New Britain herald., 1926-04-19
WH|TTEMORE TRIAL
 OPENS IN BUFFALO
Extreme Precautions Taken to
 Prevent Escape

 trial of Richard Reese Whittemore. rohber gang leader. for the murder of Charles Clifford, bank car driver, during q 5eS.0o0 robbery here last October. got under way here this forenoon.
 Twenty policemen and a number of deputy sheriffs held back q great crowd that collected about the city hall seeking admission to the court room on the second floor of the south wing No ono was allowed in the room except those having business there during the drawing of the jurors by order of Supreme Court Justice Noonan, who Is presiding at the trial.
 Unusual Precautions
 The prisoner was brought to the courtroom by way of an underground tunnel connecting with the Erie county jail. He was manacled to two deputy sheriifs and guarded by eight others. He seemed unconcerned and confident,
 Soon after Whittemore was brought in District Attorney Guy E. Moore moved the trial under tndict- ment charging the murder Of Cliff ford. Whittcmore is charged In an- other indictment with killing Lewis Warrington. bank guard, in the same holdup.
 W. Bartlett Sumner, chief defense counsel appointed by the court to defend Whittomore, started that to his knowledge Mrs, Margaret Whit temorc, the tiger girl' was not in Buffalo and could not appear at tho trial.
 As the selection of a jury started, Justice Noonan informed the de- fendant of lis constitutional right 10 object 10 the selection of any jurors. Then the questioning of the first man of the panel of prospective jurors started.
 Fear that Whittemore's friends In the underworld might try on" of the bold strokes for which they are fam ous and attempt rescue, prompted Police Chief Higgins and Sheriff Tyler to take these measures. In the court room also all the attorneys will be armed, detectives in plain clothes will be scattered through the section reserved for spectators. Depends on Witnesses District Attorney Guy Bomore will depend i'll large measure upon idnnt!- fcutionsS Of Whitten1ore by eye wit nrases Of the holdup and dorhlG
 aurdcr Of last October, sb!t he also claims to have certain evidence that has been gus rded from public and which lie declared will clinch his case and send Whittomore to the electric chair.
 Mr. Moore will have charge Of the prosecution assisted by Waite r Hoffheins, his chief deputy, W. Bart" lett Sumner and Melvin Greene, law ycrs 2pDuinted by the court to de- !,nd Whittcmore have been working for ten days to build up an alibi for heir client Sumner visited New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia and claims to have found 8 number Of witnesses who will sN ear that Whittemore was far from Buffalo 3 [ he time of the October crime. These ] witnesses, Sumner says, arc not from inc underworld but business men and others with whom Whittenlore "ame in contact in the ordinary pur. suits of life.
 Wife May Appear , Speculation is rife aS to whether Mrs Margaret Whittemore, wife sof the bandit will appear at the trial Attorney Greene said that So far as he knew Mrs. Whittemore vas not in Buffalo. as had been reported but that she could be brought hero within a day if her presence vas wanted for the defense,
 Whittemoro is q morose and ugly prisoner, according to the guards and rosents the precautions taken by Jailor Lieb who places his prisonec in a different cell every night and searches his clothing frequently. These measures have been followed since the receipt of a package of writing paper addressed 10 the pris- oner and the finding of hacksaw blades hatWeen the sheets Of DanHr.