Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-03-25
A[|b| DEFENSE
Of TEX RICHARD
To GIRL s STORY
Sports Promoter Will
by Testimony of 9th
ers Say, Not There.
Referred to His Cellar
in Asking Janitor to-
Keep Mum to Sleuths.

New YORK, March IA composite
account of the purported actions OF
Tex Rickard during the day of Novem-
ber i2 was given Friday by half a
dozen witnesses called to establish an
aibi for the sports promoter against
the charge that on that date he GRIM
inaIly assaulted Sarah SchoenfeId, i5-
year-oid school girl. Upon this charge
supreme court Jury is trying Rtckard.
Friends and business associates Of
the promoter testified that he worked
at his office in Madison Square Garden
throughout the forenoon Of November
IL, and witnessed the Penn Dartmouth
football game at the Polo grounds that
afternoon. From the game they said
he returned to his office, then went
home for dinner, and later visited the
garden again, remaining there until
after 10 O'Clock.
AIibi Covers Hours Girls Named
Earlier in the trial, Sarah Schoen-
field and her l2-year-oId churm. Nellie
Gasko, told the jury they met Rickard
at the garden about 8 O'Clock that
afternoon and that he told them to be
at an apartment house in West Forty
seventh street that night at 7:30. Both
girls swore they kept the appointment
and Sarah testified that the alleged as.
sau|t occurred that evening.
Max D. Steuer. Richards chief
counsel, Friday told the Jury it would
be proved that Rickard had used the
basement Of the house as storage
place for his private liquor stock and
that he had been there only once, and
liquor.
Roosevelt Praises Rickard
Late in the afternoon and at night a
number of character witnesses were
called in, among them Kermit Roose-
velt. son of the former president, and
Denver s. Dickerson, who was gov
ernor of Nevada when Rickard staged
the Jeffries- johnson fight at Reno,
and who knew the promoter years be-
fore when Rickard conducted gambling
houses and saloons at Goldfield and
Rawhide. New, then bustling mining
towns.
Kermit Roosevelt was subjected to
strenuous quizzing by the prosecution.
He said he first met Rickard in South
America 10 years ago. and that his
family and the Richards had since be-
come intimate friends.
Roosevelt said he always had known
Rickard as an honest. outstanding man
and that he and his brothers and his
father-in-law We're associated with the
promoter in the ownership of a coffee
house in tI1e Times square theater dis
trict.
Governor Says Good Word
G.. p. Dam, who knew Rickard in the
Klondike, said his reputation at Nome
was as high as that Of any man in the
town. John Drake. grayhaired oil
and mining man. who knew Rickard in
the west, said he was Of 100 per cent
character. Former Governor Dick
erson explained that at the time Rick
ard ran gambling houses in Nevada it
was lawful to do so.
Never Had 'em in Auto, He Says
Richards counsel denied that the
ever had gone motoring with
either Sarah or 12-year old Nellie Gas
ko. the corroborating witness for the
Steuer said his client knew nothing
Of the two girls except that Sarah had
once come u Madison Square Garden.
where her mother had asked his aid in
obtaining the release of the child's
brother. imprisoned in Milwaukee,
Outlining the defense. Steuer said
thnt the prosecution would have to
prove the offense occurred on the night
of Novembr II. 1921. between 7:3O
0 clock aud 10 o'clock. according to the
story told by the girls. AS Rickard
never kept a diary, Steuer added. he
could always recall the past by look
ing at the record of events that had
taken place at the Garden. and with
glance at these records to refresh his
memory. the promoter recalled that No
vember II was no ordinary day in his
life.
Was Busy Day for Rickard
Steuer said he would show that in
The morning Rickard went to the Gar
len: that at 1890 o'clock he went to
he Polo Grounds to watch the Dart
mouth Pennsylvania football game, ac-
by his secretary and pub
icity manager and that there he had
exchanged commits with newspaper
sporting writer and big BilI' Ed
wards. former Princeton gridiron star.
That he had return to the Garden
o prepare for dance to take place
here that night.
That he had returned home for din
Ter with Mrs. Rickard. as would be
proved by the testimony of young
woman who had been the Richards
week end guest.
That Mrs. Rickard had been taken
II and a physician summoned.
Took Guest to Dance
That. later, he had taken his guest |
md another woman to the dance at |
he Garden and then returned home.