The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-02-28
]. w. Cook, Atlanta, Real
Estate Man, Sentenced
to Year in Fen.
MAYOR GAMBLER
WAS PROSECUTOR
Woman in Case Be Tried
Tomorrow for Her Alleged
Connection With Affair.

! Atlanta real estate man, was con-
vlcted of attempting to blackmail
Asa G. Gambler. the millionaire
Mayor of Atlanta. and sentenced to
year IN the penitentiary and fined
one thousand dollars, which is maxi
/ mum penalty for the charge.
The trial was one of the speediest
IN the history of local courts. A mo-
ton for new trial was made( and
; March 10Th was fixed as a date for
hearing arguments while Cooks bond
was flved at three thousand dollars.
The case against Mrs. Margaret
Hirsch, indicted pointly with Cook,
will be called Friday.
Because of the prominent parties
interested, crowds thronged the
courtroom. Mayor Gamblers testi-
mony was largely repetition of a
statement he gave to the grandjury,
denying he had ever taken liberties
with Mrs Hirsch
The defense depended solely upon
a brief statement of Cook.
In response to questions by Attor-
ney Reuben r. Arnold, associate
counsel for the prosecution. Mr..
Gambler said he became acquainted
with Mrs. Hirsch IN the summer of
1917 when she came to his office in
the city hall accompanied bv another
woman. She was interested in sell
ing an automobile by tickets for the
benefit of the Red Gross. She was
in doubt as to whether the city ordi-
nances would permit this plan. Sew
eral days later the, mayor testified
Mrs. Hirsch came to see him-he be-
lieve, it was in his office in the
Car fer building-to request his as
sistance in handling some tickets on
he al
given in honor of Brigadier General
Eben Swift.
Here Attorney Arnold asked the
mayor some questions that were ruled
out by Judge Hill on the ground of
irrelevancy. Arnold then took up the
matter of a photograph taken of
Mayor Gambler. General Swift and
Mrs. Hirsch.
"I had nothing to do with the ar
rangement of that group" said
Mavor Gambler "The photographer.
selected the people he wanted in the
picture and simply consented to
his arrangement. My recollection is
that about a dozen people were in
the snapshot, although. only three of
ms appeared in the newspaper repro
duction."
Continuing his account of his ac-
maintance with Mrs. Hirsch. the
mayor said:
aMrs. Hirsch callsd on me time
or two later in nv office in the
CandIer building. The conversation
ali the time was about tickets for
the automobile. She did nothing that
indicated she was not lady. She
visited me once in my office in the
CITY hall. I think that was last Jan
uarv. She was interested then In Sc
curing enforcement of the laws
agaist cruelty to animals. She asked
that a new humane offlcer De as
signed to this work.
az saw her again on February
IN FORSYTH street. on nv way from
th. CITY hall to the Gambler building.
she asked me for conference that
afternoor in my office in the Cand-
Iar huiId;p. I told her it would be
i,,,nossib,e. but I would see her on
"Wednesday afternoon, February at
A o'cIocl. in my office in the Gambler
b,,;Id;ng She did not state the mat
ter she wished to discuss with me,
aItboupr she made mention OF the
Humane society.
con Wednesday afternoon. Febru-
arv 6. she came to my office IN the
Gambler building. She removed ner
cot and sat down beside the table,
IT, door from nv private office into
+be hall was locked on the outside,
as it ALWAYS is,
"She had hardly seated herself: be,
fore she sprang up and exclaimed
+Lat She saw a man outside the win
5a1- remarked that It was proba-
~, w;ndow washer and turned
/. .roun6 TO look, but saw nobody. Mrs.
H;rsch claimed it was not a window
,-.sLar h,It we'll dressed white man
standing on the ledge. ! again turned
So head to look out Of the window.
Wrh.n turned hack to Mrs. Hirsch
she had removed her hat and had
ane,.J the door leading into the hall
,ray maa was standing in the
door and immediately entered the of
flee I had never seen him or heard
of him before. He said:
"sOur honorable mayor, this is