Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-27
ATLANTA MAYOR TELLS
Of ALLEGED blACKMAll
Woman Visited Him in Office and
Strange Man Suddenly
Appeared.
nv Associated Press to Every Evening

by Associated Press to Every Evening
Atlanta, Ga, Feb. 27.--Mrs. II. III.
Hirsch and ]. W. Cook came up for trial
TODAY on the charge of attempting TO
blackmail Mayor Asa Gambler from
whom it is charged they sought 20 cxtort
half a million dollars by threats. The state
has subpmnaed many witnesses, IN
cluding II. II. Hirsch, husband OF the
accused woman, while the defence has
subpGn9d women employees OF the City
Hall. request for a change OF venue was
denied
Mayor Gambler, in response 10 questions
stated he became acquainted with Mrs.
Hirsch last summer when she came to
his office accompanied by another woman,
in connection with selling an automobile
| by tickets for a Red Cross hcneht she
was in doubt as TO whether the city ordi-
nances would permit 1t, Several days
| later, the MAYOR testified, Mrs. Hirsch
| came to see hirn-hc believed IT was IN
| his Office in the Gambler building re-
| quest his assistance in handling some
| tickets on the automobile at 3 dinner 10
| be given in honor of Brig.-Gen. Eben
Swift.
| Attorney Arnold. for the prosecution,
| asked about a photograph OF Mayor
| Gambler. Gen. Swift and Mrs. Hirsch
Il had nothing to do with the arrange
ment of that group stated Mayor
| Gambler "The photographer selected the
people he wanted in the picture and !
| simply consented 10 the arrangement
| Nv recollection Is that about dozen
people were in the snapshot, although
only three of US appeared IN inc news
paper reproduction.
Continuing his account Of his acqualnt-
l ~ I1-.-,h tho sad
Mrs. Hirsrh called on me tune or
two later in nv office in the Gambler
building. The conversation all the time
was about the tickets for the automoblle
She did nothing that indicated that SHE
was not a lady She visited me once N
nv office. | think that was last January
She was interested then III securing en-
forccment of the laws against cruelty tC
animals. She asked that new humane
! officer be assigned 10 this work.
Il saw her again on February on
Forsvthe street. on nv way from the City
Hall 10 the Gambler building. She asked
for me q conference that afternoon IN my
office in the Gambler building. ! told hel
il would be impossible, but ] would sec
her on Wednesday afternoon, February D
at ( clock in my Office in the Candlel
building. She did not state the matter sht
wished to discuss with me, although siit
made mention Of the humane society.
ON Wednesday she came to my Office
in the Gambler building. She removed hel
coat and sat down beside the table. ht
door from my private Office into the hall
way was locked on the outside. as 4
always Is.
she had hardly seated herself befon
she sprang up and exclaimed that she saw
a man outside of the window. remarked
! that il was probably window washe
and turned around to look, but saw no
: BODY. Mrs Hirsch claimed 1t was not
window washer, but well-dressed whit
man standing on the ledge again turned
r my head 10 look out of the window, Whel
! turned back 10 Mrs. Hirsch she ha'
: removed her hat and had opened tn
7 door leading into the hallway A maj
was standing in the door and immediatel
T entered the office had never seen hir
: or heard of him before. He said: Gu
! honorable mayor, this is nice | at ono
: suspected that trap had been LAID fc
= | me-
Attorney John r. Cooper, of couns'
for the defence, objected 10 what Mayo
Gambler suspected The objection va
D sustained.