New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-19
COLLAPSE HALTS
TRIAL OF ACTRESS
Edith St. Clair Assisted
from Court-Lawyer
GrillS Jerome.

Edith st. Clair, the actress, whose
relations with Abraham L. Erlanger
and Max d. Steuer, an attorney, have
resulted in her being tried on q charge
Of perjury, collapsed yesterday in the
Criminal Branch of the Supreme Court,
and at an early hour in the afternoon
the court was adjourned until Monday
morning. Miss st. Clair was assisted
from the court by several women
who have been her constant COM
panions since the trial began.
Former District Attorney William
Travers Jerome was the first witness
on the stand yesterday, and was called
upon to identify several affidsvts
which the defendant signed in his
Office shortly after she had obtained
verdict against Erlanger for $22,50O.
There were three such affidavits pro-
duced at the trial, and mention was
made Of another, which Miss St. Clair
refused to sign.
"When she refused to sign the last
affidavit didn't you ask for her indict-
ment?" Benjamin slade, Miss st.
Glars counsel. asked Mr.. Jerome.
81 cid not"
Mr.. Slade then read from the rec
ords of Mr.. Jerome's testimony before
Judge Holt, in which he said that he
had advised District Attorney Manley
la no 70
and secure an Indictment against her.
Isn't it true?' he asked, "that so
long as Miss st. Clair made afiidavits
satisfactory TO you, you were willing
that she should be immune from prose-
cution ?" lie then read from Mr.. Je-
rome's testimony that he Jerome) had
prepared a list of typewritten questions
TO be asked Miss st. Clair before the
grand jury, with a view 10 securing
immunity from indictment for her.
1T is not correct" replied Mr.. Je-
rome, ITO assume that | was employing
the processes OF criminal law TO make
Miss St. Clair give statements satisfac-
tory only to me. did ask for her in
dictment three months after she had
refused to sign the fourth affidavit. but
this was not connected in any way
with her refusal to sign"
Mr.. Jerome testified that Miss ST.
Clair seemed quite collected when she
appeared at his Office for the first time.
May ., 1913, and that he must have
been i'm error II he testified before
Judge Holt, as the record showed. that
she had appeared distressed and could
scarcely understand his questions.
Max ID. Steuer, her former counsel.
whom she accused of subornation %
perjury in the afiidavits made at Mr..
Jerome's Office, was the last witness
10 take the stand. He testified that he
met her through another attorney and
first took charge of her case against
Erlanger in July, 1909. They had many
interviews. he said, during the summer
IN regard 20 her case. At this point in
the trial a recess was taken owing 20
Miss st. Glars condition. After a few
minutes she returned to the court. ap-
parently able to proceed with the trial,
but her state soon became such that il
was necessary TO adjourn.
Throughout the trial Miss st. Clair
has been the picture Of broken health
and shattered nerves. She rarely
changes her position or evinces any
interest in the proceedings other than
n cnsual, distracted glance at the wit
nesses. When one of her three attor-
neys speaks 20 her she makes a visible
effort to gather her mental forces to-
gether 10 make an adequate reply, and
after answering lapscs back into the
same lethargic attitude.