Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-15
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR MARCH rs. 1914

centered in establishing his guilt instance
only. 1t specifically charged that he had accepted
twenty-five thousand dollars in bride money from
Fannery, president of the biggest traction corporation
the city, return for franchise privileges obtained
by his influence. i II.
When the direct of the prosecution closed
however, the feeling general that it siiprs
ingy weak, that the main contention had been SO far
from concusivey proved that the defense presented
any at all the jury could not help but return Ner
dict of guilty 1t was felt that partzan matter
the Alderman had in his rivalry with the District
Attorney for the political preferment that must fall to
or the other of them at the coming election. II
WHEN it the turn of the defense to present its
it seemed to fulfil entirely the hopes enter
tanned for it. 1t brief clear cut, to the point 1t
seemed to be the fatal blow to the against the
Alderman. 1t had not been found necessary TO put
him the stand in his defense. The prosecution
had hoped he would take the stand. That would have
opened the way for getting his bank accounts and
financial records into evidence, showing concidenta
deposits and other transactions that would have served
powerful corroboration of the otherwise loosely car
cumstantial case made out against him.
The defense fell into such tactical blunder that
Instead, all efforts had been centered simply on essb
fishing albi showing that at ten o'clock the night
of July IL the Good Alderman elsewhere than in
certain resort known Landregans, where it was
charged that he had met President Flannery Of the
traction company and accepted the Neutrality-suspicious.
sanddollar bride from him. So complete this alib
supported by the word of witnesses Of undoubtsd fs
ability, that it became foregone conclusion that his
acquittal was only matter of form. ii
One of the abb witnesses had been the wife of the
defendant herself. She was woman noted for her
good deeds and lofty principles member of lone
family the community boasted Of above all others. The
leader Of the high social set beautiful reputed wealthy
in her own right, and always elegantly gowned sead
been the most generally regarded figure at the trial. sit.
ting every moment of it close beside her husband, with
encouragement for him and counsel for his lawyers,
counsel that they had learned to esteem Fl
Each day she came to court in her limousine, which
always remained standing at the curb before the doors
to the court. It always at the service Of her fs-
bands lawyers whenever the exigences of the de-
manded it. More than it had dashed off at top
speed with servers, to carry out other less
obvious workings of courtroom strategy.
The defense closed its case just as dusk began to
creep into the room 1t had been fully expected that
the matter would be placed in the hands of the jury
the middle of the afternoon; but the pains the defense
took to perfect its alb had drawn the day OUT longer
than had been expected and it became apparent that
the summing up of both sides would have to go:or to
the following day The Judge however, had determined
to continue the session until all the evidence was i'll
being assured by the prosecution that the presentation
of the rebuttal would consume but short time. Il
ONE by the lights went out, and brightness de
parted from the room, and, step by step as ii had
before twilight, then darkness back, .as;l the
court attendants carried out the Judges orders that the
be made dark the District Attorney reaue ted
The blackness settled the courtroom like suys-
teriously threatening omen. Il
After all the lights extinguished, however, there
remained one bright beam streakng the darkness. 1t
came from light in the outer hallway, through the
crack between the hung green baize swinging doors.
Outside these doors at distance of few feet forming