The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-04-26
Miss Gardner Found Guilty
Of Stealing Stern
Bros. Goods.
TEARS AND A DEAD FAINT
Sentence Postponed and a Mo-
ton to Be Made for a
New Trial.
Scenes Of Grief and Folly in New
ark's Court Of sessionsJudge
Kirkpatrick's Charge.

y
the jurors in the Lucy Gardner larceny
case retired this morning every one in the
court room was startled by heavy knock
on the jury room door. Judge Kirkpat-
rick came from his study the jurors died
in from their consultation room and in q
line faced the bench. Miss Gardner, who
was dressed in black, sat surrounded by
her friends and relations and acouaint-
ances behind the line Of jurors. Her face
was ashen in It's paIeness. and her eyes
had an expression Of painful anxiety.
Not Q whisper was heard from the crowd.
Il. slerk called the Jurors names, and
IN response to mis- query as to their YER
dict the foreman firmly answesed "Guil-
ty." Miss Gardner sank in dead faint
IN her aunt's arms, ana scores of women
who pressed forward from tn audience
were soon in tears about her. One hyster-
ical old woman was taken out by an Off
Ger of the court. Water was dashed in
Miss Gardeners face. her hands were
slapped and her temples bathed She re-
manned iusensible ten minutes and then
revived to break into a paroxysm OF tears.
Her mother and aunt sat on either side of
her and her arms were about their necks.
Her head rested on her aunt's shoulder
and the girls sobs were distressing,
A crowd of women surrounded Lucy
Gardner and friends and their sympa
fhetic tears and lamentations made q
scene that will lot soon be forgotten by
those who witnessed iI. The feminine
synpathizers of Miss Gardner were
.Wretched for fifteen minutes. The Court
officers cleared them out. MISS Gardner
went away in a carriage with her mother
and aunt. She did not speak from the
time she heard the verdict until she left
the Court House. but her tears flowed
increasingly.
AN ANXIOUS MORNING.
The court room was crowded this
morning when the proceedings opened,
but the throng was nothing like as 1t was
yesterday. Miss Gardner was present in
the court room early with her mother,
sister and aunt. and bore herself brayely
all through the proceedings. At ten
o'clock Judge kirkpatrick began to
charge the Jury, and his remarks were
listened to with the closest attention by
the accused and her friends. who all re-
garded them as very favorable to her.
e AT eleven o'clock the jury retired, and
then came a period of anxious suspense.
Miss Gardner, her mother, aunt and sis
ter, and Mr.. Pratt, her counsel, as we'll
as MessFs; karge and Gard, remained in
Judges Kirkpatrick, Led with and Butt
uer retired to their private room. Miss
Gardner chatted pleasantly with her
friends, and even laughed az times, but
1t was evident that all this gaiety was as
sumed to hide her agitation. She re-
marked more than once, "Oh, am very
anxious" Her face was flushed, and it
was apparent she was under fearful
strain.
She sat in the centre of thoughtless
gathering. They stupidity thought to
cheer her up by facetious references to
/ n fr1r m n,an
said:-"Miss Lucy. If you go to Trenton
you can only write to your friends every
thirty days"
To which she answered:-"Oh, should
regret that, as am in the habit of writ
ing eight and often ten letters day"
'tThen you'll have to wear check
clothes,' said lugubrious looking old
woman.
Dresses, dresses" corrected little Law
yer Pratt, who was in the group.
s.The dresses will be checked, not
striped put in the stupid fellow who
started the painful joking.
ssOh. Lucy likes check dresses inter ;
polated a young woman sThey are all
the style now"
So it went on until the verdict came,
and then Lucy Gardner must have been
panied by the truths that were behind
the TESTING.
TIL JURY's INCOMING.
At 1920 o'clock there was rap on the
door of the jury room, and twas an
nounced that the jury had agreed. Inc
Judges came out and took their seats on
the bench. and Judge fitzpatrick directed
the jury TO be brought into court.
AS they entered it was evident from the
iurymen's faces that the verdict was an
adverse one. The blood rushed up into
Miss Gardeners face, until her cheeks
were fairly purple. and her hands We're
tightly clenched. The clerk called the
names of the jury, and they all respond
ed Then he asked the usual questions,
and, in response to the usual question,
show do you finds Samuel A. Williams,
the foreman of the Jury. rephed;-- we
find the defendant guilty in manner ana
form as she stands charged in the indlcb-
ment" There was heavy sign ana q
sob from Miss Gardner as she sank back
in har omar in a dead faint Her sister,
Mrs. McKeon, drew Miss Gardners mead
down upon her shoulder, and then purs6
into tears. Mrs. Gardner aud MIS-.
Leavitt FASTENED to the untortunate
young woman,s side, and endeaVorea 70
revive her, but all to no purpose:
Mr.. Karge sprang to his feet and de-
manded that the Jury be polled. Inis was
done. and each member when caleu py
name and asked how he found. repiieu
Guilty" The jury were then dls-
J. charged. ss+
Mr.. Karge then asked II the oeIenoane
of her bondsman, and Judge kirKpaerick
responded -Certainly," and ADDED ina
sentence viii be pronounced on her week
from Monday.
Mr. Karge then said he would IKE 70
make motion for new trlal, anu sne
Judge told him be could do SO az any siiue
prior to the day of sentence. - 80
The maximum punishment Tor tne
crime Is i've years in State Prison an l
hne Of 81 ,00v, and the minimum penalty -
one year imprisonment or S5OV.
It is understood that after retiring "
their room the jury took ballot wnica
resulted in seven votes for CONVERSION anu
i've for. acquittal. A long discussion was
then held on the evidence in the case, anu
second ballot was had which resulted III
all voting for convictions.
THE JUDGES CHARGE.
The lawyers for and against the de-
PENDANT ended Heterogeneous yesterday,
aud AT ten o'clock this morning. after the
Jury was called and the spectators were
Ia their seats, Judge Kirkpatrick made
his charge. which was considered very
favorable to Miss Gardner After defin-
In6 the crime Of larceny. explaining the
falue of the stolen goods. ana describing
how the goods are said 70 have been