The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-16
TEE LE9TS ] URY OUT
Prosecutor Winfie1d's Flo
quent Presentation of
the States Case.
HUDsPETHS IMPARTIAL CHARGE.
The Prisoner Placed in Custody
as Soon as The Jury
Retired.

Charles G. Black. seuior counsel for
Alexonder Letts, who is on trial for
embezzlipg over $4,000 from the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company. finished his
earnest plea for the defendant about
three O'Clock yesterday afternoon. and
then Mr.. Winfield began to close the
case for the State. He spoke for about
an hour, when an adjournment was
taken until today He showed from the
testimony that about $4,000 had been
taken from the company. and the meth
DDS that had besn resortod to cover up
those stealings. All the testimony he
claimed, showed the defendant was the
person who took the money.
Continuing this morning Mr.. Winfield
step BY step, showed from the evidence
that Letts and no one else could have
stolen the money. His speech was one
OF the most eloquent ever heard in the
Court House. IL WAS devoid of all un-
necessary verbiage and was a plain
straightforward presentation of the ts sti-
mony as viewed from the states stand
point. He denounced LeIts as an ex-
ceedingly clever thief and man OF more
than ordinary ability. His discriDtion
of Let's conducts, as the prosecution
viewed it from the time he WAS Informed
by Paul to the lime be disappeared, was
most dramatic and was listened to by the
crowded court room with wrapG aud silent
attention. He used many beaufifui fig
ures OF speech and closed with an eloquent
peroration In which ne declared that all
courts OF justice should be shut up IL the
defendant went quit by the verdict of
the jury. Anumber of lawyers paid Mr..
Win field the com pliment OF visiting the
court house to listen TO bis summing up.
Among these were ex-judge Blair. ex
Assem- bIyman George A. Heaney aud
James Fielder.
JUDGE HUDsPEIHs CHARGE.
Judge Hudspeth began his charge at
five minutes before Twelve. He be0an
by thanking the jury for ths attentive
manner In which they had followed the
complicated case through the eight weary
days OF its trial and said that whatever
the verdict was both sides would be con-
tent that it was founded upon the evidence
as the jury construed it. The Judge
next most emphatically endsnvnred TO
impress upon the minds of the jurors
that the trial was prosecution by the
State Of New Jersey for q violation Of the
laws OF the State. and that 1t was not the
prosecution of any private party 10
avepRe personal injury. The legal def
nitions OF embezzlement and grand lar
ceny were then given.
He charged that IL the jury thought ny
the memoranda and other papers found
in Lstts' desk that he intended to return
the money &C some future time. 1t made
no difference, he was guilty OF embezzle.
ment just the same. In referring to
Jackson's testimony he said that jackson
was competent witness, even II they
found him 10 be an accomplice, but it
should be corroborated by other Wit
nesses. The judge closed at 10 80 o'clock,
and the general opinion was that it was
fair and impartial charge. Five
minutes later the jury filed out IN charge
of Constable DilIoway
LETS IN CUSTODY.
AS the jury left the room, Judge Hud-
speth ordered Lstts taken into custody.
He had heard rumors to the effect that
Letts intended 10 fee If found guilty. A
constable took charge of the defendant.