The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-02-27
ATLANTA MAYOR
TELLS STORY OF
BLACKMAIL CAS-

Atlanta, Ga, Feb. 27-Mrs. H. II.
Hirsch and ]. W. Cook came up for
trial today on the charge of attempt
ing to blackmail Mayor Asa Gambler,
from whom it is charged they sought
to extort 100000 by threats. The
state has subpoenaed many witnesses.
including H. H. Hirsch. husband of
the accused woman, while the de-
Tense has subpoenaed women employ.
ed by the city.
A request for a change of venue
was denied. Mayor Gambler, in re-
Spouse to questions, said he became
acquainted with Mrs. Hirsch last
summer when she came to his Office
accompanied by another woman, in
connection with selling an automo-
bile by tickets for Red Cross bene-
fit. She was in doubt as to whether
the city ordinances would allow it.
Several days later, the mayor testi-
fed, Mrs. Hirsch came to see him-he
believed it was in his Office in the
Gambler building-to request his as
sistance in handling some tickets on
the automobile at a dinner to be
given in honor of Brig. Gen. Eben
Swift.
Attorney Arnold, for the prosecu-
ton, asked about a photograph of
Mayor Gambler, Gen Swift and Mrs.
HirSch.
81 had nothing to do with the ar
rangement of that group" said Mayor
Gambler. ''The photographer selected
the people he wanted in the picture
and I simply consented to his ar
rangement. MY recollection is that
about d dozen persons were in the
snapshot, although only three of US
appeared in the newspaper reproduc-
ton
Continuing his account of his &C
quaintance with Mrs. Hirsch, the
mayor said:
Mrs. Hirsch called on me a time
or two later in my Office in the Cand-
Ter building The conversation all the
time was about the tickets for the
automobile. She did nothing that in
dictated that she was not a lady. She
visited me once in my office in the
city hall. 1 think that was last Jan
uary. She was interested then in OBJ
tanning enforcement of the laws
against cruelty to animals. She asked
that a new humane officer be assigned
to this work.
'I saw her again on Feb. on For
sythe street, on my way from the city
hall to the Gambler building. She
asked me for a conference that after
moon in my office in the Gambler
building. I told her it would be i'm
possible, but 1 would see her on We'd
nesday afternoon, Feb. 6, at o'clock
in my office in the Gambler building.
She did not state the matter she
wanted to discuss with me, although
she made mention of the humane 50
ciety.
ION Wednesday afternoon she came
to my office in the Gambler building
She removed her coat and sat down
beside the table. The door from m!
private office into the hallway wa
locked on the outside, as it always
is
"She had hardly seated herself be
fore she sprang up and exclaimed
, that she saw man outside the win
{ dow. I remarked that it wa
probably a window washer, and turnet
, around to look, but saw nobody. Mrs
Hirsch claimed it was not window
washer, but a we'll dressed white ma
. standing on the ledge. I again turn
ed my head to look out the window
> When I turned back to Mrs. Hirscl
she had removed her hat and ha
opened the door leading into tn
hallway. A man was standing in tn
door and Immediately entered tn
> office. had never seen him o
heard of him before. He said:
"'Our honorable mayor, this
> nice!' 1 at once suspected that
trap had been laid for me"
!. Attorney John R. Cooper of counse
), for the defense objected to wha
!, Mayor Gambler suspected. The oh
O lection was sustained.