The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-02-25
JURY .EXONERATES GORE
WOMAN FAILS TO SHOW THAT HE
ACTED IMPROPERLY.
Disappointed Ofice-Seekers Attempt
to Prove That Senator Was I'M
moral-Is Found Wholly Guiltless.

United States Senator Thomas P
Gore was Wednesday exonerated o.
charges of improper conduct in dis
trict court at Oklahoma City, Okla.
in suit for $4,000 damages insti
tuted by Mrs. Minnie E. Bond o.
Oklahoma City. The verdict was re
turned at $40 p. M, 10 minutes af
ter the case was given to the jury
Only one ballot was taken.
eve fnd," the jury stated In the
verdict, "the evidence submitted BY
the plaintiff entirely insufficient upon
which to base a suit; that said evi.
dence wholly exonerates the defend
ant. and had the defendant, at the
conclusion of the plaintiffs evidence
announced that he desired to intro
duce no evidence and rested his case
our verdict would have been the same
in that event as now returned by US,
in favor of the defendant"
Trial of the suit began last We'd
nesday. In her declaration Mrs.
Bond alleged thai the Senator attack
ed her while she was in conference
with him at a hotel in Washington
last March, in connection with the
possible appointment Of her husband,
Julian Bond, as internal revenue col
lector at Oklahoma City. In the scuf-
fle Mrs. Bond asserted her face was
scratched and her hand lacerated by
fragments Of her broken eyeglasses.
In his answer Senator Gore made
general denial of the charges, and as
a counter charge alleged that the suit
was instigated by corterie Of his
political opponents who had failed in
their efforts to secure federal patron
age. The jury, composed Of nine far
mers, grocer, a banker and brok-
er. was secured on the first day Of the
trial.
Mrs. Bond was called as the first
witness after opening statements
we're made Thursday. Repeating her
allegations, she denied any knowl-
edge Of the plot alleged by the Sena-
tor, who is candidate for reelection
at the Oklahoma primaries next Au-
gust. Efforts to have read dispositions
dealing with alleged incidents In con-
nection with the past Of both parties
to the suit was prevented by a ruling
of Judge Clark, who held such evil
dence not vital to the suit.
r. E. Robertson, Kirby Fitzpatrick
and DR., J. H. carp, Oklahomans. in
Washington at the time Of the hotel
enicode as applicants for federal po-
sitions, appeared as the principal wit
nesses for Mrs. Bond. All were un-
successful in their candidates.. Rob-
ertson and Fitzpatrick claimed to
have been eye-witnesses to the al'eg-
ed assault while carp asserted that
he had been importuned by Senator
Gore to have Mrs. Bond leave Wash
ington and "hush the matter up.
Testifying in his own defense. Sen
ator Gore characterized the allega-
tions as "infamous lies" and asserted
that the whole affair was the result
of the plotting Of his political enemies
intended to embarrass him in his
campaisn for denomination. He do
clared that Mrs. Bond seized him and
at an opportune moment Robertson
and Fitznatrick appeared in the room.
Other witnesses for the defense quot
ed witnesses for the plaintiff as ad-
hitting that "frame-up" against
Gore had been arranged and
uuoted several as having made threats
to "get" the senator.