New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-09
GARDNER FOUND GUILTY.
THE JURY CUT NEARLY SIX HOURS.
RECORDER sNYTH ANNOUNCES THAT HE THINKS
TIE VERDICT PEPPER.

RECORDER sMYTH ANNOUNCES THAT HE THINKS
THE VERDICT PROPER.
Charles W. Gardner was found guilty OF at
tempted extortion last night. and Superintendent
Byrnes has won what the public has come %
regard as a fight between him and the Rev. DR..
Charles H. Parkhurst. The trial was before
Recorder Smytl, i'm Part ii Of the Court OF
General Sessions. The jury withdrew at 4:2o
p. m, and returned to the courtroom at lo:V'
o'clock. William y. Penney, clerk of the conrt'
called the roll of the jury, and asked the lore
man if they had agreed on verdict.
ave have" was the reply.
"How say you, do you find the defendant
guilty or not guilty.
Guilty"
Gardner showed concern. w. Travers
Jerome his counsel, asked that the jury De
polled Mr.. Penney called each mans name, and
each said that his verdict was guilty. Mr.. Jerome
wished to make request, but the Recorder
stopped him, and turning to the jury. said
Gentlemen of the Jury: In discharging you
from further attendance on this court, wish TO
thanh, You for the careful intelligent and faitil-
full manner in which you have discharged your
duties This case is important and one in whlch
the community has taken a deep interest, anu
one which has undoubtedly Occasioned great
deal of comment. ] know little OF wha' .he
comment is for since have been connected Win
this court | have not read the comments on
cases in which ! am personally engaged MY
opinion of the trial by jury in criminal cases mas
been sustained by your action. You are eh'itieo
to the thanks of the court and of the people
of the entire community
At the request of Mr.. Jerome Gardner was
remanded until February Ii for sentence The
81, anlp al
Deputy Sheriff O'Donne. The jury took seven
ballots the vote in six Of them being 10 TO
> in favor of a conviction. The extreme penalty
for the crime is Imprisonment for two and
half years. 1t came out last night that Thomas
W. Sanders0n Juror No. Z, had been policeman
from 1860 to 1868.
Gardner was chief agent of the Society for the
Prevention of Crime He accused Of trying
to extort money from Lille Clifton, keeper Of a
disorderly house, by threatening to have raid
made on her place She swore that she gave him
various sums. She was corroborated concerning
the payment of $50 by Inspector Mclaughlin,
Captain Dcvery and Sergeant Crowley. Gardner
declared that he went about with the woman in
obedience tn instructions from the society's en-
ccutive committee, which wanted him to get evil
dence that G.. c. Grant was leyying blackmau
as the pretended agent of DIR. Parkhurst
District Attorney Wellman resumed his summing
up for the prosecution lie expressed indignation
at Mr.. COTS charge that the police and the
District Attorneys Office conspiring to got
Gardner ont of the way, and thus 10 strike DIR.
Parkhulst and his society blow He wished
that Mr. Golf had heard the praise which Eli
fridge T. Gerry gave Superintendent Byrnes at tho
last police dinner, and accused Mr.. Gof Of
dining with the Superintendent and then abusing
him in Court Mr.. Golf denied ever having
dned with Mr. Byrnes Mr.. Wellman insisted
that Lille Clifton could have motive in
swearing against Gardner. She could never open
her house in this city again. because the Park
hurst society would never permit that. Police
protection wouH 10 of no avail Gardner adj
nittcd nrcty-nine oncdundied,hs of her testimony,
but denie, thar he excepted money from her
Then Mr. Wcllman r"icrrcl to the $ 80 which
arrested, saying: d" lie thought tie money he re-
ceived in blacknlail might DO marked. so he
changed the bills for $500 ones in Boston. just
~ a thief takes diamonds TO another city to sell
them. As Samuel Tilden said. bills of largo
denomination the property Of thieves. An
horest man keeps bank account. He was get
ting only S2j week. yet he had inst paid $500
on house. lie is twenty years old and
told you he was wcrth Sll 900. Pretty good
business on bis salary, is it not ,"
Recorder Smyth's charge lasted hour and
n half He began by urging the jury TO take
no note. in arriving at is verdict. OF the cx-
traneous facts which had berl hr2nght into me
whether Gardner was guilty Of the specific crime
charged in the indictment. The defence declared
that there was polio" coaspira n,hc i h"d Jury
officers intrustcd with the protection OF life ana
property had been guilty of the serious charge
made. The jury should remember that II was tho
duty Of the police department 10 take legal meas.
ures for the conviction of persons charged with
crime The Clifton woman's bad character did
not absolutely prevent her from telling the truth.