New Britain herald., 1929-12-04
COUPLE HELPS IN
 MMANUS DEFENSE
Bridegroom Says He Was Not in
 Room During Murder

Criminal Courts Building, New York, Dec, f (P}-Testmony favor able to the defense, that a couple . occupying room in the Park Gen. ltal hotel November f. 1928. adjoiu- Ing Room 349, where the state says Heorge MCManus shot Arnold Roth . stein that night. heard no shot or - noise between 1O:3O and II D. m. was oNcrthrown by a state witness today.
 sidney Oringer. of Mount Vernon. N 1., was called to the stand iden- med himself as the occupant Of t'oom 347 that night but said he and HIS bride Of q few hours were not 4 ln the room between 1O:30 and II D. m. the night of November 4. ;n 'act. he said, they were eating ther wedding supper with friends in an- other hotel at that hour They did not go to Room 347 until a. nl.. November ,.
 Detectives Story Differs
 Yesterday Detective Patrick Flood l@Stified under cross ss-eXaminatjon by James D. (. Murray. defense coun- 'Hl, that he had interviewed third floor guests at the Park Central that tight and believed the occupants of Room S47 told him they were in the loom between 10:3o and II and lloard no unusual sounds.
 Murray questioned Oringor today |ao to whether he told Flood that he was in the room at that hour, but Oringcr said he had not.
 Walter J. Walters, an cmployc of the Riverside Drive apartment house where McManus lived was the first witness called 10 the stand today in McManus' trial for murder.
 He testified that on the night Jtothstein was shot McManus' chauf- feur, Willie Essenheim. came to the apartment and got an ovcrcoat. The chauffeur has been missing since that night.
 McManus' ovcrcoat was found in room 349 of the Park Central that night. The state contends McManus s:n his haste to leave the alleged mur- der scene picked up Rothstein'S overcoat instead of his own.
 The state points to the fact that , McManus was missing for three weeks after the shooting as q "con. tession of guilt"
 Walters testified further that Me Manus' wife and servants left the , apartment the next day, apparently in such haste that they left money lying around the house and the rooms disordcred.
 Asked If He Stole Property
 You stole everything out of that apartment that wasn't nailed down. didn't you?" James D. C. Murray asked as he rose to cross-cNaminc. Are you insinuating that did 9" '1ho heavy set witness asked, hcated- ly.
 "Answcr the question:" Murray commanded.
 No. l didn't take a thing" Wal ters answered.
 There were five cases Of ale in that apartment, wasn't thcrc?" Mur- Aray asked.
 The witness said there were and that he had taken them cut on the order of the owner of the building.
 You drank it. didn't you?" Mur- ray asked.
 No"
 He was excused and Jack Great. drug store owner, was called to the stand.
 Great testified that on Sunday afternoon, November 4, 1928, he look two pints of whislcy to Me Manus in d room in the Park Gen. trGl. He said he saw in the room with McManus, Hyman Biller and a blonde-haired woman.
 We concede it was Ruth Reyes, Murray said, interruptinG,
 Mrs. Reyes Of Oregon. lll,. was 3 2uest in the Park Central that day md had told the district attorney -he had drinks with McManus. who she knew then only as "Jack' that ;fternoon. With defense concedin2 Shc was there her calling as a wit ness was made unnecessary. Under cross examination Great ~aid McManus was sober and omil- 'ng as usuar' when he saw him in room 349.