Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-07-31
Defense, So Far, Has
Played With States
Chessmen and on the
Prosecutions Side of
the Board.
By DUDLEY GLASS,

ers. The object of the Black is to ex-
tract from the witnesses every state
ment possible which might add link
to the chain of evidence against Mrs.
Grace and to put that statement before
the jury II is the object of the White
TO balk the Black at every move; to in
terpose objections to every question
which might be damaging to the de-
fendant; keep from the ears of the Jury
any word of evidence which by a twist
Of the law may be ruled out.
1t is a game which must be PLAYED
according to the rules, and the rules are
myriad and susceptible to many inter-
pretations. The judge is the umpire on
the play; the jury is only the referee of
the final result. The game Is to con-
vince the umpire that a move is per
mitted by the rules.o is not according
to whether Black or White is moving.
There are two skillful masters of the
game of human chess manipulating the
pieces in the case of State VS.. Daisy
Grace Behind them are their asso-
ciates in the case. good lawyers all.
But the two are the captains of their
teams. One is Hugh M. Dorsey, sohci-
tor general of Fulton county and there
fore official prosecutor for the state
The other is Luther z. Rosser, associate
counsel for Mrs. Grace and the court
room lawyer" of the defense These
two carry on a continuous struggle for
points. with the jury keeping score.
Leading" a Witness.
A states witness is on the stand. So
lcitor Dorsey, slight, almost boyisn,
seemingly tired out from the strain of
two long days on his feet, begins TO
question him. The questions and an
swers are pat enough for a moment or
two. Then
Now, Mr.. Jones, what did Mrs. Grace
say to you about what she had left in
the bath room?" he begins.
Luther Rosser, brawny as a black
smith, his great round head matched
by reddish hair which stands out like Il
porcupine's quilts. is on his feet In
second, believing at the witness. He is
a terrifying object as he glowers upon
the unfortunate on the stand The de-
PENDANTS counsel picked their jury law
yer Well
q object, your honor" he shouts.
my friend, the solicitor, is leading this
witness He's always doing 1t. He
puts his questions so the witness can't
help knowing just what answer is
wanted"
Judge Roam bends over from his
bench and patiently requests Mr.. Dor
sey TO put his question in different
form.
What if anything, did Mrs. Grace
say to you about a bath room?" is his
new version The witness answers.
q object. your honor" shouts Mr.,
Rosser again. This is irrelevant, hear
say evidence; it is not admissible.
move that the answer be stricken out"
But He Really Is the Victor.
The court instructs the jury to dis
regard the question and the answer in
making up its verdict, to forget that
any such matter was introduced Mr..
Dorsey sits down. apparently defeated.
He has been ruled out of order several
dozen times since the case was opened.
But-perhaps the solicitor is really
the victor, not the vanquished. Again
and again he has drawn from the wit
nesses answers which promptly were
ruled out Of court But they had
reached the jury, had been hammered
into the minds of the twelve men who
must decide the fate of the defendant,
and all the charges of a hundred judges
can not remove from the mind OF
human being an impression which has
once found lodging there. So there
may be a reason for the smile the solic-
itor wears as he takes his seat.
Then it is Mr.. Rosser's real play. The
cross examination begins.
Take the witness" says the solicit
tor, abruptly.
The witness has testified that he met
Mrs. Grace at the Terminal station
when she returned from Newman; that
he had not left her for moment until
she reached her husbands side in st.
Josephs hospital; that she had been
given no opportunity to be told OF her
husbands reported accusation against
her. He seems relieved al having
passed the ordeal He doesn't know
what is ahead of him.
TangIine UP a Witness.
Luther Rosser bitches his chair
around the table, rises and sticks his
round head almost into the unfortu-
nate ones face.
You say you met her at the station
You say you drove in a cab with her
to st Josephs? You say you were
with her all the while? Now who else
was in that reception room at the hos
pital?"
There were several people-a
strange woman and some others
Were there any detectives in the
room?"
No" returns the witness.
But you said you talked to detec-
tives out there. Where were they
out in the hall"
You talked to them out IN the haIl'
then. Then you must have left MIS-
Grace!"
The witness admits that he lett hei
perhaps fifteen minutes, though ne was
IN sight OF her through the door Yes
he remembered woman talking to