New Britain herald., 1926-04-26
BRIBERY CHARGES
 IN MURDER TRIAL
Defense Witness Alleged Paid in
 WhitteInOTe Case
ACCUSED MAKES DENIAL
Man Who Appears In Behalf of Ran dit Suspect Denies Mrs. Nhittc- more Paid Him To Testify-Eyi- dcnce Is All In Now.

Buffalo, N. Y, April 25 Lpp-An attempt to impeach the testimony of Alfred Gugginsberg of Lancaster, the star witness for the state in the trial of Richard Reese Whittemorc for the murder Of bank employe in s9S,O00 robbery here last Octo- Der, marked the opening Of court to- day. Gugginsberg had testified that he had talked with Whittemore in ! front of the Bank of Buffalo where the holdup was staged a few min utes before the crime was commit ted and later saw him take part ill the shooting.
 Denies Being Bribcd
 Mike Melandnos restaurant keep CT, testified in rebuttai of the Gug- gisburg testimony, that the latter | had told him he expected reward of s1,500 for his testimony and would buy car with the money.
 Questioned by District Attorney Moore, Malandnos denied that ho had been bribed with money brought 10 Buffalo by Mrs. White more, Saturday.
 In giving his reason for his pres ence at the bank the morning of the robbery, Gugginsberg had said he was waiting to make deposit. The defense called Roy w. Clarke. bank clerk, who testified Guegins- berg hadn't made a deposit for two | years.
 Mrs. WhittcmOre Present Mrs. Whttenore was in the court room as was the defendants father, Rawlings V. Whittemore of Balt- more. | Whittemore received this morning q letter advising him to pray and as- serting that if he did everything would come out all right. JaiIer Charles Lieb expressed the belief the nissive was written by a crank.
 The tG.,iing of testimony was final ly conclsded with the questioning of Detectives J. J. Cronin and Walter c. Sullivan of New York city. and Attorney W. Bartlett Sumner began his summation for the defense. Involves Two Others The detectives stated that White more when in detention cell in the Tombs asked If he were to be | brought to Buffalo. When they re- piled in the affirmative, they said Whittemore asserted If l burn. won't burn alone. Those other two rats will burn too."
 1 The detectives said Whittemore explained that he referred to An thony Paladino and William Unkle- bach, members of the Randy Kids gang who have made confessions. Under cross examination by Attor- ney Sumner the detectives asserted that neither Paladlno nor UnklehaCh had mentioned the Bank of Buffalo robbery in their confessions and that | Whittemore had made no confession to participation in the crime here. Auto Is Identified
 Max A. Satz, a druggist who op- crates a store In Columbus Circle. five blocks from the place where " illt'Nihpl Y Is dlltBfh lb IldNt ptfIl \ living a. short time previous to the robbery here, testified that he had today identified the automobile used by the robbers as his machine which was stolen September 80, 1925.
 District Attorney Moore was per mitted over the objections Of Sum- ner 10 introduce in evidence two cards of matches which were found in the abandoned machine. These cards bore the name of a company at c1 Broadway. New York city. The district attorney said these matches were gotten by the robbers from a place near which the Whiitcmoro gang had admitted frequenting.
 Two pictures Of Whittemore were introduced in evidence by the state and a picture of Harry Harris all leged gang leader who was first mentioned as Q suspect. was placed In evidence by the defense.