New Britain herald., 1926-04-05
Skclly's Identification.

Hance, alleged slain by Dutch An derson was, not q material witness. Tt Is true" he said, that the dying man said Anderson got me- It is Just as true" asserted Groehl, "As skelly's statements that 'shean got me- l believe that Shean fired some or the shots." He also referred 10 anidavits of William o'Leary and his companion of New Britain 10 prove Chapman was not the man with shean at New Britain.
 Alcorn emphasized in his outline tho testimony Of Lillian Knell, fl waitress in the Old Colony Inn at Meriden, who told the court that chapman was at tho hotel. which is a few miles away from the scene Of the murder, on the night before the murder.
 MT. Groehl in his argument had also referred to the testimony of Louis kubeck. and Miss Knen and said that tho affidavit of Edward II. Higginson, father-in-law of Kubock, obtained only week ago. was to the effect that Kubeck did not soc Chapman at the Inn.
 Chapman Appears Calm
 chapman entered the room at 1o:45 o'clock. He sat down by Mir. Groehl. crossed his legs and rested his chin on hls right palm. two fingers resting along side of his check. in his characteristic pose. The condemned man was not vis- iblys nervous.
 Mir. Groehl began his plea for mercy, calling the governors at- tention to reasonable doubts" which had existed throughout the trial.
 GroehI's PIea
 When you take a life you can't return It." Mir. Groehl pleaded. When you say that this man ought 10 be hanged to keep him from breaking out of prison, it's nonsense and bunko." He looked at Mir Alcorn.
 There has been a strong. deter mined effort against this case. I say that advisedly, and," looking at the press table. T hope the press gets 1t strongly.
 "The United States did not nass upon the merits of this case" MT. 1 Groehl charged.
 "Thumbs Down." Coolidge Says Referring to the action of Presi. dent Coolidge In signing d com. mutation Of federal sentence that Chapman might be turned over to | Connecticut, Mir. Groehl said: When he said thumbs down 1t was thumbs down all along tho line.
 Bad as Chapman may have been, an enemy of society, if tho laws were followed he would have served his 25 year mail robbery sentence before being hanged. Pas sion and prejudice are all through this"
 Dcfies States Attorney
 Offering the affidavits of his new witnesses, MT. Groehl defled Mir Alcorn to attack them. At that mo- mcnt Samuel L. Cutler, Hartford automobile man. jumped to his feet T want to say something" he said loudly. Mir. Groehl turned. "Just be quiet. now" he said.
 At the long counsel table were Mir. Alcorn and his assistant, Mir Gideon, County Detective Hickey and deputy sheriff. A bag of docu- ments was laid upon the table.
 Woman Also Present
 It was noticed that with Chap mans counsel was woman un- known to others present, and R. Nelson Hickman, of Long Island. civil engineer and former naval of- tlcer, who had been mentioned by the defense counsel previously as a possible "albi" witness.
 Chapman Smiles
 Chapman smiled when Mir. Grochl told how all the witnesses against him during his trial wero permitted to see him for days be- fore they were asked to identify him.
 "oh. give him a chance" Mir. Grochl pleaded. Bring him among fen or fifteen persons and let him be identified properly"
 WOman's Affidavit
 Mir Groehl produced an entirely new affidavit from Mrs. Gertrude ONeil of Brooklyn, N. r., who said she saw Chapman about 9 o'clock on the night of October Il, 1924, the night before Policeman Skelly of New Britain was killed. He criticized Judge Newell Jen- nings for not letting his witnesses identify Chapman.
 "Oh, don't you see how unjust, how unfair. such q procedure is? Wouldn't you give a dog a better chance than that?" he asked.
 Judge Groehl declared that he received an affidavit from a woman whom he brought with him from tNNN l Ol DIc Stib IltAl lO 11lEk- man. He referred to her affidavit as vital, important and not con- sidered by Judge Jennings"
 CritlCizes Conn. Court
 Judge Groehl criticized procedure i In the Connecticut superior court after admitting that Chapman was Dad in some respects but innocent of this crime and should be pun ishcd only for what he had done. l Judge Groehl declared: T como from a sister state where procedure | is different, where we don't have 10 file our motions on the first Tues ! day in the month. Here I couldn't make a motion until my friend" making a gesture in Alcorn's direc- tion, consents that a motion can be made. i
 q have no right 10 ask a re- pricve today" he continued, but f it donp uon,,, hot 4bo.. l.