Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-24
SUDDEN CHANGE OF
WITNESS MIND HALTS
COURT PROCEEDINGS
Gilbert Dill. Negro. Was Expected
to Testify for State in Auto
Burning Case.
DEFENDANTS RE-ARRES TED

Hearing in Municipal Court today in
one, of the cases Of four men, More and
Charles Solomon. Gilbert Din and War
ner I. Henry. colored, charged with con-
sniracv to defraud by burning automo-
biIes for the purpose Of collecting in
surance. was suddenly terminated when
Dill. who was expected to turn states
evidence. Unexpectedly changed his
testimony on the witness stand. The
warrants charge two specific violations
Of the law. alleging that More and
Charles solomon and Gilbert Dill Were
the conspirators in one instance while
More. Solomon and Henry were the
conspirators in the other.
Expecting Din to testify for the state.
Assistant CITY Solicitor Davis asked for
a nole presequi i'm his case and called
him 10 the stand. After Dill had tosti-
fed he had been in Solomon's employ
Prosecutor Davis asked the question
which terminated the hearing.
"DnI. didn't you take a Buick auto
mobile out of the garage at the instance
Of More Solomon. and in the front ~
this car was some oil soaked waste
I which YOU could easily set afire hy
dropping a lighted cigarette on u. i
I tho car burned YOU were to receive
/ SlOO?" the prosecutor inquired.
Walter !. Willis counsel for Dill. inn
mediatcly objected 10 his client answer
ing and was sustained. Prosecutor
+ Davis immediatelS asked that the
/ charge be placed against Dill again.
saving he was surprised" at the testi-
uony As he understood the man had
made 4 clean breast Of the affair 70
Detective Riley Judge Hastings denied
the request as Illegal and a. The re-
oust Of Mr. Davis nnlle pressed the
charges against More solomon and
/ Charles solomon and Gilbert Dill.
/ New warrants were Immediately
sworn out. however. and the three men
/ re-arrested on the same charge and
held under 81 500 bail for hearing to-
morrow.
I The case Of Warner J. Henry and
/ More solomon was then called and me
! defendants dismissed for lack of cvi-
dence. Harry Ingram testified that ht
had overheard Henry talk about burn
/ ing an automobile Il asked him how
| much ne got for the Champion job and
| he replied between SEQ and $65.
/ Ingram admitted under examination
hy Attorney Brady counsel for Henry
thar he had told Henry he never heard
/ him say anything about burning auto
mobiles. Henry and another Negrr
accosted me" Ingram said. the other
day and said they heard I was sayinf
/ Henry had burned an automobile
Henry had his hand in his hip pocket
and ! was afraid Of a gun So deniet
saying il.
Previous to this Walter Taggart
agent for the Fidelity Phoenix Fire In
surance Co. testified that he insured {
Champion touring car for More solo
mon. trading as the Champion Motor
Company. on November l.. 1920 anC
that or January &c he had paid 70 Solo
mon $3.50 insurance money after Solo
mon had told him the machine was
destroyed by FIRE ON the road neal
Townsend.
Albert Bird. agent for the Farm anC
Land Fire Insurance Company. o
California, testified he had insured
several automobiles for Solomon or
August ~. 1920. among them a Buicl
touring car which was later reported t'
him TO have been destroyed by FIRE OF
Sept "a Solomon secured $500 insur
ance on it.. he said.