Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-05
PERSCH ADMITS CUSTODY
OF MALONEY'S $1,000 BILL;
ISSUED MANY WARRANTS

MAGISTRATE GEORGE PERSCH, who,
It was previously testified was in the office
Of Samuel G. Maloney when the $1,000 bill
arrived to be used in paying of the gunmen
was the first witness In identifying a war
rant issued by him for the arrest Of Bat
tllng Abe" Cohen, he denied more than
casual acquaintance with Constable" Eddie
Abrams, and said his only knowledge Of
Abramss allegiance to Deutsch was from
hearsay. Perschs warrant book, introduced
in evidence by Judge Gordon, showed that
most of the warrants for the arrest of Carey
supporters were issued by him and that the
affidavits on which they were based were
made by Constable" Eddie Abrams. The
witness, under Cross-eXamnaton, proved
extremely forgetful as TO who filed in the
body of the warrants what became of the
money paid for issuing them and other de-
tails. Time and again Judge Gordon called
upon him TO spur his memory.
Persch admitted he noticed that most
of the warrants were issued the day before
election, and the following colloquy ensued;
Mr.. GoTdon-Q. When you issued the
warrants, did you inquire for what reason
they were issued the day before election?
A. No, sir.
Q. Don't you know that a large number
Of them were election officers and that you
purpOsely issued them in order to have those
election officers arrested on election morn
ing? Not answered
Q. Were they not arrested on election
morning and taken from the polls? A. No,
sir.
Q. Did you make any inquiry as to why
such batch of warrants were being asked
of you just before election? A. No, sir.
Q. You didn't ask that? You knew
Abrams very well? A Not so very we'll
Q. Why didn't you inquire of this man
why he was issuing so many aftidavits
charging crime the day before election
I A. l done that in the regular way that all
| affidavlts come into my office. ! issued war
| rants.
Q. Mr.. Magistrate, ask you again, didn't
you issue these warrants in blank? A. No
sir.
| O. There are over forty people arrested
! there. Who asked you for those warrants
| A. Well. l don't remember who they were
! Q. Who got the most Of them? A. think
! Abrams,
| Q. Did you give Officer wirtschafter any
A. l think he got a few. couldn't say.
Q. What about Uram? A. l couldn't say
positively.
Persch gave testimony concerning tn,
famous $1,000 bill as follows;
Q. Do you know Samuel G, Maloney? A
Yes, sir
Q. Did ne give you thousand-dolar bill
| A. Yes, sir
Q. When? A. on September 21, Friday
@. What did you do with 1t? A. Took 1
to the German-Amerlcan Title and Trus
Company.
O. Where were you when he gave It t,
you2 A. In his office.
O. Did you see Mr., Maloney receive II
A. Yes, sir
Q. Did you know what it was for? A
No. sir.
Q. What did he say about II? A. II
said II was big bill, and he was going {
| York IN al Of ~
Q. Did you afterward get It from tn
trust company again2 A. Yes.
Q. Did Mr. Maloney telephone YOU a
your house Monday night, September "a
A. Yes, sir
Q. Did he ask you to mail it to him
A. Yes. sir.
Q. And you did mail It to him? A. Ye
Q. The envelope in which you sent thi
$1,000 to Mr.. Maloney from the trust con
pany, did you address it2 A. Yes.
Q. The envelope was addressed all
capitals, in ink. Did you write II that way
A. Yes
Q. Why did you disguise your writing
A. Maloney instructed me TO do that,
\ think.
I O. What was the reason you disguised II
: A. had no particular reason
@ But Il disguised your handwriting
A. Question is not answered).
Morris Cohoo, who conducts a hardwai
store AZ 2b0 South street and who Is aliegs
Z BY the prosecution 20 have sold eighfee
piaQkiacka used by. The gunmen ln 4
flfih Ward folloWtd Magistrate Perss