Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-14
MAYOR GAMBLER
REPEATS HIS STORY
Tells Jury About Call Of Mrs.
Hirsch, Charged With At
tempt to BIackmaiI Him.
By the Associated Press.


ATLANTA, Ga. March 14.-Mrs. Mar
garet A. Hirsch went on trial here to-
day in the criminal division of the
Fulton County superior court on a
charge of attempted verbal blackmail
of Asa G. Gambler. millionaire mayor of
Atlanta. Mrs. Hirsch was indicted
jointly. February IA, with J. w. Cook,
who already has been tried and con-
victed of the charge. and sentenced to
serve year and day at hard labor
and to pay a fine of $1,000. the maxi
mum penalty in this state for a mis-
demeanor offense.
Long before the time for court to
convene the room was filled with spec
tators. half of whom were women. Mrs.
Hirsch made her appearance early.
utes later by Cook. Both took seats at
the table occupied by counsel for the
defense.
Selection of jury occupied little
time and by 1918 ,the box had been
filled.
AS in the trial Of Cook. Mayor Cand-
Ter was the first witness called and
again related the details of Mrs.
Hirsch's visit to his Office early in Feb
ruary and the alleged attempt to black
mail him.
Witnesses before the grand jury are
reported to have sworn that after Mrs.
Hirschs visit to the mayors Office she
and Cook had attempted to extort $780,
threats of revealing alleged relations
between the mayor and Mrs. Hirsch.
Mayor Gambler gave the details of her
visit to his office in the Gambler build
ing on February 6. when Cook appeared
on the scene. He related how she re-
moved her coat when she entered, say
ing she was hot and tired and after
talking few minutes exclaimed that
she saw man at one OF the windows.
He looked but saw no one. he said. and
when he turned to her again she had
removed her hat and had opened a door
leading into the hall. A man was stand
ing there. he declared, whom he had
never seen before.
"'Our honorable mayor he excIaim-
ed, this is NICE" the witness testified
When he asked Mrs. Hirsch who the
man was, he said she told him his name
was Cook and he was a casual ac-
quaintance of hers.
He told of going to the Office Of his
son, Asa G. Gambler. jr, on the next
floor and later telephoning to Forrest
Adair. close friend. Shortly after
Adair came to his Office, he said. Mrs
Hirsch called on the telephone and
and she was told he had turned the
entire matter over to Mr.. Adair Later
Mr.. Adair notified him he had made an
appointment for him to see Cook the
HeAt inorHinS at ms tACairS) once.
This was Thursday. February 7. Cook
said he wanted to. tell me that he was
friend of Mr.. Hirsch. and that it was
his duty to protect his friend against
this woman. He said she ought to be
gotten away from here
He claimed he had seen me in nv
office in compromising position with
Mrs. Hirsch. I told him he had seen
nothing Of the kind. He wanted me To
get written agreement from Mrs,
Hirsch to leave town. I saw Cook once
moron Wednesday. February 13-in
my office in the city hall. | did not
send for him. He just walked into INV
office. He said l was trying to make
a monkey out of him. He said he wouid
give me until Friday to make arrange
ments for sending Mrs Hirsch out of
town. and If / didn't act by that time he
was going straight to her husband"
This concluded Mayor Gamblers dj-
rect testimony.