New Britain herald., 1927-12-02
REMUS RAVED 24
 HOURS ONE TIME
Berger Describes Bootleg King
 to Doubling Prosecutor
WITNESS ATTACKS TAFT
los Angeles Millionaire, Testifyins For Defense, Has Verbal Battle With Young Attorney - Declares
 He Knows Defendant Was Insane

Cincinnati, O., Dec 2 LP - The prosecution in George Remus' mur- der trial today drove al John f. Berger. Los Angeles millionaire. in an effort to blur the sharply lined picture of an insane love slayer he depicted yesterday.
 The defense completed It's direct examination of Berger with two questions:
 Have you formed an opinion as to Remus' mental condition prior to Oct. last, when he killed his wife ?' asked Charles H. Elston, co-counsel with and for Remus. Yes, respondtI Berger. Was he sane CT insane?" Insane"
 Prosecutor Charles P. Taft i'm. mediately launched into an effort tc pin Berger down to specific dates Of his association with and tale-bearine to, Remus.
 Talking In very plain English. I saw him Dec. 1 5 or 16,' Berger shot at his cross examiner after one uues- tion. There's no use of your sit ting there and trying to puzzle me up. MT. Taft"
 Sought Reconciliation Berger. upon direct examination. told in detail of his efforts to bring about a reconciliation between Mrs. Remus and Remus, and the violent outbursts by Remus when the name Of Franklin l.. Dodge. Jr, of Lan- sing, Mich. was associated with that Of his wife. Dodge. former agent of the fed eral department of justice. obtained the evidence upon which Remus, who then had deserted his Chicago legal practice to become the "king of bootlcggers, was convicted and sentenced to the Atlanta, Ga, fed l. eral penitentiary. The sole plea of the defendant was that an association which sprang up between Dodge and Mrs. Remus drove him insane, a condi- tion from which be now has recov- cred.
 An Elusive Witness Berger proved an elusive witness under cross examination. Calling himself a boyhood friend of Remus, Berger said he had not seen Remus for IS years until they met at St. Louis, in November, 1925. Remus then just had been releas- ed from the penitentiary. Berger immediately plunged into protracted effort to restore har- mony to his re-discovered friend s household.
 Finally he had to report to Re mus, he said, that his wife was hopelessly infatuated with Dodge and that & reconciliation was impos- sible.
 An outstanding bit of Berger testimony was that upon that occa- sion Remus raved violently for "24 consecutive hours.' Taft took each Of those PA con- secutive hours apart and tried to force Berger to describe them min ute by minute.
 You went Up to the Statler hotel in St. Louis with your wife to see Mrs. Remus, didn't you?" asked Taft.
 q wish you'd keep my family out of this" demanded the witness.
 Answer the question" directed Judge Shook.
 Rerper denied he had eOupht to obtain s20,000 or s25,o00 from Mrs. Remus for her husband. He denied he had told Mrs. Remus that he had seen Remus in Indianapolis, ema- ciated and with old clothes hanging on his frame.
 Yes, sir" shouted Berger, II of fered to let Mrs. Remus keep several hundred thousand dollars of Remus money if she would return most of Remus' property"
 "No Presonal Threats"
 Had not threats os personal vio- lence, which such details as break ing her arms and legs. been made to Mrs. Remus through him, de- manded Taft.
 MT. Taft" shouted Berger, hall arising In the witness box and point ing a forefinger at the young prose cutor. that's a manufactured lie Taft asked If threats had no' been made to treat Dodge worse
 No. No!" shouted Berger. spell ling and pronouncing the word.