Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1905-05-12
FRIDAY, MAY 70, 1905.
Sympathy For Nan Patterson.

Washington and the Washington
papers have been much interested in the
trial of Nan Patterson at New York, as
her family live there and have long been
respected citizens.
The following from the Washington
Times, May 4th, expresses this feeling
and also shows that a similar feeling of
sympathy was very general in New York
with the large crowds that were waiting
to hear the verdict of the jury:
"No verdict before tomorrow! Oh l
can't bear up" said Nan, and, giving
away completely, she cried as if her
heart would break, Mrs. Smith leaned
over and kissed her. "Why, Nan, it's
nothing; it's nothing" said she. "Only
a few more hours and then you'll be
free-vou know you will" But the
actress was past consolation Just then.
Almost at her feet lay the trunk in
which she had packed her prison clothes
and her little toilet nicknacks to take
home to Washington.
Once before she had packed the things;
once before she had waited in agony of
spirit for the jury's decision. This time
she had held up for eleven hours; she
could not suppress emotion any longer.
Her sister asked too much of poor,
wounded, human nature-and Nan sat
there desparing. Though the white
haired father came down the corridor
with his old, old story of hope he could
not dispel her grief.
Night brought no quiet to the streets
thanking the Tombs and the criminal
i. II L.,
was whisked away at 1890 a crowd Of
5000 persons CAPPED in morbid curiosity.
Probably never before had the climax Of
a criminal trial in this city brought such
train of remarkable incidents.
Twice the jurors passed through the
streets and were aSsailed with cries to
free the fair prisoner "Set Nan free!
Set Nan free" were the words that rang
in the Jurors ears. Hemmed in by three
lines OF policemen the jury went to a
Park row restaurant for luncheon and
supper, and every yard of the way
petitions were made for the release of
the accused woman.
"Shes not guilty She's been in Jail a
year. Young killed himself. He de-
served it, were some of the eXclama-
tions, but always clear above the varied
cries rose the call of the insistent ma
jority: "Set Nan free"
1t was unique demonstration in the
history of criminal cases here. The
jurors seemed to labor under the weight
of their responsibility. They were
guarded from approach in the restaurant
by twenty-five patrolmen. On the trip
through Center street and Park row fifty
policemen sheltered them.
Keeping closely within doors, the
members of the Patterson family are
receiving no callers at their home in Mt
Pleasant, and refused to say anything
regarding their feelings on the outcome
of the trial.
The front door of the house on Howard
avenue is closed to all excepting intimate
friends of the family, and to the scores
of newspaper men who applied for al
interview or some statement as to how
the verdict was received, the same
answer is given:
eve have nothing to say"
The members of the family sat W
until late hour last night awaiting
news, and hoping for an acquittal
Charles Patterson, brother to Nan, anC
employed as a clerk by local firm
refused to either affirm or deny that the
family was anxious.
"What does everyone think of the
verdict" was his reply when asked how
the result of the third trial had been re
ceived by the family, Continuing he
said:
1--WE feel that this is a matter thai
concerns only us, and desire to be lief
entirely alone. We shall answer NJ
questions, and will give nothing out fo
publication. We have been INSTRUCTED
time and time again and we feel tina
the affair has been given enough pub
lefty