Norwich bulletin., 1920-02-04
Saw Assenb|yIllaI
 Spit on J. 5. Flag
Girl of IS Made Accusation Against Charles ]. Solomon, New York Legislator-Ac- cused Made Denial.


 Albany, NY, Feb. s.-Spectators who filled floor and galleries of the New York assembly chamber today suddenly leaned forward to catch the words of soft voiced girl-a girl of 1S-wlho asserted she had Iseen Charles Solomon, member of the as- senlbly, spit on the American flag during war time.
 The girl was Enen B. Chivers 8 stenographer living in Brooklyn, and she testified as witness for the pros- tecution- at the trial Of Solomon and his four socialist colleagues, suspend ed from office on charges of dfsloy- altys
 There was a burst of applause when she explained that she had volunteer ed her testimony in a letter to Speak er- Thaddeus c. Sweet because think it is the duty of any American to take the stand against one who mas committed treason against their coun-. try
 Small blonde and obviously embar- rassed by the hundreds of eyes turn ed upon her, the girl prompted by an occasional question, told her story in the following words:
 t T remember that in the summer of 1917 a detachment of soldiers came to Ninth street and Sixth avenue, Brook lyn, for the purpose of calling for vol unteers, and they asked MT. Solomon (who was delivering a street corner address) if they might borrow his platform fer that purpose. MT. Solo mon replied:
 Lehu You my platform, Can you borrow my platform? Huh, the gutter is good enough for you
 "He said: If we had our way there would not be anyone who would ask a socialist if they might borrow their pla form to call for volunteers
 And he continued: I would not let you wipe your dirty feet on it.
 TIen the officer ip charge of that detachment spoke from the jitney in which they had come. told them to obtain the number Of recruits they could, and went away"
 Keeping her gaze fixed on Solomon, the girl tesWAed that few minutes later a band came along and struck up The Star Spangled Banner.
 "Mr. Solomon turned up his coat collar, put on his hat, pulled it down over his eyes, spat on the American flag and sat down" she concluded.
 The girl-whose story tonight brought from MT. Solomon a state ment denying that he had made the remarks attributed to him, asserting that never in his life had he ever shown any disrespect to the Ameri- can flag. and declaring that it was in conceivable any member of the New York police force would stand indif- ferently by while a person publicly insuited the American fiag-then was turned over to the defense for cross examination.
 ; Asked by members of the judiciary committee, sitting S d court. why Sne didn't ask the policemen she said were present to arrest Solomon if she thought his s4ss treasonable, Miss Chirerss replieas There were others who did but the police refused to do it"
 Richard C. Bunzl. a New York law yer, who served as a draft. board in- spector, duging the war, testified that in 1918 he had heard Asseinb blyman Waidman making street corner speeches on the East Side. In sub stance, Bunzl declared Waldman had stated the laboring man owed no duty to any country but only to a class, and, that the war was a capitalistic war.
 Bunzl admitted under cross exam ination that Waldman had said noth- ing which he regarded as a violation of the law. '.e
 Peter ". CalHn~ 2. c,;-,or Boston labor leader and now director of t. reconstruction aiia e9.- y4Js ssllent ser vice being carried on by the Knights of Columbus, was on the stand for nearly three hours this morning.
 He testified that socialism was seek : ing to capture trade unionisfn to ov- ertuSA society by force such as was used in Russia; that propaganda in- sffyated by k@line and Trotzky was aimed at destruction of the American republic by mass action, and that during the war he had seen socialists opposing increased production in shipyards and factories. whereas or ganized labor as represented by the American Federation Of Labor tried ot triple it to help win the war.