Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-09
Girl B0OT[EGGER
NO LONGER IN LOVE
Admits She Is IDisiIlusioned
After Desertion by Her
"Wonder Man"
WAS LURED BY LUXURY
BIZ Associated Press

New York. Aug. 9.-Details of the
unconventional romance, that finally
landed nineteen -year-old Mrs. Edith
Stevens in Jail as an alleged bootlcgger
queen were drawn from her lips when
she was recalled to the stand for cross
examination in Federal Court in Brook
lyn today at her trial for violation of
the NOlstead act.
She went calmly again over her story
of her first meeting with Anthony Cas-
sesc. alleged bootleggcr king. They met,
she said, in n cemetery, where he nearly
ran her down with his automobile. She
told of her first clnndpstine dinner with
him in n Fifth avenue hotel. her final
decision to abandon her poor young
husband for the wealth Cassese prom
iscd to shower on her and finally of
the cruise to the Bahamas on his yacht
-nnmcd in her honor-which resulted
in her arrest.
Thought Cargo Was Tobacco
She admitted she had sat once on the
deck and checked off the burlap bags
which were loaded into the hold. But
all the time. she insisted. she had
thought the cargo was tobacco.
81 was very much in love with Cas-
scsc.' she said. 81 did not ask about
the tobacco business, and / believed
him.,
care you still in love with him?"
demanded Assistant United States At.
torncy Blue.
Her eyes wavercd moment and then
she answered.:
mot any longer. I thought him n
wonder man--but I have found him
different"
Cassese disappeared after he and
Mrs. Stevens had been indicted. leaving
her. she declared. penniless.
Wallace Il. J. Collins, Mrs. Stevens
lawyer, intended to keep her from the
stand yesterday because of her Ill
health. but the prosecution objected.
She appeared not only willing but
anxious to testify in her own behalf.
and begged Mr.. Collins to grant the
wish of the Prosecutor. Her lawyer
then instructed her to tell briefly the
story of her life, in her own words,
but at each intimate expression As
sistant United States Attorney Blue
jumped up with an objection. This
was her story, so far as she was per-
mittcd to tell it, up to the time of
adjournment
Welded Life "HOnotOnOus"
"Whcn I was very little girl my
father was wealthy and we always
had everything that was lovely and
beautiful. (Objection). Well, any
way, then my father disappeared, and
soon | had to so to work. 1t was
awfully monotonOus. And then Mill
ton Hirsch came along and I married
him, thinking it would be better than
working, but it wasn't. (Objection.)
And one day | was just leaving the
cemetery. having visited the grave of
my uncle, when man in big car
nearly ran over me- That man was
in his car, and many times after that
he took me for long and lovely rides
The youthful Mrs. Stevens had a
distinct appreciation of the dramatic,
and punctuated her recital by snap
ping her black eyes.
"Mr. Cassesse told me he was very
wealthy, was single and lived with
his sister, she continued. He told
me of his cars. his yacht. of the beau
tiful clothes | might have. and also Of
the splcndors of Palm Beach, Miami.
! Nassau and Jacksonville. and asked if
! | would go with him. | wanted to 60.
Wei, anyway. all through the South
wc stopped at the biggest hotels, in
| very beautiful places.
Cassese Arrested
cone night when we were ut Nassau
! (>hr pronounced it Mar saw. he asked
me to go aboard his yacht in the harbor
/ Pretty soon another boat came along
! side and began unloading packages.
wrapped in burlnp, and Mr.. CasscSe
! checked them until the captain called
/ him. He asked me if | would take his
1 place for n few minutes. and because
| he doesn't often ask things, did. And
/ that is all | knew until when ] came
back TO New York. | learned that he
had been arrested for smuggling
whisky.'
The witness referred to n previous
case against Casscsc, ON whose boat, the
Edith, was found whisky. CasscAe.
! having been released under bail, told
her it would be necessary for him to
! visit the South again to get necessary
witnesses for his trial. He had asked
her to accompany him. and. because
'hc seldom asks twice. she agreed. and
together they arrived again at Nassau.
And then. one night, he asked me
! if | would go out to another boat he
had there, 80 he could see Il man. y
she continued in her testimony. "Of
course, went with him. And then
TWO boats came alongside ours and
some sailors started unloading more
uackAgcs. Mr.. CasScSe asked mo to
check them for Il while, 80 he could