Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-06
bERMAN TEST|F|ES
IN RACHL|N CASE
Former Owner Of Burned Store
Says It's Contents Were Worth
Only $500 or So, 900.

Harry H. Bcrman was tho chief
witness for the dofcnsc yesterday
Afternoon IN the case OF the Eaehlin
Clothes Shop. Inc. against nve In
suranoc companies. which Judges
Rice and Rodney and jury heard
In the Superior Court The plaintiff,
whose Dover store Was destroyed by
frc on August 2A,lssl, is suing FOR
S2AA00 insurance. MIR. Berman tcsu-
fed that he soid tho store TO Manuel
Cohen on June 20. 1921. for s2.9lo, but
retained an Office and kitchen on tho
rrst floor and four rooms IN tho sec
ond story MIR. Cohen soon afterward
transferred tho store TO tho Raohlin
Clothos shop. Inc. Asserting he had
every day familiarity with tho stock
and business Of tho storo. Berman
said no and his wife clerked there
until August 20. lie stated Cohen sent
down two truckloads OF picked-over
stuff which could not be sold In Will
mington. Business wes good during
the first two or three weeks. but de-
creased thereafter. As result there
wac little OF the stock left. except
odds and ends and broken lots. Ber-
man naid stock shipped 10 Dover by
Dauiol W. Rachin included goods
from the Golden Rule store and an
other establishment IN Wilmington.
He stated RaChlin two weeks before
the fire offered 20 sell the Dover store
Tor $4,000. asking $4,000 cash and sS.-
600 IN notes Berman thought $1,000
or $4,000 would cover everything IN
the store at tho time Of the FIRE lie
testified that he closed the second story
windows on August 81 and went to
Ocean city. Md. where he remained
until August "a. lie received a tele-
phunc message at a. M, informing
him OF tho IRE. and he started home
ward Immediately. He had the key
20 the apartments in the second story
and no persons could enter them un-
losn they broke IN. His insurance con-
aistcd of $1,000 on the building and
81 200 on furniture. Charles +
Curley. OF counsel for the defense
handed him the plaintiff inventory
ana he declared many of the items
therein were excessive.
James Il Blce. Jr.. a member OF tho
Robbins Hose Co. said he responded
TO the Ere alarm and held a nozsl,
while tho front part of the store wa'
lurning. The smoke was black ano
dense and he smelled oil. On cross
oAaminat ation by Daniel o. hastings
vf counsel for the plaintiff. Mr.. Bic'
stated he heard explosions 10 minute:
after his arrival one explosion was
ON the hrst floor. front. ara the Other
IN the second story, front.
Jacob EhrlicN. a Dover merchant
testified that he and state DetectiN,
Wharton broke the glass IN the iron
door and he smelled oil There wa
a large FIRE IN the rear Of the stor,
and a small FIRE IN the front part. Th'
hrc Jus; iusid, the front door locke
like burning oil and covered an are
OF three or four feet. There was a.
explosion, flames shot out the iron
door aud the whole place seemed {
g. up The smoke was black Nh
Ehrh,h quoted Charles Goldsteif
manae<r " the store as saying
did not hear the fire alarm. The wit
ness said the Ra,hhn stock was a
thl came character as the Berma
stock and he had told Berman it ha
10 value. Declaring Ehrlich had mad
only a casual inspection OF III