The Washington herald., 1906-11-21
PERJURY PLOT FOUND
Lawson Case at Brooklyn
Will Rival Hartje Affair.
THREE MISTRIALS THUS FAR
Confession of witness Cuts short
Case and Now Attorney for woman
Defendant Believes He Has I'm
earthed COnspiracy-Grand Jury
VIII Investigate His Charges.


the famous Hartje case, which recently
threatened to disrupt Pittsburg high socie-
ty. is that of Mrs. William NJ. Lawson, of
Brooklyn, whose husband has unsuccess-
fully sued her three times for divorce, the
last case collapsing yesterday through the
admitted perjury of a witness, If the ale
cations of counsel for Mrs. Lawson arc
TO be believed.
Edmund L. Mooney, attorney for Lena
Lawrence Lawson. went before District
Attorney Clarke, of Queens County, to-
night, and informed him that he had abso-
lutely conclusive proof that ten persons
who testified at the former trials commit
ted perjury, and that they did so because
they were well paid for It.
The Lawson divorce trial has attracted
much attention William NJ Lawson is a
millionaire jute manufactures. and about
a year ago he first brought suit against
his wife for absolute divorce. naming as
an eighteen-year-old boy,
Allen Stanley Carmichael Carmichael
proved the chief witness against the
woman. be testifying that he had picked
her up" through Irritation on the street,
and that he had become a member Of her
household after she had separated from
her husband
Woman Denies the Stories.
He swore to having met Mrs. Lawson
in a hotel in Brooklyn. Other witnesses
gave testimony which was intended TO
corroborate CarmichaeTs story, but Mrs.
Lawson, taking the stand in her own de-
fense, swOTe that her husband had con-
spired TO get rid of her. and denied all
of the stories told against her on the
witness stand. Nine Of the twelve jury
men IN the first trial believed Mrs. Law
son. but three others held out for the d.
vorce. and the jury was finally dis
charged.
The same evidence came out at the
second trial, the youthful witness IN
bIushingIy endeavoring 10 swear away
the good name of the fair defendant.
As on the first trial. the second resulted
in hung jury The third trial was be
gun this week, and. had not extended
very far until il was positively proven,
70 the satisfaction OF Supreme Court
Justice Marean. that Lee Haimewich.
witness for the plaintiff. who testified to
seeing Mrs Lawson and Carmichael in a
room in a hotel, had committed perjury
The court Immediately ordered the jury
Withdrawn and declared Il a mistriaI
Haimewich was~arrested for perjury and
is now confined in the Adams Street Jail,
awaiting the action Of the grand jury.
VIII Prosecute COnspIratOrs
Edmund L. Mooney, counsel for Mrs.
Lawson. after investigating the case. an
nounces that he is going 10 have all OF
the conspirators punished. He alleges
that he is in a position to prove that ten
persons of those whom have so far test-
fed against Mrs. Lawson, including
young Carmichael. fatty perjured them
selves. According to his Story, all Of the
witnesses, whose evidence he holds was
manufactured. were kept at summer re-
sorts along the Long Island shore for
weeks at the expense of Lawson: that
/ they were thoroughly drilled in the stories
they were expected to tell on the wit
ness stand BY a member OF the Kings
County bar, whose name Mooney is keep
| ing secret; and that for months past all
/ Of these witnesses have been drawing a
! stated weekly stipend from the million
/ aire
| The allegations in the case have stirred
/ the Kings County bar. and il is reported
I tonight that Il special grand jury is TO
/ be asked fOr 10 investigate the charges.
Mrs Lawson was seen in her Brooklyn
J home tonight and asked regarding a re-
lpcre that she would refuse TO defend the
I suit further Cn the ground that she had
/ no funds with which 10 proceed She said
/ That is not so. Although there is a
| monStrous conspiracy against me, which
has for its object the dragging OF my
I good name into the dirt, I will not rest
until I have cleared myself. Mr.. Lawson
/ would kill me 10 get rid of me, If it were
/ not for the penalty of the law, and he
himself IS part of this gigantic conspiracy
1 to besmirch me. Carmichael was a ser
want: nothing else and / will yet be ex-
/ onerated."
| An effort is TO be made to have the case
/ go 10 trial for the fourth time next week