The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-28
COURTROOM CROWDED


 COURTROOM CROWDED
 Attracted by the prominence of the principals, crowds thronged the court house an hour before court convened and when the case was called every seat in the room was occupied, scores of women and children being among the spectators. Mrs Hirsch entered the court attired' in a blue tailored suit and wearing heavy veil. She discard ed the latter immediately and smiled and nodded to those about her in an unconcerned manner. She took a seat among counsel across the table from Cook,
 COOKS DEFENSE
 Cooks statement before the court to- day was the first intimation he had given since his arrest of what his de- fense would be. He disclaimed from the outset that he had conspired to blackmail Mayor Candler, asserting that never "at any time or place have I asked any thing of MT. Candler or his agents
 He described in detail incidents lead ing up to occurrences that led MT. Cam dler to take the case to the grand jury. He saw Mrs. Hirsch going toward the
 
 with two friends
 We went up behind Mrs. Hirsch to the third floor of the Candler building 7 he continued. There, he asserted, T saw Mrs. Hirsch lying on the lounge and MT. Candler was in very compromis sing attitude with her.
 All at once she jumped up and grabbed hey hat and coat and ran to- ward the door. As she opened it, I stood up,'' Cook said.
 Cook testified that he left the place and went to MT. Hirsch's office. where he left note telling Hirsch to call him. He heard nothing from Hirsch, however, he stated.
 "Afterward met MT Candler and MT. Adair,' Cook concluded, lat MT. Adair's solicitation. have never made any demand on anybody in this case l am not asking for mercy, but only strict justice.''
 Cook was returned to jail tonight in default of the ss0o0 bail fixed by Judge Hill.
 Mr. Gamblers evidence was largely repetition of the statement he gave the grand jury on which the indict- ments were returned His cross-ex- animation by John R. Cooper brought only repeated assertions that his ac- WltH f1lISCn EreW out of her activities in Red Cross work, which took her on several occasions to his offices and brought them into contact on public occasions He denied that he ever had taken any liberties With her. He stated that he had noth- lng to do with group photographs in- troduced by counsel for the defense showing himself and Mrs Hirsch prominently in the pictures. He insist ed that it was not until Cook ap- peared at the door of his office on the occasion of Mrs. Hirschs visit on February that he thought '.trap had been laid" for him.
 ADAIR'S TESTIMONY
 According to the testimony of Forest AGalr, close personal friend of MT. Canoler, 1t was his obect in dealing With Cook and Mrs. Hirsch "to de- yeiop their game" and when that was done 1t was decided to present ths matter to the grand jury. Cook. i,e said, had been the first one to sug- gest money payment to Mrs. Hirsch La ter he testified. Mrs Hirsch had named other terms
 Adair testified that in a conference with Mrs. Hirsch on February F, at which Asa G. Candler, Jr., was present. she had pointed out the great amount of ienDie WoIk QOne Dy MT. Candler declaring he could afford to be extreme y liberal with her. she said in run ninth through newspaper clippings she saw where Mayor Candler had given sl,oo.000 to Emory university and said she thought he could give her $500, GOO ,. Adair testified. T was silent for q while and the silence was broken by her speaking of her husbands debts which he had mentioned previously with out stating the amount. She said she wanted sum of money sufficient to make her husband easy and not leave him like piker. Then she said she wanted 5000 placed in the bank for her hus- band"
 MT. Adair explained that this s5ooo was to be in addition to the $5OO.O0o she wanted for herself
 T asked her how she arrived at that figure. speaking of the $5000,' went on Adair. She did some figuring on the margin of a newspaper I think she said Sl150 was money her husband spent on hospital bill for her; $500 was money he owed an insurance company and $500 was to take up mortgage on some prop erty. There were some other figures. Then she left the office"
 BLACKMAILED BEFORE
 On cross-examination MT. Adair testi- fled that he told Mr. Candler. when the Mrs. Hirsch and Cook to his office, that it appeared to him (Adair) like a case of blackmail. 'I told him." he testified, that blackmailers seemed to regard him as legitimate prey. It was the sixth <ha ho< haa~