Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-29
AUGUSTA WOOD working Plant
BURNS WITH LOSS OF 100000
CASE OF ANDERSON
ACCUSED FORGERY
GOES TO JURY TODAY

New York, Jan. 2S-William Fl.
Anderson, state superintendent of
the AntiSaloon League Of New
York, today completed his defense
against the charge Of third degree
forgery and it is expected his fate
will be in the keeping of the jury
tomorrow afternoon.
Today's trial events produced an
expert on accounting for books, a
publicity agent who professed to
have been one of the men who work.
ed for the mysterious Henry Mann"
the person said by Anderson to have
directed the S24,700 publicity cam
paiSn, for the Anti-Saloon League,
and SIX character witnesses who
said hey firmly believed in the
league heads integrity and honesty.
With the admittapce of the last
character testimony in AndersonS
behalf both the prosecution and de-
tense announced their cases had been
completed. Supreme Court Justice
Tompkins adjourned court to to-
morrow morning, when Attorneys for
both sides will sum up and the court
will instruct the jury.
hO my SteIlOuS IicIlTS MduD,
vanished publicity agent named by
Anderson as the man who directed a
publicity campaign for the league at
cost of $24,700 which the league
head claims to have advanced from
funds presented to him by the equal
ly mysterious John T. Kirg" was
brought into the case today by
Miller j. Bloomer, publisher and
political press agent.
Bloomer, who said he was the
publisher of &c. O. P.' 4 paper is
sized in each presidential campaign
year. testified th2t "Henry Mann"
had called on him in his Harlem Of
flee in June, 1913, and asked him to
direct q state wide publicity cam
paign for the Anti-Saloon League.
He agreed. he said. For fourteen
month";. he testified, he prepared
and disseminated news copy and
plate" matter for the papers of the
state.
But Bloomer. under cross exam
inGtion. admitted to little knowledge
concerning Mann, He had never
heard of him before Mann" called
on him in June. 1918; he saw him
thrice weekly during his fourteen
months employ, and always in his
Bloomer's) Offices; he had not seen
or heard of him since 1919, when he
came across him in the Hotel Savoy,
London. He had never discussed
: Mann with any person. he said,
because Mann" had requested him
not to do so.
MANN" Bloom = added was an
utter stranger to him at the time he
asked him to undertake the leagues
publicity work Asked If Mann"
had ever spoken of John T. King"
Bloomer replied in the negative. Nor
did he know anyone else, he added,
who knew Mann"
The days first witness was Perley
Morse. an expert accountant, whose
testimony was INTENDED to prove that
there was no fraudulent intent in
the transfer of an item Of $4,000
> from the salary to the expense ac-
count of Q. Bcrtsall Phillips. former
fund solicitor for the league. 1t
was on Phillips complaint that An
derson had compelled him TO split
. collection commission with him that
the forgery Indictment against the
league head was based.
Morse contended that the entries
were an Terror" that they were
''mercly statistical" had no "bool<-
, Keeping significance" and probably
! had been made because of IAN in
i come tax mudd!e."
| After several character witnesses
| had testified for Anderson. affirming
! their belief in his integrity and hon
| esty. Pecora stipulated that he would
! agree that the testimony of all other
J such witnesses should be admitted
without the formality of calling them
! to the stand.