The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-25
HARRISON RAMSAY SUIT
FAILS TO.REACH JURORS.
Famous Charles City Libel Case VIII
Go Into It's Final Stage on s
4. Monday Morning.
ATTORNEYS ocCUFY LIAiRLIGHp
Pleas to Jury Are Eloquent and
Bitterly Sarcastic--Little County
a Courtroom Is Packed With Spec
tators When Arguments Begin.
Especial to The Times DIspatch.7
CHARLES CITY COURTHOUSE. "


CHARLES CITY COURTHOUSE, VA.
Ramsay libel suit, on trial In the
Charles City Circuit Court, finished
their arguments to- the Jury after night
fall. Judge r. Gardiner Tyler, after
ascertatnipg that a speedy verdict was
unlikely, dismissed the jury. until Mon
day morning, when 1t will be formally
charged and sent out to pass on the
evidence. 'L| i5i'5 t55' =
There was much disappointment over
the failure to finish the case to-day
Lawyers are here from Richmond and
Williamsburg, while many of the jury
meh come from far ends of the county.
several living distance of twenty
miles from tbs courthouse. The YER
dict Is eagerlI awaited by the entire
county, as every one Is Interested In
the outcome. The fact that Hugh T..
Harrison, descendant of one of the old
est Virginia families. is suing Mrs
Clarisa H. Ramsay. owner of the
famous westover plantation, and wide
ly known In the North and East, has
attracted attention In many quarters.
The suit Is unique In the annals of
the State.
OPPOSING; ATTORNEYS
ARE IN THE LIMELIGHT
The oppeNing attorneys wero. In the
limelight thAsentire day. At tho be-
ginning Of the morning session 1T was
found that Judge Tyler was far from
satisfied with the Instructions proposed
by each side. and a two-hour confer
ence was held In chambers before n
suitable draft was made. Then came
the real battle between the five law
yers.
BY consent, each side was limited to
two hours and a half. Three ATTORNEYS
represented the defense. while the
plaintiff had two The little courtroom
was packed when the arguments began,
and scarcely person left until the
last word was said. iGs
1t Is seldom Sthat country. court
here to-day. Each lawyer was prfmed
for. u battle, and, being limited in time
made. every word count The ATTORNEYS
for MIR. Harriaon. while giving some
tlme TO brilliant oratoEy. spent the
larger portion of, the allotted period in
an exposition of the instructions and,
the legal phases of the case. The de-
Tense relied principally upon eloquent
appeals direct to the jury The ad-
dresses Of both sides were marked bv
bitter sarcasm. the defense proving IT
self adept In that line.
Mrs. Ramsay was in court, as was
Mr.. Harrison. The defendant, how.
ever. was unable to stay through the
entire session on account Of her
health, and left soon after her CHIEF
counsel. Richard Evelyn Byrd, closed
his address. Mrs. Ramsay has been
in court each day, and has paid mark !
ed attention to the case. One of her
sons always has been at her side. Ex-
cept for her nervous breakdown yea
terday on the stand. her demeanor5 ha s
been cool and unconcerned
The Instructions to. the jury were
Nobably more favorable to the plain
tin than otherwise. The special stat
ute under which the sI,s was brought
makes 1t unnecessary to prove actual
damage resulting from the alleged In
sulting words. and this was one OF
the principal counts Tho Jury was
also told that It could assess punitive
damages IL 1t found malice.
LETTER COMES UNDER
HEAD OF .PRIvILEGEn
Probably the most important In.
struction from the; viewpoint of the
defense was that on privileged COM
mpnications. The jury was told by the
court that the letter was a privileged
one, and that the defendant was not
liable. unless 1t found that she had
abused the privileged occasion, which
must be used In good faith pnd with
out malice. Strong or violent language
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