The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-14
PLATT ADAMS GRINS
AT BIZARRE HEARING
Charges Against Jumper Backed
by Amusing Testimony.
Before A. A. L.
WITNESSES GET TANGLED

Testimony on the charges against Plat
Adams, worlds champion jumper. was
heard by the registration committee OF
the Metropolitan Association last night,
and after the three principal witnesses
had wrlggled through a mastery cross
examination by Jere T. Mahoney. the gem
eral opinion was that verdict of ac-
quit;al would have been rendered by a
jury without the formality OF defence.
Thirty or forty persons crowded into
the committee room on the top floor OF
the ST. Bartholomew A. c. house, at Forty
second street and Third avenue. and most
OF them were greatly amused by the help
less way in which the business rivals OF
Adams contradlcted themselves and each
against the champion.
Adams sat smiling through the whole
proceedings. In the centre of the throng
and nanked By his counsel. Jere r. Ma
honey and Warren c. Fielding. Both OF
the legal lights were jumpers OF note In
their day. and both are members OF the
New York Athletic Club, the organization
that Adams represents in competition.
The prosecution of the charges was en-
trusted to Charles T. Thorn, who did his
best with a very bad case. The full COM
mittee was present and every opportunity
was given to the counsel to bring out all
the incidents and the Interior motives sur
rounding the charges.
From the first Mahoney sought to bring
out that the afildaVits were made because
OF business troubles between a man named
Waterman, previous employer OF Adams.
and the jumper This he succeeded In do
ing to a great extent, though Thaddeus I.
Glynn. who gave the only direct testimony.
said that he wanted TO get square on his
own account. because Adams had gone
into business with another man after
promising to be his partner.
Glynn was the last witness heard before
the committee decided to adjoorn until
saturday afternoon, as there was no
chance OF finishing the case last night.
Therefore Plat Adams had no chance 10
show the committee his medals and prizes
which filled his pockets and a suit case in
spite Of the fact tina; according to the evil
deuce given they had all been in. the melt
ing not.
Gym told OF buying a ring from Adams
In January. 1914. which he said Adams
told him was n first prize. Before this
transaction was concluded he alleged that
Adams said that he would find out what
the ring was worSl and then would sell It
for half the price. The witness said he paid
SIS, Of which amount - was In a check.
which was presented and marked as an
exhibit.
lie went on to ;ci how he had Nisted
The store Of Robert SOL. jcWeller OF
II John street on twenty or thirty oc-
Cssions and in MS presence the jumper
carried on his trade OF converting mis-
prizes into cash. lie never saw any cash
pass, but testified tina; Adams told him
that he had an account with Soil and
that the prizes would be credited to him.
On one OF the trips TO S;oll Glynn said
that Adams turned over eight gold med
ais, all New York y c. prizes. He said
that Stol remarked that he would look
them over and find out how much gold
there was in them.
That statement tripped him up, for in
cross-examination Nlahonty brought OUT
the fact that all the New York A. ..
medals are made by Stoll himself and
that therefore he would not have to re-
sort to melting them to know their exact
value. Nearly every one in the room was
Informed on that subject and it made q
strong point for tho defence. Mahoney
also brought out the fact that Adams had
made a gift OF a pair OF cum links to
the witness and tnat Glynn also had
bought pair OF shoes from Adams. Glynn.
like the other witnesses. was not able
To Identify the ring a prize that Adams
had won, but all agreed that he said the
articles sold were his prizes.
In explaining why the charges had
been withheld for a year or more Glynn
said that he had made afhdavits before.
but that Waterman had advised him not
to submit them to the newspapers. Later
they were offered to a newspaper man
who declined them. Glynn said he was
a nephew OF Waterman, who by the way
had had his name changed from Wasser-
man. He also admitted that he was a
manager of professional fighters, and
therefore according TO Mahoney not
likely to be much interested In amateur
sport.
Glynn natly contradicted Schenck, one
of the earlier witnesses. in the manner
In which the charges came out Schemes
said that he had not telephoned TO a
newspaper man about them and that he
was not present when the af0davits were
handed over TO the same man. Glynn
however. said that SGhenck did those
things himself
Except the newspaper men in question
all the witnesses were fellow-employee Of
Waterman with Adams, Max Theimer adj
mitted that Waterman had aided him with
his affidavit. He professed a strong aver.
sion for a man disposing OF his prizes, but
on cross examination was not at all sure
what the initials A. A. L. stood for, and
confessed all ignorance OF the amateur
rules. His evidence was all about the
prizes he thought Adams was selling.
but he wound up brilliantly by saying
{ "of my actual knowledge. ! know
nothing"
Peter l.. Schenck said he bought a ring
which Adams told him was a first prize
He also knew all about the visits to the
John street yeweller. and his statement
that lie had gone there once with Adams
got him In trouble. There was a con-
versation. but he did not overhear II. lie
did not know whether 1t was conducted In
whisper or loud tone. There was a general
laugh when Mahoney COMPOUNDED him
with. ''Tlren YOU don't know that Mr.
Stoll is very deaf" II was brought out
that Adams had sold an automobile to the
father OF the witness, which had not been
paid for. and for which Adams held a
Judgment. He had sworn in a suit FOL
damages that the car was his own. but
had to admit that this was untrue.
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