The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-10-22
Was Found Not Guilty
of SIander.
DISSATISFIED
And VIII Ask That the Verdict Be Set
Aside Verdict Occasions
Little Surprise.

Rutland, Oct.2l-In the slander case
brought BY Samuel d. Wilson against Per-
ciyal w. Clement, The jury in the United
States circuit court late this afternoon re-
termed verdict freeing the defendant
from a charge Of using slanderous words
as alleged by the plaintiff. The plaintiff
asked that the verdict be set aside. Three
arguments and the judges charge in the
case were made today. There was quite
a display Of oratory. Mr.. Clement was in
court listening to his lawyers address to
the jury this morning the first time since
he was on the witness stand. On the 9TH
er hand the plaintiff had been in attend
ance every minute of the trial assisting his
attorneys materially The verdict causes
no surprise here.
Alexander Dunnett of St. Johnsbury
opened the argument for the defendant.
He started by paying his compliments to a
'tspottern He thought that such a char
acter as Wilson must have had could not
have been injured by Mr.. Clement.
He took up the subject of what Mr.
Clement had said and the fact that the
plaintiff had not brought single witness
from all Mr.. Clements hearers into court
to show that the words alleged had been
used. He cited the fact that the Brandon
speech on which the plaintiff relied so
much in the testimony had not been mem
TONED In the declaration. Mr.. Clement.
the lawyer thought had not talked about
Wilson, but merely about he incident in
showing how the law was being admins
tered He laid great stress upon the fact
that Wilson was not yet Of age when the
suit was brought. In closing he impressed
upon the jurors the fact that they should
consider every mans right to express his
opinion.
W. B. O. Stlckney of Bethel made the
closing argument for the defence. Mr..
Stickney tried to show that Wilson had not
been injured by Mr. Clement. The sole
evidence was, according to the orator, that
Wilson had suffered mental anguish while
In jail, but Mr.. Stiekney thought it was
not necessary for the plaintiff to haveread
newspaper reports or to have talked about
Clements speeches.
The attorney also dwelt upon the fact Of
Wilson's youth: that he thought of bring
ing a suit when in jail and should have
had an indictment ID mind, that the suit
was brought within two months after the
plaintiff had returned to Boston. following
the end Of the manslaughter case. The
jury's attention was called to the fact that
Wilson now looks as prosperous as any
young man OF his age could and is occupy
ing a position of his own choosing Mr..
Stiokney insinuated that in bringing the
suit Wilson was tool of the Y Vermont An
ti-Saloon League. In closing Mr.. Stick
ney said that the evidence had shown that
Mr.. Clement.w promoting reform.
The jurors took the case in hand at $50
o'clock just two hours and two minutes
later they brought in verdict for the de-
fendant The plaintiff Immediately moved
to set aside the verdict on the grounds
that it was not in accordance with the law
and the weight OF evidence in the case and
that some Of the Jurors were disqualified
Both sides were granted two weeks to take
evidence and hearing on the motion will
be appointed later.
The alleged disqualification OF the jur-
ors was based on the fact that during the
trial the plaintiffs counsel were informed
that two OF the men on the jnry were dis
qualified; one, because he was one Of Mr..
Clements chief leutenants in the cam
paign, when the words were uttered; the
other, because he is now an employs of a
large corporation in which the defendant
Is director. Plaintiffs counsel immedi-
ately called the attention Of Judge Wheel
er to this report aud stated that they had
no expectation OF receiving just verdict
at the hands Of such a jury.
1t was currently reported that eight Of
the jury were Clement men. II a new
trial Is granted, the case will be tried IN
Burlington at the February term. The
question Of new trial will be argued after
proof Is put in Of the disqualification oi
the jurors