New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-30
net WOVEN ABOUT
MALCOLM CLIFFORD
Young Defendant, Circled
by Family, Hears States
Case Against Him.
CHAUFFEUR'S FATHER
WEEPS ON THE STAND
Gloves Found Near Scene of the
Murder Identified by Witnesses
as Like Boys Purchase.

as Like Boys Purchase.
From a stan Correspondent OF The Tribune. ]
Albany, June 29.--With a calm and
serious demeanor for a boy not yet out
Of his teens, Malcolm Clifford, jr., son
OF the wealthy machinery manufacturer
OF Hudson, sat in the County Court
before Judge Addington to-day and lis
tended to the prosecution begin to
weave a net of circumstantial evidence
about him for the murder on April /,
1913, of Frank J. Clute, a chauffeur, Of
this city. The prominence of young
Giffords family in this county and the
air Of mystery which has surrounded
the crime all this time have fostered an
intense public interest in the proceed
ings.
There was a large representation Of
relatives and friends Of the defendant
in court to-day with many young
people among them. The boy prisoner
sat with his father and mother on
either side, his brother Benjamin and
his sister Flora, fifteen years old, COM
rleting the sad little party. Hundreds
OF spectators were turned back at the
courtroom door when every available
seat was taken. District Attorney
Alexander's opening address to the
jury was followed with breathless at
tention by every one present.
The first sensation OF the trial came
when Richard j. Clute. father Of the
murdered man, was called as a witness
by the prosecution. When asked to
identify certain belongings Of his son,
he broke down and wept. His exam
ination had to be suspended for several
minutes. Among the men in the audi
ence there was confusion and among
the women few dry eyes until the incl
dent passed and the witness regained
his composure.
Springs a Sensation.
The fathers testimony was not i'm
portant except in identifying the
chauffeur's pocketbook, containing his
automobile license, which District At
torney Alexander said he would prove
was found hidden under the tin o. a
roof at the Boardman home in Troy,
where young Clifford was a guest on
the night of the murder. The District
Attorney created furor in court in
his opening when he declared that he
would call witnesses to testify that
Clifford had been seen on this roof the
day Of the murder with small black
book" in his hand.
Mr.. Jerome succeeded in confusing
some Of the witnesses to-day as TO de-
tails of their testimony. There was no
intimation Of just what line the de-
fence would take in to-day's proceed
ines. but it appears likely that they
will endeavor to prove an allbl.
Heard Five Shots.
Professor James Craw, clerk in the
audit bureau of the State Insurance
Department. who lived at Latham
Corners, almost opposite the scene oi
the crime. testified that while he was
reading on the night of April l, 1913,
between 8 and 10 o'clock, he heard nVe
shots. the number the autopsy showed
had been fired into Clute's head. Four
DAYS after the murder the witness said
he found a pair of gloves covered
with blood" beside the trolley tracks
rear the scene Of the murder.
These gloves furnished one OF the
strongest pieces Il circumstantial evil
dence in the peoples case. They were
put in evidence, and three witnesses
called from the clothing and furnish
ins house of Brooks Brothers, OF New
York. who identified the gloves as hav-
ing been purchased at Brooks's store
Through these witnesses it was also
established that young Clifford ran AL
account at the store and had pur-
chased a similar pair OF gloves, the
same size-7& ON March II, 1913
less than a month before the murder.
Mr.. Jerome fought against the ad-
mission of this evidence as irrelevant
but his objections were overruled. The
Clifford account in question and the
purchase of the gloves and other fur
nishings on March II were shown by
the introduction in evidence OF the
sheets Of the ledger and the charge
slips of the salesmen, which the wit
ness identified.
Bullets in Evidence.
Three OF the bullets which were
taken from the body Of the chauffeur,
and one which dropped from his
clothes and was later found by the
undertaken, William NJ. Carey, of Wa
tervliet. were offered in evidence and
examined by the jury. They were of
% calibre and of the type used in au-
tomato pistols. The prosecution con-
tends that an automatic pistol Of that
calibre, found in a pswnshop in North
ampton, Mass, near Easthampton,
where Clifford attended school at Will
liston Seminary, belonged to the boy.
.MERRYMAKERS