The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-04-20

United States District Atty. Howard Corcoran, who is acting as prosecu- tor in the case of Rowley W. Phil lips, well-known local broker and four other men charged in a $21,- 100000 conspiracy in the famous McKeSson case, is the brother of Thomas Corcoran, President Roose- velt's right hand man.
 It has been said that President Roosevelt never moves bAforc talk ing to Tommy" Corcoran. Neither does U. s. District Atty. Irving Kaufman of the southern district of New York, who is Atty. Corcor- ans superior, move before he talks to his young assistant.
 It is most unusual, it is generally agreed among 11ewspapermen in New York, to sec a district attorney step aside for 8 young assistant like District Atty. Kaufman has in e case involving an alleged $21 ,OOO,- 900 conspiracy case. The amount in- volved in the conspiracy charges is said to be the greatest in the history of the United States Court.
 The young prosecutor Is only 27 years of age but like young Bob F'el- Ger he has plenty on the ball" and when 1t comes to cross.examining he throws his questions right down Broadway. He never gets excited or hardly ever raises his voice. He asks a question of a witness, turns around and walks away from the witness while he Is answering, and after the answer is made, suavely turns around and walks up to the witness under cross-f1re and with pointing finger follows up with al1- other fapid-f1re question to bring out the point he Is trying to bring before the jury.
 William J. Pape, publisher of the Waterbury American and Republi- can had the shortest stay of any witness thus far put on the stand in the case. He merely testified as to his position and that he knew Rowley Phillips in a social and bus mess way and that the local broker had an excellent reputation.
 When Atty. Harold Corbin, coun- sel for MT. Phillips, had finished with his few questions to the local publisher he turned to U. s. District Atty. Corcoran and said, "I1l turn the witness over to you" ,.a.
 "YeS, ard we'll turn him right back to you," said U. s. States Atty. Kaufman and Atty. Corcoran al-, most in unison. They didn't ask a single question.
 It took a long time for Mfr. Phil lips to reach the witness stand. It had been predicted for two days that he would 90 on the stand al- most momentar1ly. Atty. Corcoran himself estimated at recess at l1:30 yesterday morning that he would be through with John McGloon, the previous witness, An 45 minutes. He was only fifteen minutes out of the way, but Atty. 1ronslde. counsel for Mcdloon, stepped in as did Atty. Medalie. another defense counsel. and 1t was 3:3O before the local man reached the witness stand. n
 He was just about able to com plete his life story when court ad- tcurned shortly after 4:3O. MT. phil- lips said he was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., and that his first occupation was that of an oface boy. from which he graduated to the post of a runner in a New York brokerage firm. At the age of g he became Connecticut manager of the big Boston brokerage concern of Baker. Young and Co. After that he met R. F. Griggs of this city and joined the R. F. Griggs Go. at the solicita. ton of R. F. Griggs.
 Phillips testified that he, R. F. GriggS and Alfred Hart, ran the well-known brokerage house.
 The courtroom where the case IS being tried is on the ninth floor or Federal building and Is extremely | small. Trying to get into it Is like trying to crash the gate at the Yale | Bowl. There are daily attendants, who arrive early and occupy the seats, comprised mostly of men who are out of work and just drop in to keep warm. If things are 8 bit dull in the McKesson case they drop around to another courtroom: The ice than earth" are without founda. tion in fact.
 'The WPA does not take kindly to sewer project operations in the dead of winter, but in this case, with no other projects provided for Wat erbury's heavy relief load and with the city accepting responsibility for