Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-21

could get IN.
A long table was arranged down the
middle Of the room for the commits
sioner, the defendants and their coun i
sci. The place was 80 densely crowded
that IL was impossible for all the de-
PENDANTS to get seats.
The five were accompanied by their
counsel, some of them having three at
torneys at their elbows. Singer. the
only one of the defendants against whom
there were two counts, stood behind
the Commissioner. Near him was his
counsel, former Assistant United States
Attorney Robert A. Sterrett. Charles
A. McAvoy, who preceded Mr.. Coles as
United States Attorney, represented Nc
Carter.
The defendants stood where they
could find room in the crowded as
semblage. All were there, as their
answers Of Here" to their names read
by the clerk testified. But they were
so hedged in by the tight pressing
crowd Of witnesses and spectators that
II was almost impossible to single them
out.
The hearing was opened with the
testimony Of Samuel Perry, custom
house inspector, who described a raid
some weeks ago on Bookbinder's cafe
where a quantity nf Sherwood and
Stewart whisky was seized. The wit
ness said that tngs on the whisky,
showing IL had been withdrawn on n
permit issued in the name of Max A.
Gold. 1889 Park avenue, New York.
gave a clue which finally resulted in the
arrest Of the defendants.
Tell Of Another Raid
Assistant U. s. Attorney T. Henry
Walnut, who handled the case for the
Government, put a succession OF Gov
ernment agents on the stand In an
endeavor to show the source Of the
whiskey seized in the raid on the
bottling plant of John Friedrich. Fifth
street and Rising Sun avenue.
1t was testified that case whiskey
seized auso bore the address of Gold
Among the agents who testified we're
Harry Mcnamara, and Andrew a..
Quigley, who took part in the raid: and
William ID. Smith, a member OF the
flying squadron.
The agents declared that large part
Of the goods seized had been withdrawn
from the Stewart and Sherwood dis
tilleries. Harry Fitzpatrick, a Fed
eral agent working out Of Washington,
produced a copy of the original permit
that Gold had received n "B'' permit
from formert State Director Harte, of
New York, and indicated by his testi-
mony that Max Gold was mythical
person. However. the witness admitted
he never had called at the Park avenue
address.
Try to Find Burns
Frank L. Wight. vice president Of
the Sherwood Distilling Company, was
the ncalled and produced records show =
in gthat hundreds Of cases of whisky
bad been withdrawn from the Sherwood
istillery on the Gold permit, and that
Maurice Burns. giving an address of
305 Denckla Building, Philadelphia
which is the Office of Sam Singer. had
called at the Sherwood distillery in
company with Singer. and produced a
Gold, authorizing Burns to withdraw
500 cases Of whisky
Mr.. Wight also produced the record
and letter which was an authorization
for Burns TO withdraw 300 cases. At
this point Mr.. Walnut asked Singer to
stand up. He came forward from his
place in the crowd, and Mr.. Wight
was asked If that was Burns" The
witness said that 1t was not Burns,
but that he recognized Singer as the
man who accompanied him.
Sam Blumberg, another Of the de-
PENDANTS, and Singers partner, was
then asked to stand up and Wight asked
the same question, to which again he
made negative answer.
John J. Boyce, the Governments star
witness who drove the motortruck on
which the whisky was carried, was
EaI hn Nt,hn
the whisky for Max Colds account.
Has Poor Memory
Edward II. Brown, manager Of the
Stewart Distillery, was the next wit
mes. His memory was bad, and re-
peated attempts on Mr.. Walnut's part
to stimulate it failed. He identified
Boyce, but said he did not remember
any other truck drivers who received
shipments for the L. G. w. Drug Com
pany. of this city. He admitted he had
signed an affidavit that he knew the
person to whom the whisky was deliv-
cred. This is a provision Of the Vol
stead act. Various records which Mr..
Brown brought were offered in evidence,
one being n permit to withdraw 1900
gallons Of whisky August 3, 1921. The
permit holder was the l.. G. w. Drug
L Ht
permit was signed civilian G. Nc
Connell," with a small letter rs" ini =
tailed in the corner, dash through 1t
giving the letter the appearance of a
dollar mark.
Arthur II. Benhoff, connected with
the Stewart Distillery testified he de-
livered the whisky, but could not iden-
tify Singer or Blumberg. Mr.. Walnut
said: please don't beat about the bush
come on, now. If you know these
men, say so. Tell us the truth" Ben
hoff looked directly at Singer and said ::
II never saw him in my life before
Frank Alessandro, Of 1918 South
Eighth street, and Harry 9. Frank, Of
the l.. G. W. Company, were asked to
stand up, and Benhoff was asked II he
had seen either man before. He said
he had not.
1t is understood that Alessandro and
the l.. G. w. Company, charged off In
the records with large amounts of
whisky, have declared that they never
received the amounts specified.
The crime of conspiracy charged