New-York tribune., 1920-02-04
Girl Testifies
Solomon Spat
On u. S. Flag
Continued from page l

Miss Chivers, who testified in voic
that could hardly be heard fifteen fee
away, excepting when she OCCASIONAL,
raised it, was admitted to be the mos
damaging witness produced by tn
prosecution to date.
Girl Shouts Reply
She is not yet eighteen years of age
is slight Of build and has light blont
hair. During the grilling cross-exam
ination to which she was subjected or
one occasion, when Seymour Stedman
counsel for the Socialists. asked VIII,
! she had written the letter to Speakc,
Sweet, she replied, her blue eyes flash.
ing:,
Because | think it was the duty OF
any American to take the stand agains,
any one who has committed treason
against his country"
The little witness, who had up to
this time been speaking in vo.ce
little above whisper, fairly shouted
crowd in the Assembly chamber ap.
plauded Miss Chiyers's reply.
Miss Chivers on taking the stant
said in answer to questions put tc
her by John r.. Stanchfeld, counsel fo,
the prosecution, that she was EMPLOYED
as stenographer by the Baker i'm
ssrees New 'Paas york CITY, S' She s sad ddSe1 he1
father and mother were dead and that
she lived with an older sister at the
Brooklyn address.
Under direct examination by Mr.
Stanchfeld, Miss Chivers told of the
meeting Mt which Solomon spoke. Ar
he concluded. she testified. a band came
along.
What did the band do?" Mr.. Stanch-
field asked.
"The band struck up 'The Star-Span-
gled Banner" the witness replied.
"And what then occurred ?"
"Mr. Solomon turned up his coat
collar. pulled his hat down over his
eyes. spat on the American flag and
sat down"
Girl Sees Berger
Under cross examination Seymour
Stedman, for the defense, brought out
that the witness had conferred with
Deputy Attorney General Berger at
the Hotel Prince George. New York
City.
"Why did you go there?" asked MI
Stedman.
"For the purpose of tessifying
against Mr.. Solomon" Miss Chivcrs
responded.
~ WAVSt lSuNcSl
"1n answer to letter wrote to
Speaker Sweet last week"
"Why did you write TO Speakef
Sweet?" Mr.. Stedman persisted.
Because" replied the witness. II
think it is the duty of any American n
to take the stand against one who has
committed treason against our coun-
try"
Later Mr. Stedsnan asked her:
"Where was the American flag fly
ing?"
at was flying on Mr.. Solomons stand
beside the red fag," the girl replied.
Solomon Makes Denial
Assemblyman Solomon's comment on
the testimony of Miss Chivers fol-
lows:
II remember clearly holding Monday
evening meetings on the corner Of
Ninth Street and Sixth Avenue, Brook
lyn. | remember that ON one occaso
a recruiting meeting was held on the
same corner. My meeting was discon-
tinued as soon as the recruiting meet
ing began. I never made the remarks
to the soldiers attributed to me by a
witness this afternoon.
"On no occasion during any of these
meetings was any red flag displayed
on my stand. On every occasion there
were American flags. In all my expert
ence / never have seen a red flag dis
played at Socialist street meeting,
either before or after the state law
was passed forbidding its display.
"ln all my life I never have shown
any disrespect for the American flag.
the symbol OF our country. The state
ment that spat upon the flag
is utterly false. Such an act could be
the act OF AL insane person only In
the district in which ! was speaking.
or Tor that matter III any other dis
trict I am familiar with, the public
preparation Of such an act Of gross
disrespect would endanger the life OF
the person guilty Of it.
According 70 the witness several po-
hcemen were present at the meeting
referred to. 1t is incouceivaole Ina.
amy member of the New York police
force would stand inditferenNv bv
while any person publicly insuted the
American flag
Lawyer TestifieS
The last witness Of the day was Rich
ard c. Bunzl, lawyer OF 1872 East
Twenty-second Street, New York City.
who had been All inspector Of the draft
during the war. He testified that
Louis Waldman. who is the Assembly,
man from his district, during 1918 had
made speeches on street corners de-
nouncing the war as capitalistc war
and declaring that the iaboring man
owed no duty to country, but only to
a class.
He said he had heard the Assembly,
man making these speeches d. Tenth
Street and Second Avenue, at Eleventh
Street and Fifth Avenue and other
places. Scott Nearing, he said vas
running for Congress at the time
Mr.. Bunzl said that during the speech
at Tenth Street and Second Avenue he
asked Waldman whether he opposed the
draft or whether he advised anybody
to oppose the draft.
"He answered me- said the witness,
that he refused to answer that cues,
tlon because he was afraid of being
arrested And he further stated:
They can't get ME anyhow | later
asked him whether, in case the doc
trines OF the Socialist party confiicted
with the Constitution Of the United
States he would stick to the Socialist
party or the United States. and he
gave me the same answer: \ refuse
to answer that question because / dc
not wish to take chance Of being
arrested"
Mr.. Bunzl said that in that district
the draft clerk had to be thrown out
because he was crooked and that dur
ing the draft circulars were dropped
from the roofs. telling the bows not to
register and that they could not ba
caught
in