The New York herald., 1922-03-24
SAYS RICHARD TOLD
Him TO KEEP QUIET
Sent For After Charges
Were Made, Says Apart
ment JanitOr.
STEUER HINTS ALIBI
Says Promoter Was at Polo
Grounds on Day Of Al
legged Offense.
MAY CHARGE FRAMEUP
Girls Carefully Coached; Nellie
MAY CHARGE FRAMEUP
Girls Carefully Coached; Nellie
Gask0 Tells Series Of Her
Own Grimes.

Ground gained by the defense yes
terday morning in the trial of Tex
Richard through the amazing criminal
sonfession of Nellie Gasko, twelve
year-old corroborating witness. ap-
peared lost later when a janitor of the
West Forty-seventh street apartments
sent for him and warned him to keep
quiet about his visits there.
Another development in the fourth
day OF the trial before Justice Was
servogel in the Supreme Court was an
intimation by Max d. Steuer, counsel
for the prisoner, that he would at
tempt to prove an alibi for Rickard.
Mr. Steuer, talking with newspaper
rien, pointed out that on November
Il, when the indictment alleges the
crime occurred. Rickard was at the
Polo Grounds. The defense will open
to-day.
Another supposition borne out by the
lawyers cross examination of the jani-
tor, Herman Verch, is that he will en-
deavor to prove a framcup against his
client. He brought out that Vincent
Pisarro, superintendent of the Society
for the Prevention OF Cruelty to Chill
dren, and one of the girls had spent a
half hour in one of the apartments
apparently observing closely all details
of furniture. Nellie and Sarah Schoen-
field, the complaining witness, had
caused surprise by the thorough manner
in which they had described the rooms
Rickard EASY" for Money.
The trial opened yesterday with cross
examination of Nellie. whose direct
testimony had been brought out the
preceding day by Ferdinand Pecora.
Chief Assistant District Attorney.
Within the first half hour OF questioning
MIR. Stcuer had succeeded in drawing
from the slight. darx-haired girl an
astoundingly frank admission of series
OF crimes committed by her. He did
not however, shake the main points OF
either her own or Sarah's material
testimony.
She told OF forging numerous checks
for sums as high as $50 and of cashinS
them at neighboring stores; OF break
ing into home TO steal. of having
robbed "a Jcwish Relief Fund bank. and
of having stolen postage stamps from
Int desk Oh u 1Ilstl WnO Ildu
her. She said she had been arrested by
the police several times and had used
many aliases, one of which was Nellie
Hurley"
She also admitted that she had ef-
fected meeting between Sarah Schoen-
field and Richard because she thought
she could obtain money in that way.
Without embarrassment she told of how
both she and Sarah had gone to the
a.eI 10, Gnf
In reply to Mr.. Steuer's question as
TO why she had taken Sarah TO Madi-
son Square Garden, she said: Il knew
MIR. Rckard was a good man. kind
hearted. of good appearance and II
would be easy to secure money from
him. Lots of girls worked men at the
Garden for money
SCOT stuck Rehesrsipg story.
The child answered questions evenly
and displayed familiarity with long
words. Once, asked why she had not
spoken to some one. she replied that
she had had no volition to see him.
Many times during the recital of this
self-damaging testimony Mr.. Pecora
attempted 10 prevent her story from
going into the record by objections.
The girls testimony seemed to have a
marked effect upon the defendant, who
smiled several times as he leaned for
ward on the counsel table and watched
the witness.
The Gasko girl, though two years
younger than her friend. Sarah told
Mr.. Steuer that when rehearsing their
testimonies together Sarah had often
''got stuck and that she had helped
her to recall dates and places and per-
sons. She said that during the weeks
they have been held at the Children's
Society they coached each other and
had been questioned frequently by a
Miss Wells. the matron.
warned OF Frnmeup.
verch, the third and last witness to
be called by the prosecution. spoke
English poorly and appeared to be hold
ing back Information or to have q
faulty memory. Mr.. Pecora, with a
transcript before him of former inter-
view. could not make the man tell as
much as he had at that time. Several
times. however. he said Rickard had
told him TO keep quiet
As janitor Of the two apartments at
~ and "A West Forty-seventh street. he
said he had seen Rickard once entering
No. 20. Shortly after he had read in the
papers of charges brought against the
promoter in behalf Of Anna Hess and
Alice Ruck he said Il stranger had
called for him and taken him TO Mr..
Rickard in Madison Square Garden.
MIR. Rickard asked me IL Id seen
him at the apartment house and told
me to keep IL quiet. He told me some
one was going TO get after him; | think
he used the word frameup.'"
Nerch went on to tell how Rickard
had asked him who had visited the
place recently and that he had replied
w.t.. "----.., vi six 1etectives and = girl"
Asked II he could identify any one In
tho room as having been one Of his
visitors. he pointed TO Domnick Reilly,
former captain OF detectives. and now,
according to Mr.. Steuer. employed by
him as an investigator.
The prosecution rested and Mr.. Steuer
mnde the customary motion for dis
missal of the case on grounds OF failure
of evidence TO prove guilt Of the de-
iendant. Justice Wasservogel denied his
motion and orderted resumption OF the
rial at 1880 o'clock to-day