Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-30
JUDGE CONDUCTS TIE CASE
Striking Features of Criminal Court
Procedure in England.
PICTURE OF THE CRIPPEN TRIAL
DeeOrum and speed from start 60
Finish-Part Taken by Trial
Judge I'm Directing the
Case.

Case,
sharp contrasts I'm the procedure Of muir !
der trials in England and the United states |
are brought to public attention by the trial, |
conviction and sentence Of the American |
doctor, Hawley Harvey Crippen, in Lon
don. The promptness shown in securing
jury, the absence Of legal pettifogging
and technicalities, and the dominating part
Of the trial Judge in the examination Of
witnesses Is so different from American
methods as TO call forth commentator for
tho former and condemnation for the
latter.
The trial Judge was Lord Alverstone lord
chief justice OF England. In the days OF
Premier Salisbury he was Sir Richard
Webster. attorney general. and was chief
counsel for the London Times in the
famous Parnell trial IN which the gov
eminent and the Times wen, down in
humilating defeat. The presence OF the
lord chief justice as presiding Judge in a
criminal case is explained by the fact Of
the prisoner being an American citizen.
A review OF the trial a whole, and the
part taken by the Judge I'm the proceedings
iB necessary to a full understanding OF
English procedure and the manner in which
It differs from the methods Of American
trial courts The London correspondent
Of the New York Sun presents this graphic
account
Trial Scenes.
Although a British court Of justice
where murder trial is proceeding is al
ways characterized by quiet. passionless
decorum, combined with a steady, business
like dispatch, when one Of these big murder
cases is being tried there are always be-
meath the surface tense excitement and
deep emotion. which only come to the sur
face when the jury retlres and again on its
return to give its verdict.
Lord Alverstone, lord chief justice of
England, Is the most impressive and dig
nified figure on the British bench. ROBBED
in ermine and scarlet and attended by the
lord mayor and sheriffs wearing their Of
fetal robes and gold chains of office, he
Is the personlficaton of judicial strength,
Of which the black and gold scabbarded
sword is the emblem. Beneath him sat the
black gowned, white wigged clerk, and in
the well Of the court between him and the
prisoners deck, where Crippen's draper
insignificant figure was dwarfed by the
burly forms of three warders. sat gowned
and winged counselors at a large table, at
which the instructing solicitors with books
and papers were also seated
Three loud knocks behind the judges
seat warned the court OF the chief Justices
accompanied by the officials already men
toned. The Judge and the standing court
exchange bows, and forthwith the trial
begins Twelve men file into the jury box
and are sworn one by to see justice
between our sovereign lord, the king"
and the prisoner. Three jurors. and this
10 very exceptional, are rejected by the
prisoners counsel. 1t Is done by. an almost
inaudible word. The mems personal APP
pearance was sufficient explanation of their
rejection. Three others are brought in, and
w'thin eight minutes of the judges en-
trance the jury is empanelled the prisoner
IL arraigned and the clerk reads the in
dictment 20 Crippen, who pleads not
guilty.
Down to Business.
e Mr.. Muir says the Judge, and the
leading counsel for the crown stands up
and begins his statement of the case for
the prosecution in calm, passlonless lam
Euage, without gesture, without the
slightest attempt at rhetoric, with no trace
Of feeling against the prisoner, frequently
even pointing out facts which may tell in
fthe prisoners favor In eighty minutes
counsel gave a lucid masterpiece of mar
radve, throughout which he confined him
self 10 the admitted facts OF the long story
OF the rela tions between Crippen and his
wife and his mistress.
''Once only in the four and a half days
did counsel protest at anything that hap
pened. This was done by counsel for the
defense, who objected to the introduction
Of q crown witness after the case for the
crown had been closed. The Judge said;
will admit the evidence so far as it is
justified by the prosecuting counsels open
tag statement
Counsel for the defense remained stand
ing a moment in further protest.
I will take care OF you Mr. Tobin.
said the Judge Counsel bowed and took
his seat.
The incident occupied hardly a minute.
mot a single witness was examined or
oross-examined by counsel on either side
without the judges intervention some
times requesting counsel to make his
question clearer, sometimes helping the
witness 20 couch his answer always
making every effort to save time. II
mattered nothing whether It was a crown
or defense witness. when counsel had
finished with him or her the judge would
say: Now want TO ask a few Ques-
tons" Then in three or four lucid ques-
tons he would elicit in plain, concise form
what counsel would take twenty minutes
and innumerable questions to get out. Then
the Judge would ask a few questions al
ways straight to the point, which counsel
had overlooked or did not desire put
Judge Takes the Case.
"A good example Of the manner in which
Lord AlverstOne took the case into his
SWn hands was his dealing with the medi-
cal witnesses for the defense. The iden-
tifieauon OF the mutlated remains. apart
from the fragments Of garments buried
with them and from mere inference de-