The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-21
Authorities Want Grand
Jury Action on Alleged
Frame-up Against Heller
ARE HELD
UNDER HEAVY BAIL
" Suspicion of Attempting to Extort
Money Is Specific Charge Intima-
tions of Badger Game in Which Man
ufacturer Was to Be Bled.

| NEW YORK, Feb. 21-No sordid tale
of triangular relations, told in French,
English or other tongue, surpasses the
prosecution S version of the Kastel-
Heller ease, first figuring in the civil
courts Saturday as divorce suit, but
now pictured as an indictable conspir-
acy in which any glimmering ray of
romance Is utterly smeared out by
sheer shameless lust for money. AS
slstant District Attorney Berger is au-
thorlty for the statement that indict-
ments will be sought.
In the master hands of Balzae or De
Maupassant the prosecution 3 story
would probably be worked into an in
teresting study of meretricious rela-
tons AID warped psychology; to the
prosecutor it is merely another. though
rather striking, form of the "badger
game > One striking feature is the in
dlgnant husband 5 alleged demand for
$4,000 hush money, instead of the
usual hundred or so.
The prosecution s version of the
story IS based on exhaustive REPORTS nv
the Dougherty Detective agency, sup
plemented by Detective Sergeants
ehapple and Flaherty of the Second
branch, and short affidavit by Paul
Heller, wealthy president of the steel
manufacturing firm of Heller Bros. Co.
Newark, \. j. This mass of evidence
resulted in the following arraignments
before Magistrate Brough in the West
Side court:
Mrs. Maude Z. Kastel. - wears old
zoo West Fifty eighth street. said to be
well known in cabaret and tea room as
Miss Dandy Kastel; her husband Phil
lp r. kastel, whose latest business
transacted from an office at 20 Broad
street, Is said to consist in buving and
selling curb stocks through curb brok-
ers, and Grant Rose, 81 wears old =
motorman, who seems to have got into
1ast company through circumstances
rather than inclination.
Each OF the defendants was held in
$500 bail for examination. They are
specifically charged in a short affidavit
with suspicion of attempting to ex.
tort money from Heller. The pro-
gram OF the district attorney. however
grand jury rather than
ponce court action, which accounts for
MI Berger 8 statement that indict
ments will be sought.
The kastel-Heller case attained its
climax on the night of January II
when kaStel and his long time friend.
the motorman, invaded Mrs. Kastel's |
apartments IN Fifty eighth street and
found Heller there. In the words of
hose, "a scene followed. - which is |
putting 1t rather mildly, if less sketchv |
accounts of the invasion are correct
In any event, Heller was found with |
Mrs. Kastel and from that point sto |
RES vary in anglo rather than detail !
Underlylng motives form the pivot on |
which the case turned from a divorce |
SUIT by kastel, with Heller as core |
'pondent, to criminal charge of con
PIRACY, in which Heller figures as com |
Diainant against Kastel his wife and |
Rose,
Rose, 1t IS asserted, supplied cvi
fence or the motive in a conversation
with q Dougherty operator in a room
Fhere a dlctaphone had been installed |
II was the dlctaphone record of this
conversation, corroborating Heller s
statement, that prompted the district
attorney to bring the conspiracy charge
teller claims the divorce suit was in
'tltuted and a 100000 alienation a,it
threatened as the result Of a frameup
which his discovery with Mrs. Kas-
el Inquired as prime factor.
Heller says he met Mrs kastel last
1mmer, that their relations were limo
ent and that he saw very little of her
She posed as a divorcee whose hus-
and was in California He saws he
net the husband, however, at a New
ear S eve party in Mrs Kastel's
Iome. He next saw her, according to
us story, on January Il. She called