Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1924-03-22
ROX|E ST|NSON
QUESTIONED IN
ALLEGED PLOT
To BIackmaiI Attorney Gen.
eraI as the Probe Is
Continued
CALLS 1T A "FRAME-UP"
Gives Her Version of Affair
in Cleveland HoteI-Gives
Sensational Testimony
CALLS 1T A "FRAME-UP'

WASHINGTON, March 22.-Roxie
Stinson, divorced wife of the late
Jess w. Smith, today told the
Daugherty investigating committee
her version of the affair in a Cleye-
land hotel in which the attorney
general charged she was registered
with A. L. Fink of Buffalo, N. Y,
as man and wife, and made an at
tempt to blackmail him (the attor-
ney genraD for s150.000.
Miss Stinson's reply to the attor-
ney generals charges in that regard
was that it WAS "a frameup".
Her version was that she went to
Cleveland to meet Fink, to talk over
a big deal and had him to dinner
in her room. There, said, Fink told
her he had registered them under
fictitious name. Miss Stinson said
she was incensed when she learned
of 1t. Later, she said. Fink came
and told her they both were under
arrest for registering under fictI-
tious names. and they were headed
for the bars unless sne promised to
say nothing damaging to Harry
Daugherty.
Miss Stinson began by taking up
Mr.. Daugherty's charges in detail.
First she denied that she was a
disappointed woman" and declar-
ed Smith had never led her to be-
lieve that she was TO be his sole heir
Just utterly false" said Miss
Smith of the attorney generals
charge that she had attempted to
Capitalize her silence"
Before Miss Stinson began. SEN
ator Wheeler. Democrat. Montana,
in charge of the inquiry. declared
Mr.. Daugnerty had done "a dirty
cowardly trick" in making charges
of blackmail against her in his re-
cent statement. Miss Stinson' +
ewes poured tears during Senator
Wheeler's statement.
Chairman Brookhart read last
nights statement by Attorney Gen.
eral Daugherty and emphasized his
comment upon the committee leav-
ing unnoticed the department's rec
ords of liquor prosecutions.
"I got the record from the de-
partment last night after the state
ment was issued" Chairman Brook
hart said.
"Has Mr.. Daugherty seen fit to eA-
plain what official position Jess w
Smith had in the Department OF
j
Democrat, Arizona.
"He has not" Chairman Brook
hart responded.
"We ought to let that be explained
BIZ the attorney general, who has
not yet come TO the stand" Senator
Jones, Republican, Washington, put
in.
Former Senator Chamberlain OF
II a n ar
that counsel had not been allowed
to cross examine witnesses, par
ticularly Roxie Stinson and CASTOR
3. Means.
Miss Stinson is here, you'll have
your opportunity today" said Senator
Wheeler. "She has been sick-ano
the reason is that the attorney gen.
eral has stopped to the unmanly and
indecent thing of attacking her char-
acter."
A young man named Lyle John
son, Miss Stinson said, VINO repre-
sented himself as coming from
Washington, offered her Sl,OOo 1oi
a lead on where to go to get ln1or-
nation. Miss Stinson said she re-
fused to give any Information -. :.
ANYBODY until after she talked with
Senator Wheeler.
For six months before his death
less smith had been in fear, Miss
Stinson said. and the last evenint
thew had together, he spent mostly
in telling what not to tell and what
books and papers to destroy.
Some of Mr.. Daugherty's state
ments. she said, were gossip, in
competent and malicious. She men
toned this, she said, because jess
Smith was enmeshed in unsavorS
deals, through his great loyalty &c
an unscrupulous man.
"I hate to abuse confidence, said
Miss Stinson. / am doing 1t to show
YOU that Jess Smith was enmeshed
and entangled.'
"Enmeshed and entangled by
whom?"
''By the man to whom he held his
great loyalty" Miss Stinson went on
''The man who is using his greai
power to terrorize and intimidats
witnesses