Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-09
JUR|ES FAVOR WOMEN
What the Big Murder Trials in
New York Have Shown.
MlSTRIACS AND ACQUITTALS
Few Verdicts of Guilty Where Females
Are Involved.
FAMOUS CASES ARE RECALLED
Case Of Burton Webster Similar to
That of Thaw - Carlyle Harris,
Refused to Escape.
MIsTRIALS AND ACQUITTALS
FAMOUS CASES ARE RECALLED

Of crimes in New York city. only very
small percentage Of the murder trials are
reported at any length In the New York
newspapers. The ordinary variety of kill
ings, lacking in "unwritten law attach
ments and fixtures, and with persons OF
neither wealth nor beauty figuring as de-
PENDANTS or witnesses. do not even get a
"stickful'' day of notice in the New
York papers. On conviction or acquittal
in such cases bare three four lines.
noting the verdict, are printed. Yet there
are several murder trials going on in New
York on every court calendar day. There
are scores Of murderers now awaiting trial
in New York, and a good many of these
trials are held back by the Thaw case, to
the prosecution OF which the entire force
Of the district attorneys Office has ad-
dressed itself from the day following the
shooting of Stanford White. About once
in two years a really big murder trial
happens in New York That, at least, has
been the average during the past twenty
years.
After having reported for various New
York newspapers a good many of these
famous trials of the past twenty years or
so. one finds 1t more or less interesting to
run over some of the most notable Of
them and to revive Impressions formed at
the time concerned in the principals in
such cases.
No Plea Of ."Unwritten Law"
One of the first murder trials which
reported for a New York newspaper was
that Of Burton Webster, in 1888 or 1889.
The so-termed 'unwritten law" was not
invoked In this case. although 1t might
well have been. Burton Webster. a book
maker Of the best repute In his class and
a man with legons of friends, caught the
man whom he shot and killed in the COM
pany Of the woman upon whom he had
lavished his affections-Evelyn Granville.
an actress and very beautiful woman.
Webster had repeatedly warned the man
to remain away from the apartment in
which he and the actress lived When he
returned to the apartment one night and
found the man there in spite of all warn
ings Webster promptly shot him to death
and surrendered to the authorities.
medicine In silence, although he had many
influential friends who might have turned
the tide In his favor had he invoked their
aid in that direction He was sent away
term. with the usual time of for good be-
havior. Webster very quiet somewhat
prematurely old man, we'll liked by those
with whom he comes into contact, now
makes his home In Washington. Evelyn
Granville, the woman who was at the bot
tom of all the trouble, died a miserable
death few years ago.
Carlyle Harris Trial.
The case of Carlyle Harris, a medical
student, charged with numbering his beau
tlful young wife by administering poison
to her, was the next Of the famous New
York murder trials. I have always con-
sidered that Carlyle Harris was guiltIess
of the crime for which he went to the
chair. In such matters no good is to be
gained oy seeking to go behind the evil
dence, hutsHarris' ease was exceptional
and my humble individual Judgment of
him. which~is fully recognized as being
wholly unimportant in view Of the verdict
was formed after months of daily con-
tact with him while he was awaiting trial
and during the trial, which, if remember
correctly, lasted some seven weeks. and
which 1 reported for a New York paper
anybody who became closely acquainted
with Harris would have found It impos-
sible to believe that he murdered his
young wife. He protested his innocence
to the very last.
He was frank-faced accomplished and
wholly engaging young chap, and the
prosecution never established any actual
motive which might have actuated him In
killing his wife. who was very lovely, and
VINO was entirely devoted to her promis-
Ing young husband, as he was to her. He
was accused of having brought about her
death by the administration of increas-
ingly strong doses of morphia. After
Harris execution some very strong evil
dence was brought forward showing that
the wife whom he was charged with kill
Ing had involuntarily become addicted to
the use Of morDhia while undergoing a
severe illness. 1t is certain that all hands
who were present throughout that long
trial. can speak, at any rate. for the
newspaper men-gravely doubted If the
verdict, finally rendered was the right
one, and, in fact. there seemed to be a
quite general impression that he had been
unjustly conyicted-that, at any rate he
should have been given the benefit of the
many grave doubts in the case.
Refused to Escape.
Two nights before the day set for his
execution in Sing Sing Carlyle Harris
had an opportunity to make his escape
from that prison, but he scorned the
chance. pair of desperate convicts, con-
fined in the Sing Sing death house with
Harris, tossed red pepper into the eyes of
the keeper, overpowered him and took
away his keys, and. before leaving, threw
open the door of Harris cell and invited
him to join them. Harris refused to run
away. The two desperadoes got out and
found boat moored to stake close to
the prison. The alarm was promptly
given, but they got across the Hudson.
although the night was a wild and stormy
one. On the following day the searchers
found the boat on the Jersey side of the
Hudson. with both OF the convicts sitting
dead in 1t. one In the bow and the other
In the stern sheets. They were both
riddled with bullets.
was supposed that the two escaped MUIR
derers had fallen to quarreling as to which
routes they should respectively take in
abandoning the boat and had shot each
other. The fact that Carlyle Harris had
resoiutely refused to join these two es-
capped murderers at the time they got away
made profound impression at the time
and strenuous efforts were made to gain
q respite for him. But he was executed
two days after the pair Of murderers had
got away. protesting his utter innocence to
the final moment of his life. Being ION
the case" l visited Harris cell every day
during the long months while he was await
ing trial, and it was impossible not to be
impressed with the dignity of his general
character While awaiting trial he wrote
some very excellent verse, and this mar
keted for him at astonishingly high fig
ures. for the case was being watched by
the whole country. The money which he
gained from his versifying went toward the
expenses of his trial. 1 was with him until
little while before his execution. but
could not bring myself to watch his finish,
although I was delegated to that duty.
Harris was the gamest man accused of
great crime that ever met up with.
Three Mistrials for Kennedy.
Passing over the case of DR.. Buchanan,
the poisoner who to everybody who came
into Of with hin, Saaf,aad IN richly u,arit