The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-01-08

COHEN ADMITS
| Ne SOLICITED,
DOOR TO DOOR

Admission by Sam Cohen.
nepas for the Merchants Pro-
tree1ve Corporation. that he so
neie~d members by going from
dssr 10 door Hike . bcck agent
sni the naming by Deputy
Prosecuting Attorney Lane Sum- .
u,ess Of hotels and lodging
hssse~ who are members Of the
cooperation and who have been
prpsecufrd or are alleged 20 he
GpeFderiy. uere the high lights
- the disbsrment trial Of Gill.
H0yt Z Frye and James Raiey
Tuesday.
Cohen told % the method OF OBJ
tntning members for the corporation
whzns betng examined by Attorney
(se1pni Tanner.
-Scmebcdy said he Wouldn't Join
because Gins name was connected
with the law firm. ! understand"
cid Tanner.
That's an absolute fact" the
W1tness declared.
AW you XIV Hf< tHt rtAul@1 "
any who objccsedT"
Cou66uU Remember
I. Cosse said ~ could not remember
MY specific Instances or names. but
hid he was told in several stores
nat they would not become mem
bers Of the corporation whose legal
business was handled by firm
headed by CHI.
Tanner then asked whether Cohen
solicited members below Yesier way
after Mr.. Frye had requested him
not to. and whether he was familiar
With the district below Yesier way.
Cohen said ne did not know where
the district was, but found out By
asking.
ibid any one south OF Ye-ler way
refuse to Join because Mr.. GIN was
connected with the firm7" Tanner
asked
like Book Agent
yes. sir"
Can you give the namesy'
II don't remember. You see. we
worked from store to store. and I
couldn't remember any particular
one.
You worked like a bookagent.-
Tanner suggested.
well. you might call IL that"
"And you asked them TO turp
their Law business I'm to Gin. Hoyt &
Frye
mo. I asked them to join the
Merchants Protective Corporation"
- Identify Hotels
Asked whether membership was
for any other purpose than to obtain
lexai protection thru the firm.
Cohen said the corporation would
eive the members advice and as
sistance. IL they should ask for 1t.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
Summers was called to the stand to
identify some Of the hotels on the
membership list Of the corporation
a. those against which action had
been taken on charges OF being dis
orderly houses.
GIN Wasn't There
Attorneys for the defense object
ID several times to the Introduction
Of the evidence.
This investigation board takes n
wider range than a technical law
suit" said Arthur w Davies. who
was presiding. Evidence that
throws more light on the case will
be heard"
The spectators who expected 10
hear Mayor Gil on the stand during
the morning were disappointed
Mayor Gil knew nothing OF the
49, La
firm Of Gin. Hoyt a Frye with the
!. Merchants Protective Corporation
{ntiI November. Heber Hoyt test-
bed Monday afternoon.
In November one Of the corpora
ytfon's subscribers called upon GIN
and showed the mayor one OF the
corporations cards, according to
Hoyt's testimony. In this way. he
said, Mayor CHI first became ac-
quainted with the existence Of the
corporation.
In Office Twice
The only money received by Gill
rom the firm since becoming mayor
Twas in a personal injury case appeal
| to the supreme court, not decided
IufH after Gin took office. and an
estate. Hoyt declared on cross
examination. He said Gil had been
in the office only twice, once in re-
gard 10 the Ferguson estate, and
6aeatn TO look for a misplaced note.
4 Answering question by Attorney
General Tanner, Hoyt said he had
Investigated what a lawyer may
do. and was Of the opinion that it
twas legal for him TO solicit business.
Hoyt said that II the firm was
gFrong. what they did WAS from a
Mistaken idea Of their duty. He de
I'd that he. Frye or Haley had
&1aod - mhnW6bw.