New-York tribune., 1910-05-26
SEYLER ACQUITTED;
Jury OUT J HOURS
Court at Once Orders Prisoner
and His Brother 0rviS Set
at Liberty.
TRIAL LASTED THREE DAYS
Accused Man Made Excellent
Impression on Stand-Defence
Made Strong Point of
Third Degree"

Mays Landing, y. j.. May 25.-Will-
lam Seyler. charged with the murder of
Jane Adams on the MilIion-Doliar Pier
at Atlantic City last February, was ac-
quilted tonight. The jury was out a
little more than five hours. Judge
Trenchard at once discharged Seyler
from custody and, on motion of counsel
for the defence, also freed Orvis Seyler.
The verdict was anxiously awaited by
the biggest crowd that has ever as
sembled at any time since the trial be-
gan. The courtroom filled an hour after
the jury went out, and those who secured
vantage places stuck to them. It was
almost impossible to move about the
corridors, and the hotels and stores near
the courthouse were all open and held
crowds.
The trial of Seyler consumed three
days. the defence completing its case by
putting him on the stand to testify in
his own behalf. He appeared cool and
possessed, maintaining that he did
not know how Jane Adams came TO her
death. and telling of being sweated by
the police, who sought to obtain con-
fession from him.
He described the meeting with his
brother Orvis and Jane and Alice Adams
on the night of February 4, and said
that he finally consented to accompany
them to the pier after they had coaxed
him for a long time. Testifying to what
happened on the pier, he said:
"Orvis asked me to stay with Jane
while he walked around with her sister
Alice After he left 1 said TO Jane,
Come on, let's go in We were near the
Fave Motor Ca pier attraction). She said
No standing ten feet from the motor.
1 did not tell the police 1 saw her fall
overheard, but l said that was where she
stood when last saw her. When l left
Jane 1 started in toward the hall. Jane
called three times for Alice in a natural
way. L turned around to look back, but
l could not see her, so 1 returned to the
Almighty God did not see her fall over
the pier into the sea-
Seyler said he then concluded that
Jane had Joined Alice and Orvis. and he
left the pier. He described his move
ments up to the time his brother came
home, when he received for the first time
the information that Jane had not re-
turned home. He also told about the
coming of Mrs. Adams to ask him what
had become of Jane.
The defendant fatty denied the truth
of the statement he signed for the police
of Petersburg, Va, and said that he
signed it after Robert Miller, the de-
tective had written it. in the belief that
he would then be taken back to Atlantic
City and released from custody. The
only thing that he ever admitted. he
said. was that he was on the pier the
night of February 4 when Jane Adams
disappeared. The defence rested after
the prosecutor had failed to shake his
testimony.
In rebuttal Prosecutor Goldenburg
went on the stand to testify regarding a
statement made by Orvis Seyler. Other
officials present when the defendant and
his brother signed the statement also
swore that Orvis made the statement,
which. in brief. was as follows:
will and I went on the pier with
Jane and Alice; we were all together;
we stayed out together about twenty
minutes. Alice wanted to go in, so We
did. but Jane stayed out with Will
Later in the evening I saw Will leave
the pier and Jane was not with him.
Seyler's counsel objected to the adj
mission of the statement, but he was
overruled, the court instructing the jury,
however. that it was to be considered
unIy as an impeachment of the testi-
mony of Orvis SeyIer.
Judge Trenchard, in his charge, told
the jury that after listening to the testi-
mony of the physicians on both sides re-
garding the wound on Jane Adams's
head they must determine whether il
had been inflicted by a blow before or
after death.
A deliberate taking Of life, no mat
ter how short the time for delibera-
ton, made 1t murder in the first degree,
said the court. If Seyler attacked the
girl and caused her death, IL as muir
der in the first degree. Judge Trench
ard said he could recall no evidence TO
show that the alleged crime was man
daughter.