The sun., 1916-11-10
ROFRANO DEFENCE
HELPED BY MAYOR
Mitchell Says Investigation
Showed Deputy's Reputa-
ton Was Very Good.
TESTIMONY IS AT END
Case May Go to the Jury To-
night-Long Charge Is
Expected.


der Of Michael Gaimari may 70 to the
Jury tonight. Tho State and defence
closed their cases yesterday and Martin
Litleton. for Rofrano, began to sum up.
He will conclude this morning and there
Will remain the summing up by Assist
ant District Attorney Brothers and the
charge by Justice Weeks. which will
probably be long because OF the involved
nature Of the testimony.
The unusual notifications Of this case
which resulted from the death OF an cleo
tion district captain and gambler were
again shown yesterday when Mayor
Mitchell was called as the last witness
for the prosecution. He proved to be q
witness for the defence. and Mr.. Little
ton was evidently pleased by tho Mayors
testimony.
His appearance was made necessary
because Rofrano had testified that on
February Is. at the time Of one Of the
alleged telephone calls from Rox Cor.
nelfs fiat to his Office In tho Municipal
Building. he wa really In his law office
downtown debating q confidential re.
port to Mayor Mitchell. The Mayor had
been asked to look up the records OF his
office.
Report Not C%onndentiaI.
The Mayor said. however, that II wa,
not q confidential report, but a state.
ment OF some OF Rofrano's views on
changes which he tRofrano) thought
should be made in the Street Cleaning
Department.
There had been some friction In the
department" said the Mayor. and Mr..
itofrano had an idea that he had not HAD
an opportunity to demonstrate hts ca.
pactty. He objected to work In the Office
n thought he would be most useful
outside handling men. lie had told that
TO my executive secretary, Mr.. Rousseau.
u MT. Rousseau said that he thought
" would be a good plan to hear what
Rofrano had to say. SO I invited him n
my office and asked him to state his
views In writing"
Inc Mayor said thai the papers Ro.
irano submitted were In the nature Of
a personal investigation. lie could not
give the exact date they were received
but testified that they were handed 10
nm some time the 18th and 2sd
OF February. Rofrano says he wrote
them on the 18th.
'h'h wv. isitlIetpn CieNerlN turred the
Mayor into a character witness for Ro.
franc by asking him " he knew what
Rofrano's reputation was. MIR. Mitchell
said that he did. for at the time he ar
pointed Rofrano to office he had an in.
vest'gation made as the result Of some
charges that were preferred gains RIO
franc. and that he found the depu,y's
reputation to he very good.
Rofrsno's Motor Trip.
James Knox. q city chauffeur. was
called Just before the Mayor took the
stand. and said that some time In the
winter Of 1915 he took Rofrano and
Glenn Driscol, to Driscoll's home In Mari.
borough road. Brooklyn. and that on
the way back Rofrano stopped at Fifty.
sixth street or Fifty-seyen,h street on
Fourteenth avenue. and went to n house
Joseph Brondini. indicted with Ro.
franc. lives on Fourteenth avenue. he.
tween ~Fifty-sixth and Fifty-seventh
streets, and Montimagno has testified
that Il was In Brondinis house that he
saw Rosrano shortly before the murder
Knox suffered somewhat under MIR
Lit,leton's cross-examination. II was
brought ont that Knox has since beer
transferred to the Distric. Attorney.
office and tina for a week he has beer
living at the Hotel Empire under guard
Early in his summing w Mr.. Littletor
said that there had been persecution and
marked unfairness in the prosecution OF
the case. which. he declared. has fal.er
to pieces in the hands OF convicts
thieves and murderers." He ridiculed
the alleged motive that Rofrano wanted
Gaimari out of the way because OF his
influence az an election district captain
In the Foley camp. and said "homic'd'
~ not an attribute Of success in politics
Resides, Mr.. Littleton said, Rofrano''
side In the Mitchel-McCall election had
tust been successful. he had attained a
good Office In the city government, and
had apparently arrived at the hlShes'
J point OF his career.