New Britain herald., 1925-04-02

week about I o'clock, we saw a
 light in the storeroom from the
 al!eyway. One of the three men
 we saw before must have had the
 same access as VIC had. Anderson
 or l. This mob, as he (shean)
 called it, had more freedom than
 we did.
 "On this evening during the first l of September, VIC met some of these
 men as we were putting the car in
 at night l had met Benny in July
 or August and had a nodding ac- quaintance with him. We had these
 two bags but also quite q bit of
 other matter and were waiting until Shean returned.
 "Shean handled all of this stuff for them. Of, course, I can't go into the detailed conversation we had but the result of the thing was that they wanted to know If there was a fence out West. A fence I might explain, is a man who would handle stolen things. I didn't encourage this because I didn't know then very well.
 Anderson had talked with them in August and he proposed to send the things to Muncie to place call ed, think, the Hub. He heard there was a man there who was a fence and he was accustomed to buying interstate shipments, that is, freight stolen in transit. The result was that toward the end of the week Anderson and two others went in the car 10 Muncie. Ind. I don't know the details of the transaction but the result was that Anderson told me that the stuff was too high grade for NJ. Puckett, I think his name was, to handle. The stuff was shipped back an on their return, we advised Shean of the fact. That is the entire history of my acquaint- ance with this stuff
 Were you ever before charged with murder?:" asked Groehl.
 Charged? No, but was often credited with it by the newspapers. This got to be sort of a pastime with them, I guess,H
 He said Shean had often used the car and on the last time brought it back with the speedometcr dis connected.
 .. Had Interest In Rum Ship
 After Groehl had signallcd Chap man to leave the stand the prisoner after conferring with the lawyer, re- curned to it and turned to the jury and explained that he wanted to tell of the sawed of shotguns found in his car.
 He and his assistants, he said had | a 18th. interest in q rum runner l which smuggled whiskey from Der muda. The guns were used, he said in standing guard aboard the rum runner to stand off possible m jackers."
 The schooner brought 1900 to 14O0 cases of liquor on each trip" he said. The guns also were used h protecting the liquor when it was ashore.
 The defense rested its case when Chapman le1t the stand and the began it's rebuttal.
 Rebuttal Witnesses Testify
 Samuel Misca, proprietor of the Crooked Lake hotel just outside of Troy, N. Y, was the first rebuttal witness called by the state. He said that George Stgyvescant of Troy the man Edward l.. Johnson identified as the murderer in New York the middle of November last year, was not in New York city on October F.
 Miscla was asked if the name of his hotel signif1ed anything by Judge Groehl and he said it did not. He said he had been convicted of crime once, Alcorn then asked him what The crime was and in spite of an ob- jcction by defense counsel Miscla was allowed to answer that he was fined for violating the Volstead act,
 Captain Frederick Puckett of the AIuneie police was the second and last rebuttal witness called by either side and he was not allowed 10 an- swcr any of the questions asked him by States Attorney Alcorn. Al 'orn attempted to establish the act that when Chapman attempted O shoot at the police when he was he knew they were officers ,t the law.
 When Puckett left the stand AL ,orn announced that the states case vas closed and at just 12;SO o'clock Attorney Nathan O. Freedman. unior defense couhsel, announced hat the defense rested.
 Judge Clears Court Room
 Judge Jennings announcedA that 'ecess would be taken at that time :o that arguments could be started It the opening of the afternoon ses- ion. He gave orders 10 Sheriff Dewey that everybody except court I ,ficiale. members or the bar. mem- ,ers Of tho press and witnesses were O be excluded until o'clock and hen seats could be taken by spec {