Evening star., 1918-02-27
MAYOR TELLS Of
ALLEGED FRAME-UP
Mrs. Hirsch and J. w. Cook on
Trial in Atlanta, Accused of
Attempted BIackmaiI.
W0MAN'S VISITS REVEALED
b. the Associated Press.

b. the Associated Press.
ATLANTA, Ga, February 27.-Every-
thing was in readiness for the trial of
Mrs. H. H. Hirsch and J. W. Cook on
the charge of alleged attempted verbal
blackmail of Mayor Asa G. Gambler, ST.,
before Fulton County Superior Court
Judge Benjamin H. Hill when court
convened this morning. The state de-
cided to sever the hearings and try
Cook first.
Mrs Hirsch and Cook were indicted
by the Fulton county grand jury Feb
ruary IA on evidence submitted by the
attorney OF Mayor Gambler. 1t was al
legged in testimony at the hearing that
they had sought to. extort half a mil
lion dollars from Mr.. Gambler by
threats of revealing certain alleged ac-
tions of Mrs. Hirsch and the mayor dur
ing a visit of the woman to his office.
Mayor Gambler, in quoted testimony
before the grand jury, denied emphati-
cally that he had ever received Mrs.
supposed to be a visit connected with
Red Cross work, she having been an
active Red Cross worker in this city.
Courtroom Filled.
Long before o'clock the last avail
able seat in the courtroom had been
filled.
After Judge Hill overruled a motion
for a change Of venue and several de-
murrers filed on behalf of the defense,
selection of a jury was completed in
the surprisingly short time of twelve
minutes.
Mayor Gambler was called as the first
witness.
In response to questions by Attorney
Reuben r. Arnold, associate counsel for
the prosecution, Mr.. Gambler stated that
he became acquainted with Mrs; Hirsch
in the summer of 1917 when she came
to his Office in city hall accompanied
by another woman. She was interested
in selling an automobile by tickets for
the benefit Of the Red Cross. She was
in doubt as to whether the city ordi-
nances would permit this plan. Several
days later, the mayor testified, Mrs
Hirsch came to see him-he believed it
was in his Office in the Gambler build
ing-to- request his assistance in han
ding some tickets on the automobile at
dinner to be given in honor of Brig.
Gen. Eben Swift.
Tells Of Newspaper Picture.
Arnold then took up the matter of a
photograph taken of Mayor Gambler.
Gen. Swift and Mrs. Hirsch. which one
of the Atlanta papers printed.
II had nothing to DO with the ar
rangement of that group" stated Mayor
Gambler. THE photographer selected
the people he wanted in the picture and
simply consented to his arrangement
Ny recollection is that about a dozen
people were in the snapshot although
only three of US appeared in the news
paper reproduction"
Continuing his account of his ao-
quaintance with Mrs. Hirsch, the mayor
said:
Mrs. Hirsch called on me time or
two later in my Office in the Gambler
building. The conversation all the time
was about the tickets for the automo-
bile. She did nothing that indicated
that she was not a lady She visited
me once In my office in the city hall 1
think that was last January. She was
interested then in securing enforce
ment of the laws against cruelty to
animals. She asked that a new hu-
name officer be assigned to this work.
Asks for Appointment.
Il saw her again on February 4 on
Forsyth street, on my way from the
city hall to the Gambler building. She
asked me for a conference that after
noon in my Office in the Gambler build
ing. told her it would be Impossible
Dut l would see her on Wednesday aft
,s efnoon. February s. at o'clock, in my
not state the matter she wished to dis
cuss with me. although she made mem
ton of the humane society.
On Wednesday afternoon, February g.
she came to my office in the Gambler
building. She removed her coat and sat
down beside the table. The door from
my private office into the hallway was
locked on the outside, as it always is.
Man Appears at Door.
"She had hardly seated herself before
she sprang up and exclaimed that she saw
man outside of the window. 1 remarked
that 1t was probably q window washer
and turned around to look, but saw no.
body. Mrs. Hirsch claimed it was not a
window washer. but a well dressed white
man standing on the ledge again turned
my head to look out of the window. When
turned back to Mrs. Hirsch she had re-
moved her hat and had opened the door
leading into the hallway "A man was
standing in the door and Immediately en-
tered the Office. had never seen him or
heard Of him before. He said:
Our honorable mayor, this is nice'
at once suspected that trap had been
laid for me-
At this point Attorney John R. Cooper
Of counsel for the defense objected to
what Mayor Gambler suspected and the