Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-06-21
YOU'RE MURDERER, 2"
So MRS. VAN TRUMP
SAYS STEPHENS
Arden Single Tax Advocate Be
fore Jury in Federal Court for
Alleged Violation Of
Espionage Act.
DIFFICULT JURY GETTING


Frank stephens. Of Arden, nationwide
known Single Tax advocate and conscicE-
tiouS ohicCtor Ia war addressed to Mrs
Mabel Van Trump on April rs, when she
was scllrg liberty 30 DIS for the third
drive" and SPOKE to HIM IN TIE Arden
garden where he was working. according
10 Mrs Van lrumps testimony yrstcr-
tlav afternoon before Judge Noollcy
and Jury in the United States Court.
They constitute, according 10 the
indictment against Stephens and upon
which his trial started nj the morning
session of court, a violation oi Section )
nj the Federal Espionage Act whlch
makes it an offence OF a criminal nature
10 make false statements or to circulate
false reports IN tune Of war with intent
10 Interfere WITH the operation or success
of the United States military or naval
force
United States District Attorney Curlcy
is in charge Of the case for the government
and Stephens Is defended hv GIhcrt
= Roc. a New York attorney, and Philip
J.. Garrett, Of this city The trial Is
attracting unusual attention here and
throughout the country by reason OF
stephens prominence among followers Of
the doct rlncs To which he adbrrcs rs
well rs the nature Of the charge involved
DIFFICULT tn GET 4 JURY.
Considerable difficulty was encountered
in getting a Jury quite large panel Of
talcSmen had been summoned. number
Of whom had hccn excused for various
reasons and for a time it looked rs if
these remaining would be lnsufiiCicu, ~
furnish the required twelve 10 fill the
jury-hox At the end Of the mornu
session the following had been chosen
tentatively. subject to challenge either
lv the prosecution or defence. Charles
Green, Herbert Is Watson, Cornelius
ID. GarrctSon Alexander T. CorhIt.
J Nicrrlck Horn Benjamin I Bye,
Horace +. Dilworth Philip Buruet,
James " Bowe. Frank y. I.ackey,
Frank W Lawson and William Rawllns
When court rcconvcncd NcssrS Green.
Gorbt. Lackcy, Bowc and lawson were
eliminated bv challenges. and then came
the Job Of filling tho seats Among the
talcsmen examined were Charles 4
Rudolph, one Of the Street and Sewer
Department commissioners, and Peter J
Ford. Mr. Rudolph hclng challenged ly
the defense and Mr. Ford being excused
FINALLY each side expressed itself a. con
tent when tie personnel az the jury MAS
made up of Wlliam Sellers Herbert
Il Watson, ; d Garrison ! Mrrnch
Horn, Benjamin T Rvc Horace /
Dilworth Philip Burnct, William Raw
Inns James Macintirc. Percy l. Darling
ton, Douglass Alice and Fred / kurtz
IS soon - The twelve had boon sworn
or Affirmed Mr. Roe moved that 'hr
Indictment he Quashed on the ground
hat i DID not contain avcrncnt az facts
sufficient u constitute q crime a> WcIl rs
uron the grounds az the demurrer To-
Gently flied III the case, argued and "ver
ruled The Court ovcrrulrd the notion
ana granted Mr. Roc an exception
GoyrRNMFNT's CASE OUTLINED.
Mn Curlcv al once outlined the gov
ornmcnt's ease 70 the effect that On April
IL last at period when the nation was
1t war stephens made certain remarks
III violation OF the Federal Espionage
Act and that II would heish0Wn that sc
remarks were false and wlfuiiv made
rs 10 intent on the defendant part 10
interfere with the opera ton and succcss
of United states forces in making the
remarks alleged Mr. Curlcv sand the
luryTnen would have to decide. although
the Government would hold that the
facts and circumstances surrounding them
showed such intent.
Mr. Curley then called to the stand the
prosecution 5 chief witness, Mrs Mabel
Nan Trump. She began he1 testimony
nv SAYING that she lived in Silve rsIde and
that on April Is she WAS IN Arden rs q
Liberty Loan woLker. selling Liberty
Loan bonds IN tho third DIVE.
and that she was the captain Of the
women team dong this duty IN that
locality. She saw stephens working IN
a garden and told him what she was dong
and he replied that she was a murderer
that all who sold Liberty bonds we're
murderers. that they Nerp sending soldiers
out 10 be murdered and thai no lady
would engage IN such mission or words
10 that effect
While Mrs Nan Trump direct test
imoDv was hrcI, cross-exanunatio bv
Mr. Roe was lengthy FIRST he 60,
from he witness nat a companion Mrs
Newton I Grdbb was with hcr when she
had her talk with the defendant and
among The things he SAID besides the
alleged remarks upon Whicl the Indicj-
mont was based was sonnet hung tbou,
ms son being under arrest Iho con
Nersation lasted from FIVE 10 elght mn
utes and the witness was oi OPINION thar
what Mr. Stephens SAID Was with anger
and heat and was rude
Further answering Mr. Roes quzzing
Mrs Van Trump sand that she had cz-
planned the object Of her visit to Mr.
Stephens and had asked Inn ms reasons
for refusing to buy Liberty bonds Then
MIR. Roe wanted to know how the witness
had Jared in calling upon a woman WHO
conducts q tea-room At Arden, this line
finally ending when Mr.. Curieys object
ION 10 II as Irrelevant was sustained
SEEKING SIGNS or ANINUs
Mr. Roe then wanted to know # TN
witness had had any talk with any Que
about calling on Nh Stephens Witness
said size didn't and that us captain of
the workers team she had the right to
APPROACH whom she chose, and that Mr
stephens was spoken to as Il person Oh
her regular route Ii Arden She de-
ciared that she did not say that her
mlsSlon was only with women Other
questions along tins line brought objec-
ton from Mr. Curley TO which Mr.. Roe
replied that he hoped to be able 10 show
anllnus In Mrs. Van Trump's visit to
tie defendant. Mr. Curieys objection
was sustained
Mr. Roe next inquired if the witness
knew that the defendant was q conscicnt-
lous Director and hadn she been 50 in
formed by Mrs. Grub and q Mrs. Hes
ter. he witness replied 10 these UtIc,-
tons IN the negative Didn't she meet
Mrs. hester the day before and didn't
Mrs. hester say that she shouldn't calI
on Mr. Stephens because h. was pacifist .
] he witness replied III effect that she had
no remembrance Of such i thing A. to
Mr.. Stephens being conscientious OBJ
lectOT. Mrs. Van TRUMP said she had I