The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-10-18
.BROUWEB NOT Gull TY
Jury Acquits Toms River Physi-
clan Of chargs Of Killing His
! Wife by Poison.
WILL NOT LEAVE HOME TOWN
Believes Public Opinion Is With Him
and Hangs Out His Sign Asain-PIea
Of Defendants Counsel Moves Jury to
Tears--Judse's Charge Refers to Pto-
maine Theory.


Toms River, N. J., Oct. 1S.-Arter a
trial that had lasted several days DR..
Frank Brouwer, indicted for the MUIR
der by poisoning of his wife, Carrie
Brouwer, was acquitted. The jury
brought in verdict of not guilty just
Dne hour after retiring.
The courtroom was crowded when
Judge Hendrickson ascended the bench
to hear the verdict of the jury. DR.
Brouwer was brought in looking
trifie pale, but showing little signs of
nervousness. The jury then fled into
the box, and the foreman was asked
If they had agreed on verdict. He
promptly replied:
We find O verdict of not guilty."
Instantly the courtroom was In an
uproar. Men and women cheered and
appiauded in spite of the rapping for
order, and the court eonstables had all
they could do to suppress the noise.
FINALLY when quiet was restored DR..
Brouwer was formally discharged. He
was so overcome that he could hardly
speak.
Met by Mother and Sons.
once free of the courtroom crowd
DR.. Brouwer was hurried by his coun-
sci to the street, where another crowd
that had been waiting .cheered and fol
lowed him as he walked rapidly to-
ward his home. AS DR.. Brouwer came
within sight of his home his aged
mother and his little boys appeared in
the doorway. The boys quickly ran
into the arms of their father. who.
catching them up, one on each arm.
ascended the steps to the house. AS
MS head reached her level his mother
threw her arms about the three.
A moment later DR.. Brouwe,.s .tI1rnad
to the crowd, which had remained at
his heels throughout the affecting
scene. and briefly expressed his thanks
for the evidence of good Will. With a
hnal cheer the crowd dispersed and the
FAMILY withdrew to the house.
Dr. Brouwer on returning home hing
out the sign that had been removed
from his office door, indicating his in
tention sof staying In town instead of
leaving, as he had said he would do if
public opinion was against him.
The dramatic feature of the end of
the trial was the plea for the defense
by Mr.. Wilson to the jury urging them
to do their duty and send this man
home to his aged mother and mother
less children
The foreman and two other members
of the. jury wept openly and wiped
their eyes with their handkerchiefs,
Many Of the spectators were in tears.
counsei's Strong Plea.
1t was mastery closing to q mas
terly plea, in which the case of the
state had been ripped into tatters until
there were left but the suspicious Of
two nurses and the evidence of a sin
gle medical expert, who never saw
Mrs. Brouwer alive and never treated
a living case of arsenical poisoning.
that arsenic killed her.
In his closing address for the state
Lawyer A. E. Johnson delivered a
scathing arraignment Of the accused
physician.
While jurymen and spectators were
hushed, rejecting on Mr.. Johnson's
words, Judge Hendrlckson ordered the
doors of the little courtroom closed
and began his charge.
The charge was most impartial and
along established lines. The various
degrees of murder were defined by
the court and the jury instructed as to
the nature of reasonable doubt.
In referring to the contention Of the
defense that Mrs Brouwer died from
ptomaine poisoning Judge Hendrlck-
son said:
You must carefully consider wheth-
er death came through natural causes.
BY that mean it may have been
caused by some action of the de-
ceased"