Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1905-05-19
man PATTERSON FREE
Released By District Attorney
Jerome.
LAST CHAPTER IN FAMOUS CASE.
District Attorney Jerome Gives the Former
"FIorodora" Girl Her Freedom, and at the
Same Time Says There Has Been Miscar'
riage of Jnstlce-J. Morgan Smith and his
Wife Also Out of Prison.

New York (SpeciaD AFTER more than
II months in prison and three mistrlals
on the charge of numbering Caesar Young
Nan Patterson walked from the Tomos a
free woman.
AS she left the great building which
has been her home since few days after
Young was found dying in cab in lower
New York 1000 persons greeted her with
cheers, for the news that District At
torney Jerome would move for her dis
missal from custody had spread through
out the vicinity of the courthouse. But
! the accused girl had but few seconds
to see and hear the demonstration before
she was whisked away in cab with her
attorney, Abraham Levy.
The move to discharge Nan Patter-
son came rather Unexpectedly to the pub
| lie 1t was an hour or more before noon
when District Attorney Jerome appeared
before Recorder Golf in Special Sessions
and announced that he desired to move
the discharge of the former chorus girl
without bail and on her own recognlz-
ance.
This announcement followed three
trials for murder. The second and third
of these trials-the latter concluded but a
few days ago-resulted in disagreements
the first in the discharge of the jury be-
cause of the illness of juror before the
case had been concluded.
Not the least interesting OF the days
events and perhaps the great dramatic
climax to the troubles of the former
"Florodora" girl was the reunion IN tree
dom with her sister, Mrs. ]. Morgan
Smith, and her brother-in-law, J. Morgan
Smith, both of whom were discharged
by Justice Cowing, in the Court of Cen
eral Sessions, after being held on charges
of conspiracy in connection with the Pat
terson case.
District Attorney Jerome announced
his decision to free Nan Patterson in a
speech in the course of which he declar-
ed that during two of the trials OF the
girl all the evidence in the possession OF
the District Attorneys office had been
presented to the Court, and that in both
cases there had been disagreement. He
said he did not believe that at this time,
"in this county, another trial would re-
suit in anything else than a disagree
ment"
He concluded with the motion that
Nan Patterson be discharged on her own
recognizance. 1t was then that Miss Pat
terson was sent for, and as court OF
ficer met her in her cell he said:
"Come on, Nan. 1t is all right; you
are going free"
Recorder Golf, the venerable judge who
has tried so many famous criminal cases,
met the eyes of the girl as she walked
slowly into the courtroom and took the
same seat which she occupied during the
trying days of her last trial.
"Nan Patterson" he said slowly, the
District Attorney has seen fit to recon-
mend your discharge l feel bound to
say l fully coincide in the decision.
| There is nothing / can say in this case
that has not already been said; but let
me entreat you in your future life to re-
member the terrible ordeal through which
you have passed and to permit every &C
ton of your life to be guided by that
remembrance. Good-by,"'' and the Re
corder bowed his head as he uttered the
final word and closed the case.