New Britain herald., 1922-09-27
TRY SOCOLOW IN
 BALTIMORE TODAY
Youth Abducted From N. Y. Court
 Held for Murder

Baltimore, Md. Sept. 27.--Walter Socolow. 1s year old Baltimore youth, whose abduction from q New York court by Maryland police oficials re- gently during habeas corpus proceed sngs has put strain upon the cor dial relations heretofore existing be- tween the law authorities of the two state. was called to trial in criminal court here yesterday. Three other alleged principals in the daylight murder and robbery of William B. Norris. contractor, last August IS, also were arraigned. All were charged with first degree murder.
 socolow, who was apprehended in New York city about 10 days ago, is accused of having fired the fatal shot. He pleaded not guilty and obtained change of venue. His trial will be held at Towson. Baltimore county. The date was not fixed.
 James Jack" Hart of New York. one of the quartet. entered a general plea of guilty. John L. Smith and Charles P. Carey, both of Baltimore, pleaded not guilty and chose trial by jury. The remainder of the days session was devoted to the examina- ton of talesmen.
 Frank J. Alters, self-confessed member of the hold-up gang, will be . witness for the state He claims he was the driver of the murder car and declares that Socolow was the slayer of Norris.
 Socolow. Hart, Smith and Carey were indicted yesterday by the Balti- more county grand jury as partici- pants in the robbery of s5,ooo worth of liquors from Thomas B. Cooper of Cockeysville, Md, some time ago.
 Governor Albert c. Ritchie yester- day replied to Governor Nathan Mill Ter of New York, declining to return Socolow to that state. The Maryland governors reply was sent before the receipt of the New York executives request for the return of Socolow, Governor Ritchie basing his answer on the text of Governor Millers let ter as published in the newspapers yesterday morning.
 While regretting any impropriety that there may have been in the con- duct of the Maryland authorities in abducting Socolow, Governor Ritchie maintains in his letter that the return of Socolow to New York would merely cause a delay which would weaken the confidence of the public in the administration of the criminal law.
 Governor Ritchie's letter follows: "Hon. Nathan L. Miller, Governor of
 New York, Albany, N. Y.
 My attention has just been called to your letter to me of Sept. 25, pub lished in the public press, asking that Eocolow be returned to New York. and I hasten to reply at once.
 Tt is a matter of extreme regret to me if Socolow's constitutional rights were disregarded by any of our Mary land officials, although the New York authorities themselves do not agree that such was the case, as Is evi denced by the statement of District Attorney Danton. Assuming, how ever, that it was the case, then ap- propriate discipline for those respon- sible may be proper, but l cannot see how irregularity in the manner of bringing Socolow to Baltimore can, under the existing circumstances. jus tify me in now sending him back to New York.
 "Socolow is actually on trial today in the Criminal Court of Baltimore City, charged with murder which shocked the entire community. He has committed no crime against the laws of New York, and if returned there now the New York courts must in evitably send him back again, subject to the delays of one or more writs of habeas corpus which would undoubt edly be issued and which could have no possible purpose except unjustif- able delay.
 Tt seems to me with very great re- spect, that for me, under the condt- tions, to undertake to stop the trial now and return Socolow to New York, simply for the purpose of having him ultimately sent back again to Mary land under circumstances which would conform to more orderly legal -