Evening star., 1922-01-22
RICHARD ACCUSED
BY YOUNG: { !. GIRL
Arrests Sports Promoter on
Criminal Assault Charge
in New York.
By the Associated Press,

NEW YORK. January 21.-Tex
Rickard. internationally known pro-
moter of sporting events, was charged
IN magistrate's court today with
criminal assault on f1fteen-year-old
Alice Ruck. public school pupil and
daughter of an East Side widow.
Through counsel Rickard, who sur
rendered on learning a bench war;
rant had been issued. denied the
charges. which were made by the
the Ruck girl. Two of her little
companions. Elvira Renzie, twelve,
and Anna Hesse, eleven, were held as
witnesses, the society quoting the
girls as saying Rickard met them
iast fail at his public swimming pool
money, took them to his office, and
then, on December 10 last, assaulted
the Ruck girl in an apartment in
west 47th street, few doors from
5th avenue.
Attributed to Enemies.
Ihe promoter was under $1,000
Dond tonight for examination next
Steuer. said in a statement that Mr..
hickard was the most surprised man
In the world: that he knew nothink
about the casa The statement, de-
clarins the situation mystifying as
serted Rickard undoubtedly mad a
number of bitter enemies, as he now
was engaged in considerable liti.a-
tion.
The three girls appeared in court
clad in cheap dresses. plain coats and
cotton stockings. Their parents also
were present.
Seen later in their simple quarters
In the dim-lit East Side tenements,
the parents all professed to have
known nothing of the story until
called to court. Complaining that
h0tv
the Children's Society. they said the
girls went to public schools and
habitually came home early at night.
All said they had never heard of Mr..
Rickard.
The Hess girls mother said she had
oeen summoned to police station
last Saturday night. where she was
told her daughter and the Ruck girl
had been given to the Childrens So
clety after they had gone to Bellevue
taken iodine. Since then the society
| had detained all three children.
Vincent Pisarra, superintendent of
the society. who filed the charges
against the promoter of the Dempsey
Carpenter bout. said that after the
blanket charge of incorrigibility last
week the society physician examined
! them and found that the Ruck girl
alone showed indications of assault.
story of Girls.
Subsequently. he alleged. the girls
told this story:
Rickard had talked to them last fall
cults at Madison Square Garden and
then gave each of them a dollar. A
few days later they again. went to
the pool and he gave them each an
other dollar. The third time they
were there he asked If they would
hav M hut na< dc
Ciined.
Well. then come on up and see my
office" he, then was alleged to have
said.
According to Mr.. Pisarra's account.
the girls went to the office in the
tower of Madison Square Garden. the
same tower in which was located the
Stanford White studio that figured in
the Thaw case. where. they asserted.
;; Rickard improperly conducted him
self.
On the night Of December Is he was
accused of having taken Alice Ruck
and Anna Hess to the 47th street
apartment. said to have been leased
by another man. where. it was
charged. he assaulted the Ruck girl
and impaired the morals of her chum.
Denied by Attorney.
In a supplemental statement, Steuer
Richards attorney. said:
Il was retained by Mr.. !. Howard
Lehman. the attorney for Mr.. George
Rickard. to represent him in the
charge that was lodged against him
in the magistrates court this morn
ing.
subsequent to his arraignment
went over the alleged charge with
Mr.. Lehman and Mr.. Rickard and l
find that so far as they know. it is
absolutely and utterly without foun-
dation. The situation is mystifying.
Mr. ri G CT a mr. apf
gagged in considerable litigation and
undoubtedly has a number of very
bitter enemies.
We have not. up to this time, sue
ceeded In tracing the cause or origin
for this horrible accusation. Mr.
Rickard assures me that he is un-
acquainted with the person or persons
who make 1t I'D that he cannot con-
jure any cir1Hn0ances by reason of
which it slid have been made The
matter cafe to him as a complete
surprise. sle shall cause it to be very
thoroughly investigated and as soon
as we letrn the real facts will be
very glad to give them to the public"