Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-10
A.
MRS. CODY GUILTY
OF Charge Of attempted Black
mail Of 1the GouIds.
Scathing Araignment Of Mrs. Angel
BY Counsel for Defence.
Ne Charges the Goulds' Lawyers With caus.
ing Mrs. Cody's Troubles.

Albany, n. Y. March 9.-After being
ont s hours the jury brought In YER
dict of guilty, at sis. tonight, in the
case of Margaret Il. Cody. who has
oeen on trial here, since last Thursday,
charged with blaelsinailing George and
Helen Gould. A recommendation Of
mercy was made. The court will con-
vene, tomorrow morning, when the
usual motion will be heard and SEN
tence will be passed. 1t is likely that
Mrs. Cody will receive a light penalty
on account of her age. The jury bal
lated seven times before agreeing. the
first ballot standing: Guilty s; not
guilty, 8; blank, /.
Miss Helen Gould and her party will
return to Tarrytewn. tomorrow morn
ing. One of Miss Gould's attorneys
said, tonight that she was satisfied
that Justice had been done. A tele-
gram announcing the victory of the
prosecution was sent to George Gould
Immediately after the verdict was
known.
Mrs Cody, who had remained in her
chair INF the court room. most of the
afternoon after the court adjourned
waiting to hear her fate, gasped and
all but tainted when she heard the YER
dict of guilty. 1t was a quarter of an
hour before she had recovered sufii-
GENTLY to allow herself to be conduct
ed back to the jail
Lawyer Dugan. made the closing ar
gument for the defence in the case of
Mrs. Cody,f charged with having at
10 Itv h, hni, of nv
Could Mr.. ,Dugan said that the con-
test was one between millions on the
one side and poverty on the other. II
shall not ask for sympathy" he said.
Il believe that the defendant is in
nocent and l believe that you will find
the same. You won't hear me ask for
suspended sentence, If she is found
guilty by you. Let. it either be guilty
or not guilty, and let there be no com
promise.
This is not "a trial to determine
whether Mrs. Angel was the wife of
Jay Gould. 1t Is to determine whether
Mrs. Cody was guilty of blackmail in
sending this letter to George Gould.
Take this letter with you, and l defy
you to spell out threat in it's con-
tents.
This is not trial for perjury. If it
were Mrs. Angel herself would be the
chief party to it. Mrs. Cody in all her
work was only faithfully and honestly
performing the business of her clients"
Speaking of the Goulds. he said that
since the early part of 1896 they have
been scouringnthe country seeking by
the force of their millions to find one
stain on his clients character-all in
vain. He spoke bitterly of the Gould
attorneys and said Mrs. Cody's troubles
We're the result of their schemes.
Mr.. Dugan then proceeded to show
how the defendant had acted in per-
fectly good faith in prosecuting the
claims of Mrs. Pierce to the Gould
estate. She had been misled by her
client s statements.
Referring to the forged record of the
baptism of the alleged child of Jay
Gould and Sarah Ann Brown, he re-
minded the jury that there was not an
iota of proof that Mrs. Cody has
changed the record. 1t was more like
ly that William NJ. Speer. when he had
his eight men out searching for evil
dence in the Angell-Gould suit, had
brought this about
He said that the testimony of the
expert. David n. Carvalho. was not to
be accepted as final and held that the
Goulds themselves would be interested
in SO mutilating the record that it
would appear forgery.
Mrs. Angel, who created a sensation,
yesterday, by denying that she had
ever seen Jay Gould, was not spared.
She was called IAN old reprobate." "a
william" "a liar and strong evidence
was recited to show that she richly de-
served this last epithet. Her testimony
of yesterday was denounced as a It's
sue of lies Mr.. Dugan endeavored to
prove that Mrs. Cody. in the later de-
velopments of her search, was a tool
in the hands of her attorneys, Parker
& Speer of Albany.
Should this old woman be offered
up sacrifice" he continued. 'to save
the lawyers, Speer and Parker. and
Everst and Stearns and Judge Brown.
in whom she trusted and by whom she
was betrayed?"
In closing Mr.. Dugan said: IF the
defendant is SO palpably guilty why is
such an array of legal talent brought
against her? Why was it necessary
that an addition to three men of the
district attorneys office, three of the
most distinguished lawyers in New
York should spend two years in look
ing up the testimony
At 40 O'clock. the jury came into
court. and the foreman. Willard Bless
ing, asked to have the alleged black
mailing letter written by Mrs. Cody to
George Gould read. and that Judge
Gregory again read the statute in rela-
ton to blackmail. Judge Gregory re-
minded the jury of his charge that the
threat of blackmail on which ver-
dict of guilty might be brought. must
be found in the letter but that in de- |
Gliding whether 1t was there the whole
history of the case should be consid-
cred
Helen Gould Is MerciiuI.
New York, March 10.-A special dis
patch to the Press from Albany GAYS