New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-27
VERDICT FOR HAPGOOD.
JURY OUT FEW MINUTES.
Jerome, Summing Up for Deuel.,
Calls ''To1cn Topics" Vae Sheet.

Attorney Jerome the prosecutor of Norman
Hapgood. Editor of Golfers Weekly" on Jus
tice Deuels charge of criminal libel that It took
a jury in the Criminal Branch Of the Supreme
Court just seven minutes to agree on verdict
acqutting Mr.. Hapgood yesterday A broad
grin was on the face of the foreman of the jury
when he announced the verdict OF Not guilty"
Get out Of here, now, you criminal" laughed
Mr.. jerome. slapping Mr.. Hapgood on the back
in most friendly manner. You have had your
day in court"
Mr.. Jerome and Mr.. Hapgood left the court
room arm in arm. after the members Of the jury
had paused on the way out to shake hands with
Mr.. Hapgood. Nobody seemed to be surprised
at the verdict, but congratulated Mr.. Hapgood
and Robert Collier on the result Of the trial.
Justice Deuel. was not in court and 1t was
learned later that he was at his home, in West
SOth-st., i'll in bed He had been prostrated, il
was said, by the revelations in the trial.
Colonel w D. Mann. proprietor of Town
| Topics" sat in the courtroom when the verdict
was announced. For brief space he seemed to
be staggered by the announcement Then he
picked up his hat, overcoat and cane and stalked
out into the corridor He lit cigar. donned his
hat and overcoat and was leaving the Criminal
Courts Building when reporters asked him if he
had anything to say.
why should I say anything?" he retorted.
I wasn't the prisoner"
Were you surprised at the verdict?"
NO, the jury seemed to be men of great in
telligence"
VIII you push your damage suit against
'Collier's'?"
"Of course. What does man generally do
when he begins a suit?"
How will the verdict affect Justice Deuel?"
Justice Deuel. is home, sick in bed He was
completely worn out by the trial"
will you continue the publication Of Town
Topics along the same lines?"
Certainly, certainly I haven't heard any
thing to the contrary"
Reports were soon flying about the Criminal
Courts Building that. a result of the revela-
tions in the Hapgood trial, the District Attor
ney would begin proceedings against both
Colonel Mann and Justice Deuel. 1t was said
that the grand jury would be asked to con-
slider some of the testimony. particularly that
of Bernard n. Baker. TO see if there
! basis for proceeding against Colonel Mann on
charge of extortion.
MAY IMPEACH JUSTICE DEUEL..
1t was said, too. that proceedings to impeach
Justice Deuel. with a view 20 his removal from
the bench would be begun soon.
District Attorney Jerome declined to talk
about the reports before he went to his sum
mer home in Lakeville, Conn, in the afternoon
for a rest over Sunday.
Il have nothing TO say about the case now"
Mr.. jerome said, except that do not see how
the jury could have brought In any other YER
dict"
James W. Osborne and Edward NJ Shepard,
counsel for Mr.. Hapgood. said they were
| through with the case and would make no move
against Justice Deuel. or Colonel Mann Robert
Collier said that 1t had been his purpose not
to begin any proceeding against Justice Deuel.
! or Colonel Mann. no matter what the result Of
the HaPgood trial was. He added:
The verdict speaks for itself. I will say: how
Topics attacking Miss Roosevelt I told my man
! ager 70 stop all advertisements in Town Topics
and The Smart Set I learned that there was an
| exchange Of adyertisemenJs by which Town
Colhers 10 the extent OF about Sl.5Og for adVer-
! tsemcnts was willing 70 sacrifice that, and or
! future.
At the home Of Justice Deuel. in the afternoon
it said he too i'll to talk. At the Office
of Town Topics Colonel Mann said:
7 am not surprised at the verdict at all 1 fail
! TO see how any intelligent jury-and that one
seems TO have been particularly intelligent-COuld
denee e Mr. HaPs0od sPs a4 an admitted Of to be BE-
true by the District AttoTneyI to the effect @ ihat
! what the District Attorney had sad The District
! ment. and explained that the views which he ex-
! pressed to Mr. Hapgood were those he held at
]
! thev were communicated to Mr. Hapgood any
private individual might speak to old and per
! sOual friend. as he declared Mr. Hapgood to be,
and in a purely personal interview. and ne argued
/ taken a basis for article of the grave i'm
| portance of this libel, to be published the world
/ over.
District Attorney Jerome's long speech to the
! Jury in the Hapgood trial yesterday morning
! was in part follows:
You are not here public conservators or censors
! of the morals Of society l myself have thrown
/ many differences upon this case. I have thought
/ many things about this case which are perhaps
| the proper things guide i'm my individual
! conduct. but you and l must he guided only ny
/ tangible circumstances. ! surmise a whole lot
| this but those SuTmiSes not founded
/ on the evidence. but the thousands of other
! things that ] know. I am not here to whitewash
! any one. ! will not disguise from you the utter
/ l0atHiuE and contempt / feel for some Of the wit
nesses which / myself have introduced. We are at
| times led do things with the best motives and
oaths YOU are to decide this case the evidence
! alone.
VILE SHEET" SAYS JEROME.
Referring to Town Topics" Mr.. Jerome said
! in part:
Now, let us see the character of this paper Mr
! enayd has told that Colonel Mann has stated
that IL was the natural evolution OF personal jour
/ more than daily paper in New-YOrk whose
/ trend is that way. There is scarcely a morning
paner that doesn't print vile scandals and obscene
/ matter I don't what interest 10 COnSeTVeS to
10 YOU and me-the publication OF articles relating
| 10 the adultery OF this or that person. Does IL