New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-30
|. w. w. Girl, Her Own
Lawyer, Has No Fool
for Her Client.
GRILLS TARRYTOWN
MEN AND Is FREED
Uses Constitution and Sarcasm
TO Prove Innocence in Rock
efcller Demonstration.

War and politics were. forgotten IN
Tarrytown yesterday. when Becky Edel-
son. accused of disordcrly demonstra-
tions against John u. Rockefeller Jr.
matched her wits against those Of the
District Attorney Of Westchcser Coun-
~ and obtained her own acquittal 2itei
an all day session in court.
Acting ms her own counsel. Becky OK
amlncd and discarded jurors until her
pcrcmptory challenges were exhausted
When finally the jury box was tllec
she proceeded to toast the states W.T.
ncsscs. first on one side and Their or
the other.
And when the case went to the jury
a sigh Of relief went up from all con
cerncd. including District Attorney
Weeks and Assistant District Attorney
Fallon.
Accompanied by dozen Of her as
sociatcs. Becky arrived in court al
1890 o'clock in the morning. The
prosecutors were there ahead of her
and the work Of selecting a justice
jury Of six men WAS begun. Justice
NorehoUsc shook up the names in 8
cigar box. Mr. Weeks cleared his throat
Rocky Strengthened her hat, and, they
were off
SIX men were called and Becky be
gan her fire Of questions. within hve
minutes order hac gone by the board
There was seldom a period Of more
than two minutes without Outbursts
Of laughter in the courtroom.
She chung to what she termed "the
Constitution Of America and jcered
at those who could not recite it back
ward.
Substantial looking business men
were rejected for all sorts Of rca-
sons. Their knowledge Of the Colorado
strike and their opinions Of Mr. Rookie
fellcr's course were inquired into mi
nutcly. One man was objected 20 be
cause he was a gardener on the estate
Of John d. Archbold. Of the Standard
OIL Company. and another fell from
Grace because he shaved that gentle
mar.
Three times the court was forced &c
eord officers ont into the highway and
rcc~cs for possible jurors.
The men who succeeded ~ passing
through the bombardmcnt OF questions
unscathed we're John II. Murray
Thomas Roc. William /. Bassctte. Will
lam Lovet Frederick VI. Denton and
William H. Aldrjch.
Louis NcPhee. an Inspector OF the
%ow York Street Cleaning Department
VIZ, the fret witness. Becky advanced
on him with the assurance Of a veter-
an. IF vhccj'ing would not work She
stamped her foot and raved at the wit
ness. She even drew from him the adj
mission that he had been a moving
picture actor
She jecred at Patrolmau Dryer when
he said that he had gone for assist
aucc before arresting her
Sergeant Delaney then was placed ON
the rack. He made a laudab,e attempt
to hold his ground. But his defences
crumbled before the heavy siege guns
and he retreated in some disorder. And
so il went with other witnesses.
Becky own testimony was III the
nature Of ali Grafton. She talked about
almost everything except the main
point whether or not she was block
aiding traffic on the night in question.
Assistant District Attorney Fallon
made the closing address for the state.
Thirty minutes later the foreman,
John II. Murray. announced that the
finding Of the jury was mot guilty"
Becky departed then amid a chorus Of
goodbys from the Tarrytown residents
whom she encountered along the line
Of her triumphant march.