Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-02-15
COUPLE ARE INDICTED
ON ALLEGED ATTEMPT
TO EXTORT 100000
J, w, Cook and Mrs. H. H.
HirSCh Charged in Bill With
Trying TO Compromise
Mayor Asa G, Gambler

{ indictments charging them with an
attempt to blackmail Mayor Asa G.
Gambler out of 100000 were returned
by the Fulton county grand jury Thurs
/ day morning against ]. w. Cook, a real
! estate man of so Columbia avenue and
/ Mrs H. II. Hirsch. - Their bonds have
! been assessed at SIS, 900 each, and they
/ have been arrested and lodged in the
| Fulton county Tower.
/ The indictments were the direct re-
suit of testimony given before the grand
| jury by Mayor Gambler himself, who
declared that on Wednesday, February s,
/ Mrs. HirSch and Cook endeavored to
place him. in q compromising position
| in his office at the Gambler building and
/ afterward threatened to take their story
to Mr.. Hirsch unless Mayor Gambler sent
Mrs. Hirsch out of town and gave her
| half of the sum he donated to Emory
university, which was $1.000,000.
In his testimony, Mayor Gambler went
| into full details of the scene in his
office with Mrs. Hirsch and Mr.. Cook .
/ and described how, through friends, the
man and the woman were led on3 to
/ make their demands. once Mrs. Hirsch
/ had come out openly and demanded
money, said Mr.. Gambler, he at once or
| dered his attorney, Reuben r. Arnold, to
take the matter before the grand jruy.
In less than two hours after the grand
| jury returned it's indictments Thurs
day morning, Mrs. Hirsch and Cook were
arrested. Mrs Hirsch was taken in Gus
tody at the office of Mr.. Hirsch in the
Trust Company of Georgia building.
They were at once taken to the tower.
Mr.. Hirsch. who is a well-knoWn insur-
ance man, was said to be out of town.
Both Mrs. Hirsch and Cook are well
known to hundreds of Atlantians The
latter has been in the real estate bust
ness here for years. He is said to be a
handsome, a natty dresser and a great
sports fan. Mrs. HirSch has interested
herself with Red Cross work, civic af-
fairs and various charitable entertain-
ments, benefit performances and the
like.
Had Known MRS. HIrzch
In his statement before the grand jury
Mayor Gambler said he has known Mrs
Hirsch since the summer of 1917, when
he met her in connection with some
Red Cross work.
Il saw her several times in discussing
that work and she was with other ladies\
on most of these occasions, most of
them prominent clubwomen," the mayor
told the grand jury. 81 do not recall
having seen her alone but two or three =
times and when I did, the matters she
talked with me about were matters re-
lating to Red Cross work only, and
any reason to believe that she was
other than a lady"
On Monday morning, February T. the
mayor ssaid he was going along Forsyth
street to the city hall, when Mrs.
Hirsch crossed the street, stopped him
in front Of the old Weinmeister hotel
and said she wanted to see him and
talk with him at his Office in the Cand-
Ter building Wednesday if he would be
there
Il presumed she wished to talk again
about these Red Cross and club matters
and l told her l would be i'm my office
Wednesday at 1 O'Clock in the Gambler
building said the mayor. "On Wednes-
day at o'clock she came to my Office"
The mayor describes what happened .
then as follows:
Mayor Describes Meeting
lie was sitting at his desk and Mrs.
Hirsch took a seat in - chair nearby
After talking a few minutes, said the
mayor, she exclaimed, There is a maa
at the window" Mayor Gambler. whose
back was turned toward the window,
turned and sa no one.
Wondering why she should remark
about anyone being at the window. the
mayor says he replied: 1T was prop
ably a window washer"
Mrs. Hrsch is alleged 10 have replied,
no, it was a well-dressed white man."
Mr.. Gambler said he then turned and
looked f-r some time mt the window
but saw no one. Turning again to face
Mrs. Hirsch, the mayor said she had
risen from her cha r thrown off her hat
and coat and had started toward the
door.
AS she reached the door It opened
and a man whom L afterwards found 20 :.
be Cook strobe into the room"
According to Mr.. Gambler, Cook tossed
in If -N-,e
and exclaimed, This is d pretty state
of things"
cit Immediately flashed across my
mind that they meant mischief. so ] left
the office and hurried down to the floor
below to the Office of my son." cont1n-
ued the mayors testimony. Il tolc J
him to come to my office quick. When
we returned to my Office Cook was gone.
but the woman was still there. She
asked me if that was my son with me
and when I told her yes she immedi-
ately left the building"
Made No Advances, He Says
Il made no advances whatever to this
woman" concluded the mayor emphat-
iCally. and nothing whatever of an i'm
proper nature took place between us
So far as l knew the woman was a lady,
and nothing in her words or actions up
to that time ever Indicated otherwise.
Mr.. Gamblers son. it was testified
called Forrest Adair to the Office for
Here Mr.. Adair took I'D the
story in his testimony to the grand
jury.
while 1 was sitting there talking
TO Mr. Gambler Mrs. Eirsch telephoned
his office" said Mr.. Adair. THE mayor
simply took her number and told her
ne would call her later. Then l went
back to my office and called I'D Mrs
iiirSch and asked her to call on me for
4 conference
she came. With her she brought
note which she said Cook had left on
4 desk in her husbands office. She
said she found it there right after she
left the mayors office and that it
frightened her"
Mr.. Adair exhibited the note as evil
1ence. 1t was as follows: II. H. Call
me up at Ivy 164 before you go home
his p. m. without fail Cook"
Mrs. dirsch told me that the note had
frightened her to DEATH continued Mr.
Adair. "She said she was afraid Cook
was going to tell her husband and that
1er husband would go and kill Mr. Can
Her. She didn't want to see Mr. Cam
1ler killed, she declared, and she want
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