Norwich bulletin., 1921-07-12
ROAD HOUSE FRoLIC
 FEATURES TUFTS TRIAL


 four years ago at Mishawum Manor, a 1 road house in Woburn, said to have been conducted by woman known as Brownie Kennedy" whose guests in- cluded several moving picture producers, was described today at the hearing on a petition for.-the removal of Nathan A. Tufts district attorney of Middlesex county. The hearing resulting from charges preferred by Attorney General J Weston Allen, who alleges k9ng other things that Tufts was concerned in a conspiracy by which the motion picture men paid one hundred thousand dollars to escape prosecution threatened on &C., count of their presence at the Mishawum dinner party, is being held before the full bench of the supreme court with five justices sitting.
 James M. Curley who at the time of the dinner was mayor of Boston, was | mentioned with several others in de- l position made by Hiram Abrams, one of i tlle motion picture men, but no charges l of conspiracy was made against him. 1 Abrams said that 1t was as the result of a commun icStion from Curley saying that " seriouf matter was likely to arise that h4 came tt Boston about kwo months after the dinner and later was present at an interview with District Attorney 1 Tufts. Abrams, who was president of | the New England Baseball League, re- | ceived the message while in Portland. Maine for the opening of the baseball season.
 1 The affair at Mishawum Manor took place, according to the charge, on March 6, 1917. It followed a dinner to Fatty" Arbuckle held at the Cooley Plaza ho- | tel in this city. About 20 or 25 persons were present at the Woburn party Abrams said in his deposition and there were 10 c- 12 women at the house. The l company remained from midnight until 1 about a. m. The bill for the dinner amounted to $1.O5O and Abrams said he 1 paid it.
 Daniel H. Coakley. a Boston attorney who had been brought into the case after a conference at the Hotel Touraine on Mir Abrams return from Portland, had tel 1 ephone District Attorneys Tufts asking for an interview Abrams said. The meeting took place at Tufts office in the Cambridge courthouse, Coakley telling the districc attorney that they had come to discuss "that drunken affair at Wo- burn and that if he could prove the men innocent he hoped MT. Tufts would drop it.
 The district attorney replied, accord ing to the deposition. that if the com plainants could be gotten off his back he
 
 ed Jesse Laslly, Adolph Zukor, Walter E. Greene and "Abe" German as other men with whom he had discussed the affair. At conference of some of the men at New London it was agreed. he said that all of the complainants' could be satisfied and lawyers fees paid for S100,0
 Assistant District Attorney Henry F. Hurlburt who conducted the case for
 
 l conference the men were carrying out Tufts wishes although he said no part of the money had been traced to the
 possession of Tufts
 Payments to various attorneys total ling over s100,Oo0 were discussed by Abrams in his deposition. A receipt from David Stoneman for two checks az. gregating eight-fve thousand dollars : bearing the name of Daniel H. Coakley
 MT. Hurlburt explained to the cour tbat "Stoneman was party to the con : spiracy."
 He was the go-between" Hurlbur
 said, and received money from Hiram l'Abrams and doled it out to others" . Ire receipt stated the money was 'ir
 full settlement of a case growing out o an incident at Woburn," and included al . agreemet to procure full releases iron all pdIIiN III interest.
 Several releases were submitted in ev
 idence s2me running to Abrams, Lasky I Greene and Zukor," and another to Hi
 ram Abrams, ct al. The signers includ - ed Frederick B. Lord, of Providence t | Frederick Tierney, of Worcester, Teres . M. Sears of Boston, and Bessie McDon ,. aid of Bostos. Abrams had never hear e of any of the persons making the re d leases he said in his deposition. n At the conclusion of the reading of tn d | Abrams depositin, James F. Awkward t wh said he acted as counsel for F'rede d rick B. Lord, who claimed to be husban e of the Mcdonald girl, was called as
 witness. He was questioned regardin d complaints alleged to have been made Q l. behalf Of Lord against Zukor, one C r. the motion picture men.
 e The witness said in consequence of s, talk with Lord he sent & letter to Dis r. trict Attorney Tufts calling attentiin t Y evidence he had as to the character
 Mishawum Manor and saying he intende
 to bring suit against a New York ma
 "as the result of debauch there
 Tufts in a telephone conversation late the witness said told Aylward he was fl
 vestigatipg the case and that he, Ay le ward had better not talk about it. Tuf or afterward released him from the oblig Y tion not to talk.
 le Attirney Coakley communicated vi y him later regarding settlement of t ts claim, the witness said, and after settl el ment had been effected and all pape Vh were turned over to Coakley. The wi ne ness said he had not since done any br e. mess for Lord. and did not known I hu present address.