The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-05-26
Becker May Have
Fired Fatal Shot
Continued From Page One.)
Bandits Fired First.


kraut drove the car. Dunn and
Sidney E. Tibbals. assistant cashier
OF the Connecticut company, both say
the men in the car fired first. So DO
other witnesses. They all say the
shots came from the front seat. lib
balls and Dunn also describe both at
tackers as dressed in blue suits. This
would indicate the attackers to have
been Seretoff and KiVtatt- II TINS
can be established Becker could be
called upon to face an addltlonal
charge of murder.
Additional color is given this theory
because of the fact that the dead man
was so terribly torn with the smell
that it would indicate a shot fired at
close range. 1t would very easily be
possible for a man to turn his back
Instantly in getting into an automo-
bile that was moving rapidly, and the
fact that he fell dead in the foot space
in the rear of the machine would ind1-
cate that he died instantly upon en-
tering the car.
Coroner John j. Phelan first placed
DR.. Robert Phelan, Stratford medical
examiner, on the stand. He told of
the results of the autopsy.
The autopsy performed by Dr.
Robert Phelan, medical examiner OIL
Stratford, disclosed the fact that the
bullet that killed Stone, hit him
through the back, went through the
bandits body, and has not been re-
covered. The bullet severed the pull
monary artery. causing several hem
orrhages, and probably almost instant
death. The pleural cavity was hood
ed with blood. as was the pericardlal
sack.
Denied Seeing Shooting.
George H. Crosson, 1917 Chapel
street, New Haven, chief clerk OF the
Bridgeport division of the ConnectlGut
Company, followed on the stand. He
denied that he or Supt. J. B. Potter
saw Dunn fire the shot, supposed to
have killed the bandit. Seretof. es-
terday Crosson told a Times reporter
that he, on the street, and Potter in a
window above, saw Dunn fire. Today
he stated that Potter was not a wit
ness. His testimony didn't amount to
much and he was on the stand but a
short time.
nue., a dispatcher for the Connecticut
Company, was a good witness and
showed the good use of his head I'M
mediately following the holdup. Gr1f-
fin was perhaps a hundred feet ahead
of Dunn and Tibbals with the payroll,
when he heard the commotion be-
hind He turned. saw the men in the
street: saw the automobile, ana
thought there had been an accident
and that the motorists were attempt
ing to evade responsibility. He took
the number of the car, Conn. S2-242.
Communicated Car.
With Sergeant Burns of the Bridge
port police and Charles Hoyt, special
officer at Polfs theatre, they COM
a car owned by a man
named Gallagher. They followed
the fleeing bandits through Housa-
tonic, to Washington avenue, over the
Berkshire bridge. and lost track OF
the car, going through to STRAIT
ford center. He mentioned officers
aalpin, MCNAMARA, McI4ain, serg;
Leonard E. Holmes, acting sergeant
of the Stratford Police Department,
and Chief Allan Judson of the STRAIT
ford Fire Department, as being among
the first in action.
nue., assistant cashier of the Connec-
ticut company, and one of the as
saulted men, stated that the money
stolen and recovered totalled slightly
over $4,000.
First statements to the police gave
he amount as $4,000. but salaries
for Office help, repafrmen, and Zine
men had been taken out before the
7ff.
TibbaIs' Version
ST heard heavy steps behind me on
the walk shortly after we left the
building, and I turned just in time to
get a blow on the forehead. I got
several other blows on the head, one
Of which opened wound. 1 also re-
ceived a blow on the hand. and my
are DIdCh dI4 DIuS, SlSAlto
ribbals 81 was in bed "a hours COW
ered with ice bags. l didn't see the
face of nv aSsallant but I know he
wore a blue suit and struck me with
wrapped in paper;
81 was too busy with myself to see
what was happening to Dunn I was
1azed, but when 1 came to L was
standing. Dunn was just getting up.
His gun was behind him on the
street. Before he could reach it sew
aral shots came from the automobile.
Dunn returned the fire. 1 was so
LACED that the shots sounded like the
'eports of a cap pistol
Chief Beardsley a Witness.
Assistant Chief George M. Boards
ley of the Bridgeport Fire depart
nent was in front of the headquar-
.ers on Middle street. testing a siren.
Sc saw The scuffle and thought it
box thrown in the back seat
Of an automobile that disappeared
north on Housatonic avenue.
Frank NJ. Holbrook. detective ser
yeant, who lives at "a Herkimer
street, gave part of a signed statement
for Leroy Gahris. $50 Fairfield ave-
hue, who was an eyewitness to the
affair. He, too. in his statement was
positive the first shots came from the
automobile. The statement was made
before Capt. Regain of the Detective
bureau. Holbrook told of the find
ng of the gun in the bandit car; of
&iviatt's statement 20 him that he
lad entered the Job" to get money
20 go West to seek a cure for ruber-
ulosis SO that he might not be a
burden on his family; and of Becker
elling him of a night spent in a
ocal rooming house before the LOB
vas pulled"
Robert Beecher. attorney of New
own, will assist in the defense of |
he accused bandits. none of whom |
S yet talked to counsel Kiviatt's |
'rother was in the city last night, |
rying to arrange for defense for all |
4 the men, it is believed.
Dunn TeStifieS.
William Dunn, clerk for the Con- |
ecticut company. who is technically |
cid for the shooting of Seretoff, and |
yho lives on Otis street, Stratford, not |
ar from the Barnum terrace location |
there the bandits rid themselves of |
be money, followed on the stand. His !
estimony~ and that of Tibbals was /
radically the same.
Acting Sergeant Leonard 2. |
iolmes, Stratford police department,
4 a quiet unaSsun1ing way told of |
with two young boys
ointing him the way, plunged into /