The record-union., 1895-03-01
GOT THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.
John Gray Acquitted Of the Crime Of
Burglary.
He Said He Was Drunk and Made a
Mistake-BreeZe Between Law
yer and Witness.

The Jury in the case of John Gray,
charged with attempting to burglarize the
residence of III. w. Decker, at Nine
teenth and K streets, on the night OF jan
uary I'd, yesterday returned verdict
Of acquitting Gray,
During the progress of the trial, and
while Officer NJ. Fisher was on the stand,
w. P. Harlow, Gray's attorney, and the
witness became involved in a wordy
wrangle, which had 10 be stopped by an
ACCOMPLISHMENT from Judge johnson.
Harlow asked Fisher number of ques-
ions, which the latter considered objec-
tionable, but Notwithstanding that fact
was willing to answer them. Specl-
mems of Harlow's Undergraduates to
Fisher were:
sis it not fact that you are the hardest
swearer on the police torce?"
''Is it not true that owing to that fact
you have secured double the convictions
OF any other officer on the force 2"
Mrs. Ada Decker and Mrs. M. Fisher
testified that they were in the formers
house when they heard Gray walking on
the front porch. Gray did not appear to
be under the influence OF liquor when
arrested by Officer Fisher.
Mrs. Hodgson, who lives in the house
next to the Decker residence, testified
that she saw man walking down the
front steps Of Decker's house.
Officer J. F. Logue testified that he
went out in the patrol wagon to get Gray,
and after they had started for the police
station Gray attempted to get away.
+. L. circuit testified that Gray had
done some work for him at his house. He
saw Gray on the evening of the arrest,
and the latter did not appear as though
he had been drinking.
The prosecution here closed its case,
and w. p. Harlow. Gray's attorney, made
his opening statement to the jury. He
said the defense would be that Gray,
while intoxicated, wandered on Decker's
premises, but with no intention of COM
uniting crime.
John Gormley, J. T. Purcell, Levi
HOLDEN and John Berg testified that Gray
was drunk all the day prior to that on
which he was arrested.
Gray testified that he was gloriously
drunk on the day of his arrest, and could
not recollect what he had done the pre-
ceding night. This closed the case for
the defense.
In his argument to the jury Harlow re-
ferred to Officer Fisher as a perjurer,
pure and simple, for having testified that
there was fence surrounding the resi-
denee OF +. l.. Oreutt at 1903 II street,
where Gray had previously done some
He also referred to Fisher as Hawk
shaw" and applied to him other titles
which Fisher plainly showed were not
appreciated.
After the case was given to the jury
Fisher accosted Harlow in the hallway
OF the Courthouse and informed him
that he did not like to be insulted as
Harlow had insulted him. He said that
Harlow dare not insult him out on the
street, and that if the lawyer accompa-
MED him there he would show him that
he would not dare to do so again.
Harlow said he was ready to accommo-
date Fisher, but before they had reached
the door which opens into the street Har-
low said he would not take the chance of
creating scene, and retraced his steps
into the Courthouse to await the verdict
OF the jury.
Fisher went his way, and thus ended
what at one time appeared to be good
prospect for trouble.