Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-28
SOUTHWEST HARB0R BUSINESS
SECTION DESTROYED BY FIRE
RICHARD MAKES
GENERAL DENIAL OF
CHARGES OF ASSAULT

New York, March o1-Tex Rickard
denied today before the supreme court
jury trying him on charge of having
assaulted 15-ycar-old Sarah Schoen-
field that he ever had misconducted
himself with her. The stories told
about him by Sarah and her 12-year-
old chum, Nellie Gasko, the sports
promoter contradictcd almost in their
entirety.
during long cross examination
mat is to be resumed tomorrow, Rick
ard also sworc he never had had irl-
proper relations with women of Alas
ka or Nevada during the gold rushes
in those sections.
ut never happened" he said when
assistant District Attorney Pecora
asked if he hadn't lived with woman
ut Mona and then abandoned her. He
maze the same answer when asked
II he had not tried to induce a cigar
girl, 10 years Old, to go TO a room with
iiim at EaWhidc, Nevada, IL years
ago.
Didn't the girls mother threaten to
shoot YOU" Pecora inquired.
1t never happened" said Richard
lie also denied that 14-year-oI
girl iii Ely, Nevada. had once been
WronScd by him and that after the
girl was sent to a hospital when about
10 become n mother, her own mother
had committed suicide. II never heard
of any woman committing suicide
over me-" Richard remarked.
The promoter testified that he and
Mrs. Richard were married at Seattle
in 1902. He first went to Alaska in
80 he said and had divided his time
there for several years between pros
pccting. mining and operating saloons
and gambling houses in tho klondike
at Dawson City and Nome.
| Mrs. Richard came to the defense
! OF her husband. tcstiGying that he
was dining in their apartment and
visiting beside her sick bed there dur
/ ing the hours on the night of last No
! vcmhCr - when Sarah and Nellie said
! he was with them in an apartment in
| ATTN street. Other witnesses sWorc
I Richard was 1T Madison Square Car
| Richard Admitted having seen Alice
| RuCk, Anna Hess and Nellie Gasko
, cOmplainants against him, around the
garden swimming pool last summer
/ He said he he'd talked to and knew
| hundreds Of the little girls who swan
! in the pool.
| lie might have given them money &c
! buy lunches, he asserted. but denied
ever having presented to Sarah and
! Nellie the sums of SO to So whicl
! they said the promoter gave them on
/ several occasions. Richard said he
! remembered Nellie because he had
! suspected her of stalling around tho
! WOmcn'S dressing room at the Garden
and had instructed Il guard TO watch
: her.
! He denied having taken Sarah and
| Nellie automobile riding last JANUARY
, 49, two days after his &rest on the
! I:uCk girls complaint. or that any OF
: tho youngsters had been in his car.
! He recalled having seen the SchOen-
I field girl four times, each occasion. lc
said, in connection with her mothers
! efforts to get Richards aid in TRYING
| to have her son released from Il Wis
Consin jail.
| Waiter Fields. the man WHO leased
! the two apartments in which Richard
was alleged to have misconductcd
himself with Sarah, formerly worked
! at the Garden almost every day. but
! Richard said he didn't know his pres
Cnt whereabouts. Since his arrest
/ Richard admitted Fields had not
worked regularly.