Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-19
hint MASCIAN NOT
EPPLEY'S SLAYER
Conspiracy Trial Forecasts
New Revelations in
Fifth Ward Murder
CUNMAN WILL TESTIFY
Allegation at West Chester
That Man Who Killed Po.
lieeman Is at Large
BIZ n star Correspondent
West Chester. .J,lly ia

west Nhester. July 19.
Who killed Policeman George A. Epp.
ley, September 10. last year. the murder
that carried the Fifth Ward muddle into
court? 4
Butch" Masca was convicted of the
murder. He is serving sentence under
second-degree verdict and has been
here at the conspiracy trial since Mon
day. Mascia maintains. 1t is said. that |
the two shots he fred did not enter
Eppley's body. 1t was forecast today |
that when the convicted gunman takes |
the stand here new angle will be given |
to the sensational case.
Astounding testimony. 1t was predict
ed, will be given by the stoCky Frog |
Hollow musketeer" when the Common |
wealth calls him. He is to be one of |
the prosecutions trump cards. it is said
At Mascias trial the report of the
official autopsy revealed that Epplcy
was shot in the back.
Several witnesses at the trial testified /
that Mascia fired as Eppley was rushing
toward him.
Magistrate Persch on Grill
Magistrate George A. Persch. on the
| witness stand. was severely grlled by
tho Commonwealth about the Wholesale
arrests made on primary election day
in that troubled baiiwick.
! Persch was only On the stand two
minutes when the midday recess was
ordered. Assistant District Attorney
Taulane announced that he would quiz
Persch on the issuance of about twenty |
warrants for the arrest of Careyites on
, primary election day.
Today, the fifth of the trial of Deutsch
Bennett and five patrolmen on charges
of political conspiracy. opened before
| Judge Hause in the Chester County
| courthouse with the cross-examnatio ion
! of Lieutenant Edward Fair. of the Bu
I rcau of Fire. Fair yesterday testified
! to the cleanup gangs for the Fifth
Ward on primary election day suggested
by Lieutenant Bennett, who is one of
the principal defendants.
| Lieutenant Fair. who also established
a connection between Isaac Deutsch, CO.
| defendant with Lieutenant Bennett and
five policemen. and William +. Finley.
executive secretary of the Republican
city committee. answered all questions
clearly and unhesit atinsly. and counsel
! for the defense was unable to shake
his testimony.
Army Surgeon Tells of Threats
The now threadbare tale of police
bullying in the Fifth Ward and of the
raid on the Finletter Club was told by
Lieutenant Leonard s. Blumberg. an
army surgeon, 800 South Fifth street,
The young man came up from Camp
Hancock. Georgia. to testify. One dam
aging bit of evidence against Emanuel
Uram. one Of the policemen on trial,
was given by Blumberg. The young
officer testified that Tram. on primary
election day. warned his father, Com
mon Councilman Samuel T. Blumbcrg.'
I'VE are coming around to get you; (;
you are marked man ..
The alleged warning was given in
front of a polling place on De Lancey
street, near Fifth. Bumberg declared
he saw man. whom he afterwards
knew to be Jimmy Clark. in De Lam
cey street, shortly before Eppley was
shot.
Counsel for the defendants served
notice Of his intention to disprove the
assertions of Fair and Thomas Mitchell,
a Deutsch worker while cross-examin-
I ing the latter. ffiffiffi
T Watcher Had His -Tools"
Mitchell. who lives in the rear of 319
Spruce street. testified that Deutsch in
speech at the Deutsch Club the night
before the primary. which was attend
ed by crowd Of 1000, instructed his
workers "to go the limit and assured
them of unlimited bail" He was sum-
moned by Deutsch to the third floor of
the clubhouse following the meeting Max
Deutsch, brother of Ike" halted him
at the second door with the explanat tion
that there was special company" on
the floor above. Just before, Mitchell
said. he saw a crowd of twenty or more
j strangers who looked like aliens taken
up the stairs. Later these men were
called down in groups of twos or threes
and assigned to various divisions of
the ward. The next morning, when he
appeared to go on duty as a watcher,
Mitchell testified. Eddie Abrams asked
him IL he had his tools with him. mean
ing his blackjack and revolver.
During the cross-examination Mr.
Gray asked Mitchell. who was a police
man from 1904 to 1906. if his picture
was not in ehrogue's gallery. Judg
Hause sustained the Commemorative
objection to the question. 1t developed
that Mitchell,w hile a policeman, had
been arrested for highway robbery and
had been acquitted Of the charge Z.
"BuiIets" Mitchell Explains
Explain. then, to the jury" Mr.. Gray
asked, how you got the nickname of
, Bullets" Mr.. Taulane objected. but
Mitchell volunteered an explanation.
Everybody in the Fifth Ward seems
to have a nickname. something like
that" observed Judge Hause. in ruling
tina, It was not necessary for Mitchell tc
explain Mitchell persisted. and added
one of the most piquant points to the
entire trial.
I'm 1904. just after was appointed
a policeman" Mitchell explained. II was
stationed on Delaware avenue. 1t was
a cold night. l looked for the other
policemen to find out where they were
getting warm. but could find no trace ol
them. Then I discharged my revolver
In the air Ave times. The other police
men came running. They took me to the
place where they were getting warm"
Mitchell admitted that he asked
Deutsch some time before the primar ry
! to get him reinstated on the police force