Evening star., 1951-09-12
Stromberg Due
loco on Stand
In Warning Trial
Defense Comedies
Client Was Here
At Time of HoIdup
By John w. Stepp

BY John w. Stepp
Assistant United States Attor-
1ey Arthur Mclaughlin rested
the Governments case against
Sidney (Big Sid Stromberg. 38,
this morning after the defense
stipulated that the defendant was
in Washington at the time Gam
bier Emmitt Warnings home was
robbed of $26,500.
1t also was announced that
Stromberg would take the witness
stand to testify in his defense.
In the first Is minutes of to-
days trial session in District
Court, Prosecutor Mclaughlin in
troduced two witnesses to identify
a registration card of the AM
bassador Hotel showing that
Stromberg registered there on
January S, 1850. and checked out
four days later, a half hour be-
fore the Warning robbery.
Defense Comedies Point.
But in the midst of testimony
by Ira N. Gullickson, District
handwriting expert, Defense Coun-
sci R. Palmer Ingram interrupted
to concede that Stromberg was
the man who registered under the
name of Sidney Max at the Am
bassador on the date specified.
When Mr.. Mclaughlin then
announced that he had no need
to call other witnesses. Mr.. In
gram called Detective Sergt.
James Roche as the first defense
witness. Sergt. Roche. who testi-
fed for the Government yester-
day, was not Immediately avail
able, the court was told, since he
had to go to police headquarters
to pick up some papers in the
case.
Mr.. Ingram indicated to the
court that he intends also to call
William P. Cady, -in-law
of Warning, as another defense
witness. Mr.. Cady yesterday tes-
titled that he had been badly
beaten and tied up by Stromberg
and two accomplices when War
rings home was raided in the
mid-afternoon of January 8, 1850.
Recess Declared.
The defense lawyer tossed an
other surprise into the proceed
ings when he told Judge Alexan-
der Holtzoff that the last witness
for the defense will be the de-
|fendant. The court declared
brief recess to enable Mr.. Cady to
arrive from his home.
Warning, whose name has long
been linked with numbers game
Operations here. left the witness
stand yesterday after only five
minutes of testimony in which he
told a District Court jury he could
not identify any of the three men
who robbed him.
The only inkling of any back
stage racket drama came in the
testimony of Sergt. Roche, who
told of interviewing Stromberg in
a Pennsylvania prison in April.
1850. He said Stromberg urged
him to bring Warning to the
prison so the robbery case could
be adjusted.
"Fingerman" Hunted.
Stromberg told him, the de-
tective testified, that "Warring is
interested in only one man-the
fingerman- and I'm the only one
who knows who he is"
In underworld parlance a Fin
german" is the racketeer who sur
veys the scene of potential
crime, gathers necessary informa-
ton and passes this on to the
men who actually commit the
crime. In return he receives. q
share Of the loot.
From sources at police head
quarters it was learned that de-
tectives are satisfied the finger
man" to whom Stromberg re-
ferred was George P. Harding,
local gunman, who was shot to
death last January in the Hide
Away after hours club.
Slain by Nesline.
Joseph F. Nesline, long, time
friend of Warning, killed Harding
after the gunman had threatened
him. Nesline was acquitted of the
killing after he pleaded self de-
tense, but was sentenced to Jail
for a year for carrying the death
weapon without a license.
Detectives pointed out that
Harding was in Pottsville, Pa.
in November. 1850. when Strom-
berg went on trial there for the
killing of gambling house door,
man. The Washington gunman
visited Stromberg in Jail. The
detectives said Harding's "girl
friend" registered as Mrs. George
P. Harding" shared room in a
PottSville hotel with Stromberp's
girl friend" Stromberg was con-
victed of manslaughter at the
trial and sentenced to serve from
SIX to IL years in the penitentiary.
Two Identify Stromberg.
The Stromberg trial began yes
terday before a jury of six men
and six women.
Two OF the Governments three
chief witnesses caused no stir with
their testimony. These were MIR.
Cady and Miss Louise Enos, COL
ored maid for the Warning house,
hold at 5000 Macomb street NV.
Both unhesitatingly pointed out