Ion from top to bottom. A report soon to
\ bs laid before State Attorney General
VI larmody may be made the basis for
demand for the instant removal from Office
Of tho District Attorney. Matthew J.
Smith, BY Gov. Glynn.
Smith. who is head OF the Democratic
club where Mrs. F.llert was attacked. was
campaign manager for Curly Joe Cas-
sdy IN the Queens boss's last campaign.
lawyer, he was made a police court
Magistrate by Mayor Van Wyck. and went
from the bench to his present office. He
mas served two and half years OF his
three year term az District Attorney.
cassidy is now under sentence to Sing
1nS for bribery. Jim Cassidy. his brother,
, county detective attached to Smiths
ofce
Prosecutor Ordered to Act.
District Attorney Smith had to be
ordered by the court to bring the
EAert case before Grand Jury. When
ndlctments had finally been returned
, asalnst Heffernan and Harry Scanlon
smith moved to have them dismissed
before the two men had even been ar
rested. Justice Garretson refused to dis
mss the indictments and ordered arrests
0'thwith Then, and not until then, were
n.Hernan and Scanlon locked up.
smiths office had pursued 20 obstruc-
i've course that Justice Garretson and
o'heFs appealed to Gov. Glynn to take
we matter entirely out of the District
A"orneys hands, and the Governor did
oy appointing Deputy Attorney Cen
e" William A. McQuaid prosecutor in
we case \ climax was reached when
we hFst trial, that of Heffernan. was held
'a'ee OF Smiths Assistant District Attor-
neys' two clerks from his office and
''uh'y Detective Jim Cassidy appeared
Witnesses In defence of Heffernan.
"evertheless Heffernan was convicted.
seahlon was tried Immediately after
ne Jury disagreed, At first 1t stood
Even 10 one for conviction. Later two
s.ul members of II joined the solitary
''"e'er IN Scanlon's innocence.
''"cked District Attorneys OHice.
NJ sr McQuaid, trying the cases against
o'l e'hsh and Scanlon, charged in open
va. mat the District Attorneys office
80 uolng all It could to help the defend
~ anu against the peoples case. JUS
IN ~ nguuder' who had previously denied
.nsn aenetnan's counsel the privilege Il
hP,Vt the Grand Jury minutes, EXPIRE ssed
VIM erIhel'ss become thoroughly familiar
hs, inc contents of these minutes. The
49, also denounced the methods em-
L,.. leu against Mrs. Ebert in the Grand
r,ngy room, and asked that they be care
Wy Investigated.
nrs Ellert Is "A small, slender, girl with
wi wi hair, dark eyes face quietly
NNa and q manner that seems at
,rs m,hoSt timid Her talk ana ways
Nr.,,s those OF girl 1t Is most un-
W., 'na' she aud her young husband
e. ever have been able to get n real
0ro, s OF her story OF wrong IL 1t had
ARA. zen Tor strong friendships formed
ng, ''' hou' on CHRISTMAS morn
QnasuV Judge Burt ]. Humphrey of
p, ~, mas been ono OF these now friends,
ms,,.Ie person who has done most to get
"F cara Ellert is probably Mrs.
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