New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-25
ANTHONY COMSTOCK BEATEN.
AN ALBANY JURY DECLARES DR. LEVERSON
NOT GUILTY OF ANY BREACH
OF THE PEACE.

Albany March 24-The case Of Or. Montague K
Leverson, of Port Richmond. Staten Island, charged
BY Anthony Comstock with breach OF the peace
came UP before Recorder Mathews and jury IN
the Court of Special Sessions to-day. The Officers
who made the arrest and two railroad employees told
the story Of the occurrence in the station as a
ready published describing how. when a crowd had
collected DR.. Leverson had branded CoTas'ock as
"the notorious blackmaier, Anthony ComsiocK, VINO
never earned an honest dollar In his He
DR. Ieverson also described the scene at the sta
ton His version OF the occurrence did not ma
terally differ from the others except that he denied
jumping upon a seat in the waiting-room and ere
ating q disturbance. He said he did not dcnounce
Comstock loudly as a blackmaier until after the
officer had taken him IN custody. He had caLei
him backmailer but IN ordinary tone Of voice,
and had requested him to move on.
The Doctors statement of the case was borne out
by the testimony of Der Edward 3. Foote. jr.. Of
New York, and Henry +. Hawley. Of Albany. who
were the next witnesses called.
Henry George. OF New-York. another witness. said
he had known DR.. Leverson for nineteen years He
pronounced him honest. honorable. truthful and
peaceable man. and the last man who would pro-
woke a breach OF the peace.
Thomas G. Wilson. connected with New-York
newspaper testified that Comstocks reputation was
bad Asked where he got his Information. he said
from clubmen. newspaper men AMI pubic men that
he had met.
Edward w. Chamberlain, a NeW-York lawyer.
testified that all he had heard Of Comstock
from prominent men he had met and from lawyers
showed that his reputation bad. He would not
believe him under oath.
Mr. Comstock then took the stand Nothing In
particular was brought out the direct examina-
ton Ex- District Attorney James w. Eaton. coun-
sci for Dr. Leverson, took him in hand and tried to
prove by the witness By running through numerous
incidents connected with his career. that he had not
always been what ne pretended TO be. He tried TO
get him to admit that his picture was In the
"Rogues' Gallery his old home at Summit, n. j.;
that he had abused a boy for annoying him by
striking him with cane, etc All OF these ACCUSE
lions Comstock denied Numerous questions based
on newspaper clippings affecting Comstock's char
acter were put TO him. He denied everything. Alto
gether the cross-examinaton was racy.
The Rev. DR.. Near. Of Albany. took the stand
and swore that he had known Comstock for fifteen
years and that his character was good He was an
honorable man. =.
Edwin W. Booth secretary Of the Albany Y. NJ.
c. A. and w. G. Hitchcock. vice-president OF Com
stocks society, testified to about the same thing.
They considered Comstocks character above re-
proach.
This ended the testimony, and counsel summed up.
Mr. Eaton in his address roundly denounced Com
stock He said that the only thing he was sorry for
was that his client. instead OF talking 10 Comstock.
had not knocked him down.
Assistant Dstrict-Attorney Cook followed and the
verdic; of not guilty. and DR.. Leverson was dis
CHI