Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-05-21
NOT GUILTY,
VERDICT IN
LIBEL CASE
Summing up by Lawyers Be-
gan Yesterday Afternoon
Justice BsrOen's Charge.
GROVES CONTRADlCTS The
CHAM BERLAlN STORY
Special TO the EVENING News.

Special to the EVENING NEWS.
New Brunswick, May 21:-The
jury in the Whitfield libel cases re-
turned at 1908 o'clock this afternoon,
after being out an hour, and an
nounced a verdict of not guilty.
Justice Bergen's charge was strongly
In favor of the state.
The jury in the case re-
tired shortly before noon. The
summing up was started yesterday
afternoon by Lawyer Alan H. Strong
for the defense. He concluded his
hour and half argument this morn
ing and was followed by Prosecutor
T: B. Booraem, who presented to the
jury the evidence on the part of the
state. 1t was after II o'clock when
Justice Bergen started to charge the
jury, but he finished before IL
o'clock, having given notice yester-
day that the case must be finished
by noon today.
Lawyer Strong argued that 1t was
only a coincidence that 1t SO hap
pened that the libelous circular was
mailed from Newark at the same
time that Tunis McCauley, one of
the defendants, mailed the boxes of
envelopes containing pastors
which he had been sent by Whitfield.
McCauley, he declared, would have
been the last man they would have
used to mail the letters were there
anything secret about the work, as
he was known to many in the New
ark post Office and would readily be
traced.
The defense closed it's case yester-
day afternoon by calling the three
remaining defendants, Charles H.
Morris, Alfred Rastall and Jacob H.
Whitfield. McCauley was called as a
witness on Thursday
Morris swore that no pen writing
had been done on any of the envel-
opes which left the Water Commits
sioner's office, as he had gotten a
rubber stamp from Hullfish & Whit
field for. that purpose. He denied
having any knowledge of the circu-
lar letter. He could not remember
what was on the rubber stamp be-
side New Brunswick, N. ]"
Russell Morris, the fifteen-year-
old son Of Charles Morris, testified
that he had taken suit case filled
with envelopes down to Newark
from the water office, and had mailed
them.
Alfred Rastall, another defendant,
said he had had nothing to do with
getting out the envelopes but had
discovered at the close of business
upon October. 20, that some of the
letters had been addressed city"
and he called attention to the fact
that they should read New Bruins
wick, N. j." If they were to be
mailed in Newark. Morris then
changed them with the stamp. He
was positive the Groves circular was
not In any envelopes sent out from
the water Office and denied having
any knowledge of the circular until
after it had been received in the
mail. He also denied that he had
pen printed the words New Bruins
wick, N. ~ on the envelopes in evil
dence.
On cross-examination the Prosecu-
envelopes New Brunswick, N. j."
Jacob H. Whitfield was the de-
fense's last witness. He had the
general arrangement of the republi-
can campaign for 1909, he and
Groves having general charge of the
republican headquarters, with Ad-
rian Chamberlain in active charge.
The first he had seen Of the circulars
was the Saturday before election,
when Justice of the Peace Charles
w. Sedan showed him one on the
way to his Office. II said 1t was
pretty dirty piece of work." declared
the witness. On reaching his Office
CONTINUED % page 3D.