New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-27

The Rev. John Roach Straton, pastor
OF Calvary Baptist Church, whose in
vestigations into vice conditions at
tractcd wide attention, was held yes
terday by United States Commissioners
Samuel M. Hitchcock to be no judge OF
Scotch whisky, and therefore incompc-
tent to testify to that part of his
crusade which resulted in a search war
rant being issued on April Is for. the
coniscation Of liouor from Thomas
Healy's restaurant at Sixty-sixth
Street and Columbus Avenue.
Dr.. Straton appeared before the com
missioner yesterday to testify in pro-
cecdings i~nstigated by Charles H. Grit
fiths, Mr.. 1%iealy's attorney, to get back
the Goods seized, from his clients place
of business or to have the government
~substantiatc the pastors affidavit on
which the search warrant was granted.
Assistant United States Attorney
George Winship Taylor had questioned
DR.. Straton concerning his visit to
Healy's in the carly hours of Sunday
morning. March IS.
Two Men With Straton
pr. Straton said he and two other
men. Harry r. Burton, q newspaper
man working for the Newspaper En-
terprise Association, with Offices in the
Times Building, and Daniel Hofheim,
an Investigator for the Committee of
Fourteen. had taken q table upstairs in
Healy's, where there was dancing, and
that they had ordered drinks.
The pastors request, according to his
testimony. was for n Scotch hghball,
and he was about to add that he got
1 what he asked for when Mr.. Griffiths
interrupted to cross-examine him as to
his qualifications as a judge Of Scotch
whisky.
Dr.. Straton admitted he had used
alcohol for drinking purposes when he
was a youth in college and that he had
used it new and then to cure colds
On close questioning he said he had
not tasted whisky for more than five
years prior to the night he went te
Healy's.
"BuE, DR.. Straton." persisted Mr.
Grifiths, you say in your affidavit
that you we're served with a Scotch
highball. Did you ever IN your life
taste Scotch whisky?"
DR.. Straton thought for a moment
and then said that he never had tasteo
Scotch whisky.
1t was then that the Commissioner
ruled that Dr.. Straton was incom-
petent to testify to that phase of his
crusade against vice
Burton Paid All Bills
This is the first time that the anne
of the pastors companions on thai
night have been told. DR.. Strator
said Burton asked to accompany him
on the tour and that, as he did not
want to be involved in the financial
part of the enterprise, Burton paid
all the bills.
Burton, DR.. Straton said, had intro
duced Hofheim as an able assistant
in navigating the city's various re-
sorts.
Mr.. Grifiths asked the pastor if he
had made inquiries into the character
of his two companions. The pastor
said he had not. Then Mr.. Grifiths
asked if he knew whether either Of
them had criminal records. At this
point his questions we're halted as
being irrelevant.
Mr.. Healy's counsel then asked DR.
Straton if he had any Interior motive
in making his vice crusade. This Dr.
Straton denied, saying he wanted only
to turn the light on evil conditions
and protect our young boys and girls
Mr.. Griffiths produced DR.. Straton's
book, published shortly after his at
tack on vice conditions in New York
and asked DR.. Straton how it happened