Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-25
DETECTIVES PART
IN PRIMARY TOLD
Lieutenant Wood Says Men
Went Into Fifth Ward at
Maloney's Request
AIM AT "HlCHER.UPS"
Prosecution at West Chester
Conspiracy Trial Tries to In.
volve Police Officials
AIM AT "HICHER.UPS''


Detective Lieutenant Theodore Wood
today shed some light on the relation of
police officials higher up" with Samuel
q. Malcney, a private detective during
the Fifth Ward muddle.
Wood. testifying here at the trial Of
Isaac Deutsch and six policemen for con-
sptracy to violate the Shern law in con-
nection with the primary-of September
10. 1917, told how James Tate, then cap
tain Of detectives. instructed him to visit
Maloney the day before the primary elec-
tion.
Wood informed Maloney, he said, that
| Tate sent him. The private detective ask
ed what ten police detectives he assign
ed to the Third district that afternoon.
Maloney stipulated that Harry Clark,
an acting detective. be placed in charge
of the detail. witness said.
That night. Wood said. Coogan and
Richard Doyle, detectives and members
of the detail went to the Third district
station house. Some one had told them
Lieutenant Wood wanted them. at the
| same hour the Frog Hollow" thugs
were attacking the Finletter Club. Wood
testified he had not sent for the two
I men.
| Assistant District Attorney Taulane
inferred ruse had been employed to
get the detectives out Of the way while
the raid was on. Not single prisoner.
Wood asserted, was taken to the station
house after the Finletter raid occurred
| drilling Of Ritt Attracts Crowd
| Flagging interest In the trial re-
| vired with the appearance of Little
Nick Ritt on the stand today. and
crowds trooped into the courtroom to
hear the wiry little gunman.
William A. Gray. attorney for the de-
fense, this morning continued his cross-
examination of Ritt, a leader of the
thugs. who evaded arrest for nearly
seven months after the murder of Po-
liceman Eppley.
II was evident from the start that
Gray meant to play off Ritt against
Jimmy" Clark, who testified yesterday.
| Clark stoutly maintai ined he was un-
aware of the purpose for which the gun
men were to he used. Ritt's admission
tended to show Clark in the light OF a
leader of the strong-arm men. not only
guiding them, but commencing their vio-
lence.
All the defendants except wirtschaf-
ter and Hayden. the negro. were absent
when court convened this morning. They
arrived ten minutes tate.
| Dlsgusted by Police Tactics
Assistant District Attorney Taulane
gave reiteration to the story of Fifth
Ward police violence by calling Morris
Pecharski, 419 Pine street. The youth
testified, Wirtschafter arrested him on a
false charge after Tram had struck him.
Albert Finkenescher. a former vice.
squad policeman for whom an attach
meat had been issued, was on the stand
| Even the vice-suuad men, he said, were
disgusted on September 6, registration
day. at the thug tactics of the Fifth
Ward police. Wirtschafter especially.
The ex-polceman was one Of four as
signed to accompany Isaac Deutsch by
Lieutenant Bennett. The Ware leader
pointed to a Deutsch campaign badge. he
said. with the remark. Anybody that
wears this is O. K."
Arrest Of Allen Olds Myers, chief OF
the Burns agency In Wilkes Barre. on a
charge of criminal conspiracy In con.
nection with an investigation Of that
city's police department. interests many
persons who have followed the Fifth
Ward conspiracy trial.
Myers. who is under $4,000 bail fol.
lowing his arrest at the instigation OF
Mayor kosek, Of wilkes-Barre, Ia be.
liered by some persons to be the mys
terious 20. Myers" whose name has
been mentioned in the course of the
Fifth Ward case.
n 'O'Myers,' as newspaper man, wa.
understood to be wanted by the defense
to prove that an anti-Vare "frame-up'
to entrap VILLAIN f. Finley, executiy,
secretary of the Republican City Com
mittee. had been laid. This alleged con
spiracy was aimed to prove the passag
OF the $1,000 bill in payment Of the New
York gunmen through Finley's hands.