Evening star., 1939-11-17
Jury Expected 10 Get
1892 Bank Robbery
Case Today
Lowyer Testifies
Employees Identified
Him as Robber

Closing arguments by opposing
counsel were due today before JUS
tice Peyton Gordon in Criminal
Court No / Of District Court in the
case of four men charged with rob-
bing the Washington Mechanics
Savings Bank Branch. 1908 Georgia
avenue NV, of $9,02l on June 10.
1882, as the three-day trial drew to
an end. The jury was expected to
get the case during the day.
Accused as bank robbers are
Barney Neufield, who is represented
by Attorney. Abraham Solomon of
New York City; James Foley, who is
represented by Attorney Richard L.
Tedrow; Joseph Flynn, represented
by Attorney Levi H. David, and
Samuel Rubin, represented by At
torney Robert l. Miller.
Attorney Denny Hughes took the
witness stand for the defense yester-
day afternoon and told the jury he
had been identified as one of the
robbers by bank employees, but police
had laughed and told them he was
d lawyer 1OT SuSpcCt.
Bank Employees Testify.
Assistant United States Attorney
William S. Tarver, who as a re-
porter for The Star covered" the
bank holdup, is prosecuting the case.
In an attempt to rebut Mr.. Hughes
testimony, he had seven of the bank
employees and Detective Sergt. Frank
Q. Brass take the witness stand.
They said none of them had iden-
titled him as robber. Mr.. Tarver
also had the seven employees brought
into the courtroom, while Mr..
Hughes was still on the witness
stand, look at him and then return
to the witness room. Mr.. Hughes
testified he could not positively
identify these witnesses as those in
the bank at the time.
Mr.. Hughes related that he went
to the bank and was taken to an
office in the rear with his client,
who was under suspicion as one of
the robbers at that time, but later
exonerated. More in the spirit of
fun," Mr.. Hughes testified, he sug-
gested lineup" Some eight people
connected with the bank came in
and were told by the police to look
them all over and say nothing.
That's the Man"
The lawyer told the court and jury
he was asked to say "Stick 'em up"
and Stand over there" and then
there came from the witnesses, the
entire group: That's the man"
Then police told them he was
lawyer and they laughed.
Il have absolutely no interest in
this case" said Mr.. Hughes in re-
sponse to a query, "and I don't
know any of the defendants"
A deposition, taken from Detec-
tive Sergt. John w. Wise at Mount
Alto Hospital yesterday afternoon,
was read to the jury this morning
shortly after court convened by Mr..
David, In which the officer said that
ne does not remember going up to
the bank with Mr.. Hughes or that
Mr.. Hughes was picked out of
lineup. Further, Mr.. Wise said in
the deposition, he did not recall
whether Mr.. Hughes was at the
bank or not.
Wise Took Up Other Work.
The court and jury were told in
the deposition that Mr.. Wise was
later transferred to the Homicide
Squad and did not pay attention to
details of the bank holdup and did
not follow the case, as he was en-
gagged in other work.
Mr.. Hughes said on the witness
stand that he thought that Mr.. Wise
| and Detective Sergt. Frank o. Brass
went with him and his client to the
bank.
Justice Gordon denied a defense
request that the jury be permitted
to view the bank premises. The
jurist also overruled a defense mo-
ton for q directed verdict, which
was based on the contention the