Ford May Be Called to Witness Stand This Week, Sapiro Counsel Says

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

Henry Ford will appear as a witness in the Million Dollar Ford-Sapiro libel suit before the end of the week, it was indicated here today by William Henry Gallagher, chief counsel for Sapiro. Gallagher added that he would call for a physical examination of the motor king’s reported injuries in a recent accident, if he refused to answer the call to the witness stand.

Ford is reported as having said he would appear on the witness stand, even if he had to be carried into court on a stretcher. According to latest reports from his Dearborn mansion, Ford is improving rapidly since his accident a week ago when he was forced to drive his car into a ditch near here after being struck by an unidentified auto.

Milton Sapiro, brother of Aaron Sapiro and a San Francisco attorney, reached Detroit today in answer to an urgent call from his brother last week and brought with him papers and books containing Sapiro’s accounts. These were asked for last week by Senator James A. Reed, chief of Ford counsel. Milton Sapiro was admitted to practice in the Federal Court here and will assist his brother for the remainder of the case.

Senator Reed took up his cross-examination of Sapiro on his cooperative marketing organization activities, today marking the opening of the fourth week of the trial. Reed began the day by reading to the jury a speech made by Sapiro to cotton growers in Alabama in 1920. In this speech Sapiro urged the farmers to take over the control of marketing their own products. To this end he urged the growers of Alabama to form a cooperative marketing organization.

Reed and Sapiro clashed again over the matter of answering questions directly. This same argument interrupted the proceedings frequently last week. Judge Raymond issued a sharp rebuke to Sapiro, saying, “I don’t care for any more arguments. Please answer the questions as simply as possible.”

Sapiro testified that since 1922 he has received about $70,000 in fees from the American Cotton Growers’ Exchange. These fees were in return for organizing activities, making speeches and general legal work.

The afternoon’s proceedings opened with a shift to New Jersey where Sapiro organized the potato growers and poultry raisers. Senator Reed read lengthy extracts from speeches made by Sapiro urging the need for organization upon the farmers of New Jersey. Several letters were introduced each dealing with the matter of fees for Sapiro’s work.