New-York tribune., 1911-12-28

The Jury in the case Of Isaac Harris
and Max Blanck brought in verdict
Of not guilty yesterday evening, after
being out one hour and forty minutes.
Three ballots wore taken. The first
found the jurors standing eight for ac-
o,ittal and two for conviction, two not
voting. but as 10 what else happened In
the iury room the twelve men agreed TO
maintain secrecy.
The defendants were on trial for more
than three weeks before Judge Grain. in
General Sessions, charged with the
death Of Margaret Schwartz, ono OF the
! 14S persons who perished in the fire OF
March % in the Triangle Waist Com
panv's factory i'm the Asch Building in
Washington Square. Her burned body
was found beneath pile of twenty
others. in the loft on the ninth floor OF
the building. where the factory. oWneI
bv the defendants was lying a few feet
away from the Washington Place door,
which the prosecution contended was
| locked.
! But the verdict Of the jury does not
render Harris and Blanck immune from
/ further prosecution for what Assistant
District Attorney Charles f. Bostwick
described as zone OF the worst crimes in
| history" in his summation. There were
/ six other indictments pending, each
charging manslaughter in both OF It's
degrees. Harris and Blanck will be put
! on trial at no remote date. The next
time however, they will not be tried in
General Sessions, but in the Criminal
Branch of the Supreme Court
Court Orders Strict Silence.
Judge Grain ordered that unqualified
silence be maintained H. the courtroom
Just before the jury brought in the YER
dict. and when the jurors took their
seats the clerk Of the court asked If
they had agreed upon verdict
I'VE havew exclaimed Foreman Leo
Abraham promptly, adding: Not
guilty"
There was one little handicap bur
otherwise silence reigned.
80 say you all?" inquired the clerk.
I'VE do! We dow chorused the jurors,
in twos and threes.
The erstwhile defendants smiled.
"Tbose in the courtroom will pass out
quietly and out Of the building" said
Judge Grain.
The court then thanked the jurors for
their painstaking efforts and dismissed
trcm. They filed out through the rear
OF the court.
The wives Of the defendants broke
down for the second time during the
day and wept, but this time their tears
were tears Of JOY. Tho little daughter
o. Rlanck also cried. SO did the women
friends of the defendants. They gath
cred together and kissed one another:
but the defendants held their feelings in
check. submitting passivcly to the kisses
and embraces OF their wives
Fire Victims Relatives Angry.
Outside, policemen under Captain Tier
nov. of tho Elizabeth street station.
were driving the relatives Of those who
died in the fire out into the street. Thes,
had vainly sought admission 10 the
courtroom. Many of them were muir
muring Others were crying. one man
said: Fine country, this" Another:
81 lost my sweetheart! And they're ac-
quilted" Said mother who lost her
daughter: This is fine law! This Is ,
tine country"
The crowd were at last driven into the
street Then a squad Of police escorted
Harris and Blanck out of the building
taking them through the private en-
trance Of the magistrates court, ir
Franklin street. 10 the subway station
at Worth street. About fifty men and
women, all bemoaning their dead and
criticising the verdict stood on the steps
as they passed. one shouted: -"Mur.
dcrcrs. Acquitted Murdercrs Of my sis.
Continued on third pagt,