Insull Arrested

Once again last week Samuel Insull, fugitive from Illinois justice, slipped out of his hotel's service entrance. But this time it was no prelude to flight. He was accompanied by M. Coutsamaris, chief of the Athenian Security Police. Three days prior, Secretary of State Stimson and Greek Minister Charalambos Simopoulos had met in Washington, D. C. and exchanged extradition treaties, making it possible for the U. S. to demand the arrest and return of Mr. Insull.

Matters were delayed when Mr. Insull, bundled in a heavy overcoat, and his proud captor discovered that the Greek Prosecutor was out for luncheon. Mr. Insull returned to the small Petit Palais Hotel, ate in his room, sat down to tea with newspapermen. Then he went off again with M. Coutsamaris, returned to the hotel for dinner, packed his bag for a night in jail. Because Drs. Voylass, Dimitriades and Trupakis found Mr. Insull in bad health (diabetes, chills, arteriosclerosis, myocarditis, enlarged liver, high blood pressure, traces of brain congestion) he was well treated and given a special room in the police station.

Next day began the fight in which Samuel Insull hopes to escape at some point from the legal net which might drag him back to the U. S. to be tried for 'larceny and embezzlement of property of the value of $66,000." The first round of the fight started when Mr. Insull's lawyer, Cristos Ladas, went before the Greek Court of Appeals. He claimed that the extradition treaty was not retroactive, and that Mr. Insull was innocent anyway. In a crowded courtroom he thundered at the five judges. It was all Greek to Samuel Insull as Lawyer Ladas first flattered Greek law ("The very gods on Olympus were willing to be tried by the ancient Greek judges. This case is an opportunity to show the world Greek justice remains free and uninfluenced"), then flattered Greek civilization ("Here is a man who asks to be protected from American liberty under which men are murdered by machine guns in the streets"), then flattered his client ("He is a man who gave light to 43 American cities . . . and who is now accused of petty thefts").

Although sentiment throughout Athens was with the distinguished visitor from Chicago, the five judges confirmed the arrest. Mr. Insull was moved to the Aretaieon Clinic pending the arrival of complete documents from the U. S. He may well have recalled that the day of his arrest was the third anniversary of that glamorous night when his greatest public work, the new Chicago Civic Opera building, was opened to the triumphal overture from Aida.

At the clinic, the only available room was in the maternity annex. That night a babe was born on each side of Samuel Insull.

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