The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-14

jury before the close OF the day.
The courts instructions being adj
verse to the accused, there Is
every reason to believe that the
jury will be out but few min.
utes.
Judge Harrison, sitting in the
Hastings Court. delivered the courts
instructions to the jury trying the
case of Adon a. Yoder. charged
with criminally libelling Police Com
missioners Chris Manning and W..
Douglas Gordon and Police Justice
John ]. Crutchfeld. shortly after IL
O'clock Monday morning.
The morning session OF the court
was devoted to the testimony of Com
gresham Carter Glass. of Lynchburg;
A6on A. Yoder and James r. Gordon.
whose name was dragged Into the
case at the eleventh hour.
Mr.. Glass Reads Yoder's Letters.
Mr.. Glass. being sworn, took tnd
witness chair. Replying to the ques-
tions of Mr.. Smith. he gave the usual
identification Of himself, and was pro-
ceeding with his testimony when ME-
Meredith, counsel for Yoder. objected.
Mr. Meredith protested that the lines
along which Mr. Smith was proceed
ing were irregular that the testimony
competent.
Judge Harrison was not disposed to
sustain the objection. Mr. smith
asked the witness IL Ii were true that
his suit against the ]. P. Bell Conn
pany In Luxembourg was Withdrawn
because he witnessl WAS afraid
yoder would prove the charges
lit is certainly not true" M.
Glass replied with emphasis. He add
| ed that the suit was withdrawn when
! the printers had made retraction and
apology.
At the request of counsel. Mr.. alaes
read the letters written to him. Thin
was done for the purpose Of sustain
ing his story of the apology and re-
traction. A letter from the president
OF the Bell Company was read. Of
fertng apology and explaining that
the publication was abandoned By
that company as coon as the CHAR
acter OF the matter being written BY
Yoder was discovered by the COM
/ pany.
Letters pertaining to the contro.
versy were read by Mr.. Meredith from
A. bound volume OF copies of The Idea
7 published In Lynchhurg.
Did you ever make any reply TO
Yoder's last letter. Mr.. Smith asked.
! Only in the form of an editorial
| wrote. / never took much notice
9
helm" replied witness.
MIR. Glass was in the witness chair
( only fifteen minutes
Yoder on Stand Again.
Yoder was recalled. -
I Mr.. Meredith forthwith went back
| to the muckrake and the handling
/ of certain evils by the police DEPART
/ ment
1 II want TO ask something about
| that Eighth street house." he began.
! Mr.. Smith interrupted.
who owns that property ?" Mr..
/ Meredith queried sharply.
THE Whitlock estate. under-
( stand" replied witness.
! Mr.. Smith again objected.
I'VE desire TO show. said Mr..
Meredith. addressing the court, that
/ the Whitlock estate, owning some Of
these houses. is controlled by James
/ r. Gordon. father of Police Commits
sioner Gordon
I Did Not Know II.
! Mr.. James r. Gordon was called
| to the witness chair when Yoder was
! told to stand aside. He has been
! the manager of the Whitlock estate.
/ which Is very large. for the last fif-
/ teen or twenty years.
/ Mr.. Smith asked him:
! DO you know that women of bad
| character occupy, or did occupy.
I tate?"
mo" replied Mr.. Gordon. Then he
/ added quickly:
Il should qualify that statement.
| Four years ago I bought some prop
/ erty for the estate. the houses re-
| ferred to. Afterwards | heard that
\ there was some question about the
! character OF the woman renting the
I house. II I had known at any time
/ that the house. or any houses Of tho
/ estate. were tenanted by any but re-
/ spectacle people. / should certainly
| have turned them out"
| At the close of Mr.. Gordon's tes-
/ timony the testimony was closed and
| Judge Harrison read his instructions
| to the jury.
Must Not Be Influenced.
Preceding the opening OF the argu.
ment in the case by Mr.. Mcclure. Of
! counsel for the complainants, Judge
Harrison, addressing the jury. said:
Gentlemen, l wish to mention =
matter that has come to my atten-
ton. There were publications cons
corning this case in the newspaper
/ of yesterday and this morning.
wish to instruct you that you are not
to allow yourself to be influenced h1
anything published in the press Ia the
| last few days" s
Judge Harrison referred partfcu-
iarly to the public statement Of th4
Rev. Tilden Scherer. repudiating the
editor of The Idea.
His Relations With Atkinson.
Mr.. Mcclure began his speech with
a recital of the circumstances undaR
/ which Yoder came to Richmond. 1Axs
inr emphasis on the relations betWNox
]. Marshall Atkinson. whose iiquor I'LL
cense at the Park Hotel had beo19
! ..,,orad and Ynder IA dArfa raH HtHkS67