Norwich bulletin., 1922-03-25
COUNSEL ESTABLISHING AN
 ALIBI FOR TEX RICHARD

New York, March 24.A composite ac- count of the purported actions of Tex Rickard during the day and early night l of last November F was given today by half dozen witnesses called to establish an alibi for the sports promoter against l the charge that on that date he crim- nally assaulted Sarah Schoenfeld, 15- year-old school girl. Upon this charge supreme court jury is trying Rickard.
 Friends and business associates of the ! promoter testified that he worked at his office in Madison Square Garden through | the forenoon of November F, and wit messed the Penn-Dartmouth football game at the Polo Grounds that after noon. From the game they said he re- turned to his office, then went home for dinner, and laters visited the Garden again, remaining there until after 10 O. clock
 Earlier in the trial Sarah Schoenfeld and her 12-year-old chum, Nellie Gas | ko, told the jury they met Rickard at the Garden about o'clock that after noon and that he told them to be at an apartment house in West 47th street that night at 7.30. Both girls swore they kept the appointment and Sarah testified that the alleged assault occur red that evening.
 
 counsel. told the jury 1t would be proved that Rickard had used the basement of the house as a storage place for his pri Vate liquor stock, and that he had been | there only once, and that time solely iii connection with the liquor.
 Late this afternoon and tonight number of character witnesses were call ed in, among them Kermit Roosevelt, l son of the former president, and Den 1 n ,1N Nevada when Rickard staged the Jeff fries-Johnson fight at Reno, and who knew the promoter for years before, when Rickard conducted gambling houses and saloons at Goldfeld and Raw hide. Nevada, then bustling mining towns.
 Other men who had known Rickard in Nevada also as the owner of a joint sa- loon and gambling house in Alaska dur ing the gold rush of 1900. testified that his place was known as being absolute ly on the square" ..e-''. Kermit Roosevelt was subjected to
 strenuous quizzingfby the prosecution. He
 said he first met Rickard in South America ten years ago and that his fam
 fly and the Richards had since become intimate friends. Roosevelt said that prompted by the interests of justice,i
 he sought to get in connection with the
 district attorneys office shortly after Richards arrest upon the allegations ot Alice Rucl, Is. He said he wanted to
 ascertain certain facts about this action
 and others which were being prosecuted ! against Rtckard His reference to thf 1 interest of justice was ordered stricker ' | from the record. So were all questions
 referring to Roosevelts father, and his war record. Justice Wasservegel hold z ing that the jury surely was acquainted
 with these matters.
 Roosevelt said his father told him Z great deal about Richards life in tht
 Klondike. He said he had heard tha l Richards gambling house at Nome wal l of excellent character" Rex Beacl
 and others told him it was place wher'
 one got a Square deal"
 Assistant District Attorney Pecor:
 then put many hypothetical questions tt | Roosevelt inquiring what he would thinl
 of mans character if he knew his place } at Goldheld made $20,00o the night l i opened. and if he knew dissolute womer :, frequented that place and the one il : Alaska To Zone of. these questions j. Roosevelt made this reply:
 r q would not think that man wh' 7 ran a gambling house was necessarily O : bad character any more than I would : consider that a man who ran a churci
 was necessarily of good character" y On redirect examination. Roosevel s answered never" when asked if he hat s ever heard that ''bad' women were em 0 ployed in Richards gambling places 0 a gold rush days.
 l "In judging persons character wouli = you take into consideration his past as l. sociates," Pecora then Inquired. g "Not necessarily" the witness replied
 He said, though, that he often did talk
 associates into consideration in judgin
 character.
 P Roosevelt said he always had know
 Rickard as an honest. upstanding maj o and that he and his brothers and his ia e ther-in-law were associated with tn a promoter in the ownership of a coffe I, house in the Times square theatre dis a trict.
 c. P. Dam, who knew Rickard in tn : Klondike said his reputation at No s was as high as that Of any man in tn |, town. John Drake, gray haired oil an i mining man, who knew Rickard in tn q west, said was of zoo per cent. char if acter" Former Governor Dickerson ex IF plained that at the time Rickard ra . gambling places in Nevada it was law
 ful to do so.