The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-06
JURY AeQUITS GIRL
TRIED FOR MURDER
Elizabeth Baksa's Prayers Are
Answered and Convict's Con-
fession Does Not Count.
GOING HOME TO MOTHER
Burns, or Regain. Gives More
Amusement, but. Fails to
go Impress Court. |

Elizabeth Baksa Is going home TO
Freenlansburg, Pa. Her prayers, Of
fered up with childlike faith, were an
swered yesterday afternoon IN General
| Sessions when Judge. Otto A. RosalslIy
! instructed the Jury to acquit her OF
the charge Of numbering Mrs Helen
| Hamel, keeper OF a rooming house at
| 507 West Twenty third street, on Feb
ruary IL. 1918.
THANK God. they all know am In
lHocent,' she said after the foreman Of
the jury announced the verdict as in
structei and she was led, sobbing,
from the court room. ~ am needed
at home and I will go there. never TO
return to New York. Ny little brother
is sick and my parents need me TO
help them. will cause them no more
trouble"
1t was not for some time that she
| was able to calm herself following the
realization that she was again free,
| after being held prisoner for more
than nine months She was called to
| one side by Father Cashin, chaplain
| at Sing Sing prison, who conversed
| earnestly with her. To him she showed
| the rosary she had held, tightly
clutched in her hft hand throughout
| the three weeks OF her trial and told
him she had never ceased praying.
We'll Treated in the Tombs.
II want to so hack TO the Tombs
| once more--but ] want to go in the
| main entrance and get my clothes. and
1 want TO get my rings and my laval
lierre back again." she announced. re-
| ferring to the trinkets she said Mrs
| Hamel had given her and the identi-
! f1cation OF which was one OF the Dis
trict Attorneys points against her.
| They treated me well over there
| all except the police. like Judge
| Rosalsky for he was fair to me, but I
hate Mr.. Talley and would like to tell
| how the cops treated me. Why. l
! gained fifteen pounds while ] was in
| jail and that Is the reason want to
| go back and thank theihatron. / will
| write to her when got a Job as a
saleslady at home. No more factory
| work for me though"
Alfred A. Cone. foreman OF the
jury. made the following report to
Judge Rosalsky:
| I'VE do not believe the statements
made by Regain or Burns while he was
under oath and on the witness stand
We do not think that he was ever in
the house where the murder was COM
rnitted or that he had any connection
In any way with the murder. We be-
lieve he deliberately and with a mo-
tive known only to himself committed
/ perjury On the evidence submitted
by the District Attorney, and ignoring;
Regain, we would have acquitted the
| defendant"
Believes RcEan n Perjurer.
There is no doubt that Regain did
commit perjury, although I fully be-
lieve him capable OF the crime TO
which he confessed" Judge Rosalsky
said 10 the jury. He, is a desperate
man. and I believe something should
be done, although he vii not be free
for another ten years.
Thomas c. Mcdonald. counsel for the
girl. said he would take her to the
home Of friends, where would b.
cared for overnight lie will place her
on train for her home this morning.
! Regain was recalled to the stand in
the morning session and engaged In
! spirited verbal engagements with the
District Attorney and furnished
amusement for spectators when he
said that he could not remember de-
tails of the room where the murder
1