The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-29
COL. MANN is ACQUITTED.
JURY FINDS THE "TOWN TOPICS"
OWNER "NOT GUILTY"
Martin LlttIeten. His Lawyer. n rings Tears
to the Eyes OF the whIske cred Defendant
Hot shot for wooster and wayne
1T was Recorder Gens Last Case.

TO the Eyes OF the Whlskere Defefiuant
Hot shOt for wooster and wayne
1t Wa Recorder Gers Last Case.
Col. William d. Mann of Toten Topics
was acquitted last night Of the charge that
he committed perjury at the trial OF Nor
man Hapgood when he testified that he
did not write the initials 20. K, W. ID. M
on a letter from Count Reginald Ward
about Rico mining stock. The verdict
was returned at HIS o'clock. after the
jury had elaborated about three hours.
Col. Mann. who had become very fdgety
during the wait, was nightly pleased.
While the jury was celebrating the Colonel's
young wife became i'll from nervousness.
but she soon recovered.
Immediately after the verdict Assistant
Recorder Gof oomplimenting him on his
work in General Sessions. II was the last
case OF the Recorder, who goes to the SUI
preme Court on the first Of the year. In
reply the Recorder paid a tributesto Mr..
Caravan. speaking Of his fairness in con-
Quoting cases. The Recorder also said that
his experience had convinced him that the
difficulties in convicting an innocent man
under the present criminal system were
almost in~surmountable, although there
might be critic ism Of the ease with which q
guilty man escaped.
As the Jurors passed out the C~olonel's
wife, the Colonel, his daughter and his SON
in-law, ex-senator Wray. congratulated
them. Col. Mann also congratulated Mr..
Garvan on his fairness. MIR. Caravan said,
You have that right
The Colonel and his family then shook
hands with everybody in sight. Some
of the attendants got presents-for their
kindness, it was explained. The elevator
man will miss the Colonel, who gave him
a dollar every trip.
IL was 7 O'Clock when Recorder Con
finished his charge to the jury. Then the
jury vent to dinner, returning about Q
o'clock. After the jurors had been deliber-
ating for an hour they sent for some OF the
handwriting exhibits in the case.
1t wasn't a pleasant day for the Colonel.
Martin W. Littleton, his counsel, fired many
Oratorioal guns in his effort to convince the
Jury that the Colonel was innocent. Mr..
Littleton made a bitter attack on Moses
Ellis Wooster, the originator Of the -Fads
and Fancies" idea, who has been the prinoi-
pal witness against the Colonel. Charles
Stokes Wayne, who was managing editor
Of To1n Topics, also came in for some hot
shot from Mr.. Littleton. or Wooster and
Wayne Mr.. Littleton said:
The laudatory article In Totpn Topics
about the Rico mining stock was inserted
by Wayne and Wooster in the absence OF
Col. Mann. Wayne admitted he wrote
the article. Wooster is the man, who, like
the magician, stands up to do a trick and
SAYS Now look and see that there is nothing
up my sleeve His was the style Of the
Coney Island barker.
Wooster was afraid that Count Ward
would find out that he was swlndling him.
Wooster was trying to prostitute the col
umns of this defendants paper and then he
turned on the defendant like a snake in
the grass"
Mr.. Littleton s oratory was TOO much for
the Colonel, who began to cry. His young
wife and daughter were in the court room
and they cried. So did ex-senator Wray,
the Colonel's son-in-law.
Mr.. Lttleton said Col. Mann's testimony
at the Hapgood trial was not material and
therefore the Colonel could not have COM
mitted perjury. His contention was that
there was nothing TO show that Col. Mann
wrote the initials 20. X, W. d. M" on the
Count Ward letter.
Assistant District Attorney Caravans
summing up was conservative and was
briefer than Mr.. Littietop' a. He wtnt DER
the evidence, Gisputing Mr.. Littleton's
claim that the Colonel's %testincry at the
Hapgood trial was not material. He also
called attention to the fact that no speci-
mems Of Col. Mann's handwriting were
produced TO show that he didn't write the
20. K, W. d. NJ" initials.
Recorder Goff confined his charge to the