Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-01-22
RICHARD STARS
|NEP|S0DE LIKE
THAVI' 8 DEFENSE
Girls Accuse Sports
Promoter of Assault in
Same Garden Tower.
Children S Society Be-
hind Arrest; Fight
Backer Denies Tale.

New York. Jan. 21-Tex. Rickard,
promoter of sporting events. was
charged in magistrates court Saturday
with criminal assault on 1o-year-oid
Alice Ruck, public school pupil and
daughter of an East Side merchant
Through counsel, Rickard, who sur
rendered on learning a bench warrant
had been issued. denied the charges,
society on complaint of the Ruck girl.
Two of her companions. Elvira
Renzie. II, and Anna Hess. II. wre
held as witnesses. The three girls ap-
peared in court clad in cheap dresses,
plain coats and cotton stockings. Their
parents were not present.
Parents Know Nothing of 1t
Seen later the parents professed to
have known nothing of the story until
called to court. Complaining that
their daughters were being held by the
Children's society they said that the
girls went to public school and were
home early at night All said they had
never heard of Rickard.
The Hess girls mother said she was
summoned to Il police station last Sat
urday night. where she was told her
daughter and the Ruck girl had been
given to the CbiIdren's society after
they had gone TO Bellevue hospital and
falsely reported having taken iodine.
Since then the society has detained all
three.
Anna Hess. detectives declare, fig
ured in similar charges made against
Angeles Beliery last November At
that time, they said, she and another
girl represented by the society for
the prevention Of cruelty to children.
alleged Beliery had attacked them.
The case was dismissed. however,
when physicians testified that the de-
fendant was incapable Of committing
the crime charged.
1t was learned that bench warrant
had been issued Friday afternoon.
Hearing Of it. Richard promptly sur
rendered himself in West Side court
with counsel. He was held in 81, 600
bail for examination January %.
Rickard said be had no statement to
make at this time.
Made Acquaintance at Pool
According to Vincent Pisarra, super
intendent of the ChiIdren's society. the
promoter of the Dempsey Carpenter
match and other famous bouts accosted
three girls last summer at the SWIM
ming pool which he ran in Madison
Square Garden. He also alleged that
Rckard took two of the girls. Alice
Ruck, Is, and Anna Hess. II, to an
apartment and later offered them some
wine. after which he was said to have
assaulted the Ruck girl in the garden
tower.
After complaint had been made to
the society, the three girls were held
on blanket charge of incorrigibiiity.
They were questioned by Assistant
District Attorney Sanberger, and then
the warrant was issued.
Came to Hospital with Tale
In his statement to the court, Pisar-
ra said:
''Alice Ruck and Anna Hess went
to Bellevue hospital a few days ago
and told physician there that they
were afraid TO go home because they
had remained out too late. They told
this physician also that they had both
taken iodine.
HE at once placed them under OBJ
servation and notified the Children's
society, which then took charge of
them. They were examined by DR..
Glib, of the society, who. according to
his statement, discovered that Alice
Ruck had been assaulted.
Stanford Whites Old Lair
Pisarra alleged the girls told this
story:
..Rickard had talked to them last
fall while they were in their swimming
suits at Madison Square Garden, and
then gave each a dollar. Later, they
again went to the pool and he gave
them each another dollar. The third
time he asked if they would have a
drink of wine, but they declined
"Well then, come up to see my of
fice,' he was alleged to have said.
According to Pisarra's account, the
girls went to the office in the tower of
Madison Square Garden, the same
tower in which was located the Stan
ford White studio that figured in the
Thaw case, where they asserted Rick
ard improperly conducted himself.
On the night of December Is, he
was accused of having taken Alice
Ruck and Anna Hess to the apartment
said to have been leased by another
man, where, it is charged, he assaulted
The Ruck girl and impaired the morals
Of her chum.
Hints It's Enemies Move
After entering a plea of not guilty |
or his client, Attorney Max p. Steuer |
ssued the following statement.
MIR. Rickard is the most surprised |
nan in the world. He had nothing to |
10 with this case. He knows nothing !
bout it. =
/ In supplemental statement, Steuer
lOontin I'D on Psse Eishtl
n