New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-14
SCENES IN THE COURT ROOM.

SCENES IN THE COURT ROOM.
ASSEMBLING OF THE COUNSEL AND SPECTATORS
INTENSE INTEREST ~ THE d aCIsIOS-AS oUT
LINE OF THE STRIKING POINTS.
An eager expectant but remarkably quiet crowd
was ass mbied aboIt the doors of tine Oyer and
rcrmIner Court room yesterday morning fully half
an hour before the time al which judge DAVIS hid
nOunced chat ms de 9n would be ml le. Wnen tIe
doors were opened the room was quIckl; filed The
counsel tor the prosecution sat n the upper end Of
tDe counsolS table. George Bliss paused on h way
to She table to langh and joke with everybody
whom he knew. Mr.. StouEhtOu sal in ms usual
seat, and looked around a. tha counsel for the de-
fence. the defendant aud the Interested spec:a-
or, with an expression OF dignlied satis-
faction Assistant Dstr.ct-.ittorney B-ll
aud John l. Davenport were undemon-
stratyc, buJ were evidently well satisfied with tho
results Of tner efforts. The counsel for the defence
wore preoccuped air If their interest III the
proceedings had S.l.-nigA died out. General Pryor.
Mr. Brooae ana Nr. V,eder all sat in a row. with
folded arms. Mr.. Howe was the only one of counsel
on that se who betrayed his anxiety ID tny extent,
and hs interest was cen red n maluscnpt which
he was lndn,triously clrcu ating the report
ers Behind General Pryor sa5 the defendant Php,
VINO was particularly conspicuous to himself and
coored Qovcs which he wore. rhero weren0 leading
pohtlcian. OF either party present, ana the crowd
was for the most part de up OF witnesses and per-
sous VINO had wa ched the ca.e wItb interest tTOn
tue beginning. Wrll-knOwn Democrats vino sal IN
,he font seats during the frs few days of the .ra
we're absen;.
judge Davis took bis seat ut hal-past ten. Az
soon rs ne spoke great hush fell u1Oa the court
room, and ne proceeded wlh his decision the
crowd on the back sea s. moved by intense Iarerest
IN the subject, quietly and pressed forward This
went on untl nearly ali except the conn el and tho
reporters were standing. The Judge first referred
t. the liberty OF soeech aud OF the press. winch he
cIted authorities to show wa3 botl protected and
restrIclel Then spoke OF the general aspects of
libel eases, and coming down 10 the under con-
,iderat,on sand the accused man stood charged with
TWO offences: FIRST. with forging tue Morey letter.
and secondly, VITA wrilg tle article entitled
Lying and sticking To IL, III which lac reassertcd
tuc geuuineuess OF che letter after Geueral q rePs
dcna of It, II the MOrey letter was forgery, It's
publication was hDeIous; IN any view. the question
as 10 the forgery of tne letter of vita importance
10 the case He lnen considered tie theory Of the
letters genunene,s, dwelling at leagCh on tho
erasu es Om the envelope amt the obh Grated post
marks. IL was, he sac, an established MAXIM of
law that al things are 10 Ue presumed a0llust the
despOier of eydcOce. TuIs maxin was delivered in
4 very impressive way aud the eager listeners
seemed to had IN it the lirsl indication OF the ver-
drct Every o0e glanced into the eyes Of mis- neigh
Dor ana IA >lIyut murmur WAS heard. Commenting
upon these suspicious erasutes and o0iitera-
lions JUICE DAVIS sad 1t surpassed
creduhty to believe that General Garfield
should have taken Il ouce-Ised envelope, er.sel The
former address ana blurred and scratched tae daCes
OF montn aud day, for the purpose "a delivering
suc1 letter 10 Il mtn who, IA he ever lvei, WAS 50
utterly ins gnIicant that neither the vigilance or
lust ce, nor the avdrce of gam, nor the malice OF
party nor the fear OF punishment nad been aOlc ID
discover his present exlsoencs-)r the PROOF or re-
putc I'll ns death. The con la ,)I Ot tls i0n1 sem
tence was marked Oy a mIrNuc Oi "pp,aa,e, at
winch the Juogc raped the GtsA vita his Gialiet.
linen WITH regard to the handwriting. Mr.
Hewitts connection with The puOncatIon OF the
,ctteg, Judge DAVIS sad, was most eX.ra3rdinary.
IL Wa Astounding th.ta man of known sagaclIy,
who wa, supposed 10 have dcce1t Respect for
truth ana Justice should, with all the suspicious
circumstances Attending tins letter. have pro-
uounccd II on the Signature gcnuIac. III knew hat
II true IL wOud b. fatally injurious 10 phDlIsu it.
ana If false. worse than an assissins' sian. Sir.
Hewitt bOic tne largest part OF the responsibility
ior the circulation of the letter The severe cjn-
nients on Mr.. Hew.tts conduct in the matter wore
helid with the closest attention. As TO te tesil-
mOny OF Lindsay u was lniiece siry 70 IelSr 10 II,
said the Juuge. Amp eJacuiatcd General Pryor.
scow ing al M. Howe.
The decision TOOK nearly an hour in delivery, aud
at It's close when the announcement was ma a. tIat
Phtlp neld there seemed 10 Or disposition 10
c.ioor. Vhlcn was Instantly suppressed.
Nj. Howe rose vita hIs maIuscrlyt before bm,
An WAS lmmet.ato InfOrIneI tnat tIe case was
cioses. Mr. Howe SAID IL was a personal ma ter,
anu .il,dcd 10 Inr IurJ statemeni l reference 10
u,s couLecton with the witness Lindsay. JuGge
DAVIS sad the matters IeicIfed to therein bad not
CONE brfore hn ia tnat court, uor lad he referred
10 tuc.n IN his decision.
THE DECISION.
JUDGE DAViS's OPINION.