The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1915-12-11
Br NAHvIS HnowE

AUGUSTA. GA. Nov. ea.-The
Watson case went 10 the jury late
this afternoon. with every prospect
of a disagreement Both sides free
" predict that no verdict will h.
reached. A disagreement is the
best the prosecution can hope for,
and obviously l. what from the tirst .
il has been striving for. The de- I
fense, realizing this, and knowing /
the tactics TO be expected on part .
Of the papes when hopeless OF a con-
yiction. Is not sanguinc Of a ter
mination Of the casc with this trial, !
but sees rather a continued harass-
ment through the courts.
The feature of to-day's proceed /
ings. In the nature Of a mild son
sation, was the repudiation by the
government OF It's chief witness and
an attempt 10 discredit his tcSti-
mony. The district attorney made
strong effort to have placed on the
stand two l9-ycar old boys, who. he
said. could read the Latin passages
which Prof. r. l.. Pulliam had de-
clared TO he ordinarily unintelligi-
BILE. To this, Watson vigorously
objected.
"These Young men evidently have
heard the Latin translated" hc said.
'SThey have not seen this Latin
before" declared Mr.. Donaldson.
II was remarked. however, that he
did not affirm that the precocious
youths had not been. carefully
coached with an expert translation.
Judge Lambdin refused TO permit
the BOYS TO testify, ruhng that il
would be unfair TO the defendant.
Watson on the Stand
! Watson went on the witness
stand at II 80 O'Clock this morning,
and was examined hy y. Gordon
Jones, Of counsel for the defense, in
an effort 10 establish an animus for
the prosecution. The district attor-
ney fought bitterly to prevent tes-
timony concerning the source Of the
Latin quotations upon which the
indictment is based, but after much
argument the court permitted Il.
"The, Latin | used was from
. Dens' Moral Theology, which is a
standard Roman Catholic book, and
this no Catholic will deny" said
Watson. ...
With the conclusion OF Watson's
, testimony and the closing argu-
/. ments, the case was given into the
hands Of the jury.
Now that this futile trial is APP
: preaching ifs end, it remaining only
, for the jury 10 report its inability
TO reach a verdict, il is interesting
to consider the character Of the case
and some of the several significant
phases Of the procedure.
The matter on which Watson
was indicted has three times been
, presented TO the grand jury. The
first time an indictment was re-
. turned. Judge Emory Speer dis.
, qualified himself for hearing the
case because Of his Catholic family
connections. and il was passed or
to Judge Rufus F. Foster of New
. Orleans. Foster, who is a learned
, wise and just judge, prompt,
7 quashed the Indictment, holding
that the law covering the case WAS
: NOT INTENDED TO APPLY
] TO REPUTABLE NEWSPA
, PERS OR MAGAZINES.
The matter was presented to III,
, next grand jury, which REFUSED
TO FIND a TRUE BILL.
But the papes were determined
in their persecution of Watson, ant
{ for the third time the matter wa
J presented to q grand jury, when al
Indictment was returned.
Character Of the Court
The court officers connected will
this case should not be too severel,
ei criticized. They are not at all bat
r fellows, and because Of their un
{ enviable position deserve sympath.
rather than censure.
!, Judge Lambdin, who is an ap
= pointee Of the present administra
: ton. is a Protestant, and probabl
> has not been influenced, except in
: directly, by Catholic pressure. Per
|. sonally, he is fine fellow. But h
\ is raw recruit. on-the bench, an
is easily ratified. He certainl