Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-03-14
JURY FINDS LAWRENCE
GUILTY ON TWO COUNTS
Smith, the Colored Porter, Con.
victed of Conspiracy in Con.
nection with the Smuggling Of
Narcotics into the United
States from Canada.

Guilty Of conspiracy to violate the laws
Of the United States and guilty of
smuggling narcotics into the United States.
was the verdict brought In at ten minutes
after nine Friday evening by the jury
in the trial of Jack Lawrence, whom the
government officials have been after for
II months and finally landed a few weeks
ago. Clarence z. Smith, the colored Pull
man car porter. who was indicted on the
oame counts and who was tried with him
o. a co-defendant. was found guilty Of
conspiracy but was acquitted on the
charge Of smuggling. The verdict against
Smith was not brought in until an hour
after that against Lawrence. Smith was
sentenced at once by Judge Harland b.
Howe to spend the next four months in
windham county jail. He already has been
IN Jail eight months, awaiting trial
THE ARGUMENTS.
A. H. King, special deputy collector Of
customs in Montreal, and who also is
q member Of the United States bar. made
the opening plea. He followed the testi
mony Of the case, giving his interpreta-
ton Of the evidence as he saw 1t. The
testimony was taken up in a logical
manner and each detail Of the case dealt
with. Lawrence showed the first signs
OF nervousness, which he has evidenced
ct all, and as the attorney told Of the
progress Of the governments case the re-
spondent began to wriggle in his chair
and kept one foot in motion continually
through the pleas Of Mr.. King and Mr..
Billiard.
The prosecuting attorney seemingly did
not leave an opening. He traced the gov
ernment's work in following down the
criminal. He produced the different ex-
hibits and the testimony which told Of
their genuineness. Among the exhibits
were about 20 manifests, which had been
forged by the use Of nearly a dozen diff
3erent names. These manifests are given
the immigrant inspector Of Canada in
order to get into that country. Mr..
King showed the connection between Di
Lorenzo and Lawrence. and repeated the
evidence which was strongest in inorim-
mating them as two Of the greatest Of
opium smugglers. He even followed Law
renee on a little side trip to Boston.
where he looked over the ground when
he thought things might be getting too
hot for him in Now York. Apparently
there were not many movements Of Law
renee in the last II months that King
and Billiard did not know.
Mr.. King pursued like tactics in the
case of Smith.
Mr.. McDougald. the colored attorney
for Smith, came in with a strong defense.
II yield to no man in my desire to have
the smuggling Of opium stopped in this
country" said Mr.. McDougald. Perhaps
I have as strong a reason az anyone in
this country for putting stop to this
creation Of wretches, Of ruination of
homes. Of making human beings unfit for
any society. but that is no reason for
my desiring the punishment OF an inno-
cant man.
The attorney for the defence drew g
line OF separation between his client
mated one by one most OF the wit
masses who had appeared for the gov
eminent and had no connection will
Smith. They really simmered down t.
two witnesses. in his estimation. Thes,
were the colored man Butler and thu
Pullman car conductor. Kick.
He compared the character Of his
client Smith, who had worked for the
Pullman company for eight years an6
who had never had a blemish agains,
his character, or the government would
have found It out. with that of the
star witness against him. Butler. The
latter. months after he has seen the
arrest of Williams for smuggling
opium, had been indicted for the same
crime and admitted his guilt on the
stand. He had been running between
Montreal and New York for many year,
and no one knew how much smuggling
had been done by him. His only ex.
cuse was that he did It for the money
there was in it. His evidence hai
helped to convict Diamond. with whom
no had worked. and now seeking lien.
sncy he was perhaps making a frame
UP against Smith in order to lighter
his punishment the more. The attor.
nj hn n,
Kick. whom he paintec as being heart.
less and an enemy of Smith. He tool
up the details and asked the Jury 1,
there was really anything there or
which to condemn a man. The court
then took a recess.
At two o'clock Lawrence was given ar
opportunity to speak for himself. His
remarks were few and Of nature which
had little to do with the case at hand
He did ga" some things by way Of re-
butting the work Of King.
District Attorney Billiard closed the
pleas and went at things with his old
time fire. although he is not in good
health. He took a unique manner Of driv.
Ing his points home and told with what
the government had had to contend ir
bringing to court these criminals who
were the hardest and cleverest with whom
the United States has to deal. His argu
lnents did not take the time of the othel
two. but every moment counted.
The charge by Judge Howe was tn,
plsinest kind OF instructions to the jury
Every phase Of the duties Of the 5ur!
and the definitions Of the counts wer,
given. The instructions were so plail
that there was no question in the mind
OF the jury and the one time they di,
como In. about Ave o'clock In the after
noon, was on matter that related L
the evidence.
The arguments began in the morninl
1T nine o'clock and the case went L
the Jury shortly after four o'clock in tn
afternoon.