The sun., 1919-03-13
CALF PEN IN COURT
HIDES AND REVEALS
Betty Inch's Ankles Hidden
From Jury by Fence Around
Witness Chair.
PEEKERS NOT FORLORN
Gate With Stats Slanted the
Wrong Way Affords View
for Favored Few.

No matter now much The Jury dis
agreed-and they did--about tho guilt
or innocence OF the beauteous Betty
Inch when Betty was tried on an eX-
tortion charge last month, the jury was
unanimously of the opinion at the end
of the first trial that the short Skirted
Betty had two perfectly good reasons
for holding their constant and admiring
attention, particularly whenever Betty
climbed to the witness chair dais and
crossed her knees
In fact one enthusiastic juror. follow
ing the disagreement which ended the
first trial. fancifully likened Betty's two
good reasons for crossing her knees TO
two beautiful and symmetrical columns.
or supports, of a First National Lisle
Silk Bank of Femininity of remarkable
architectural design"
But when the last of the hung jury
departed from the Criminal Branch Of
the Supreme Court last month the
vehement announcement was made by
some Unconditional prosecutor In the Dis
trict Attorneys office that at the sec
ond trial Betty's ankles and things and
stuff would not be permitted to dis
tract the jury's attention from the cold
facts of the testimony and law.
Enter the spite Fence.
Wherefore when the second trial of
Betty was begun with the selection of
Jury yesterday morning It was seen
that, some time during the black hours
OF the preceding night, the District At
torney's office and three carpenters had
built what Betty herself later spoke OF
disdainfully as spite fence all
around the witness chair. thus blocking
ell view of a lady occupant of the wit
ness chair except her head and bosom.
And no fair for a Juror in the line Of
chairs legally known as the bald head
row of the jury box to stand up oftener
than necessary, ostensibly to rearrange
his hat and overcoat draped across the
railing in front of him, but really 10
counterfeit low visibility by looking over
the fence while Betty Is in the witness
chair
The solid oak fence around the chair
arises fully four feet above the ankle
line II is of oak, so solid that even old
Madame KS justly celebrated rays
would have a hard time penetrating the
solidity Of the spite fence. Nothing will
be seen of Betty but just her head and
shoulders and no fair. either. for any
lady defendant to take the witness chair
wearing low necked gown.
Prosecutors Awful Thought.
The difficulty of climbing over the
fence to get to the witness chair was
not thought of at ali when the car
penters began the fence at some mys-
teriols hour of Tuesday night. The car
penters. 1t was said authoritatiSely az
the Criminal Courts Building yesterday.
really had almost completed the solid
oak packing case around the chair when.
through the silences Of the black night
an Assistant District Attorney, aroused
from his bed by a horrible thought
clattered tlnnily down Centre street in
his glass enclosed American Can Super
Six dashed into the court room ana
cried stop. in the name OF the law
II had occurred to the Assistant Dis
trict Attorney. II seems. that IL no gate
were put on the spite fence Betty would
have to climb over the fence every time
she took the stand. And Of course the
whole trial would be gummed up II the
jury were to continue TO recall Betty to
the stand every few minutes.
There must have been saloon open
nerr the Criminal Courts Building after
hours Tuesday night. At any rate It
was after midnight when the Assistant
District Attorney stopped work on the
solid oak calf pen being built around the
witness chair; AMI the gate which
decorated the pen when court opened
yesterday morning certainly had seen
service. as one-halt of the swimming
Slated doors which are necessary part
OF all saloon facades in the summer
time-at least In all summers UP to but
not including the summer of 1919.
Carpenters Fatal Error.
Whoever went to the saloon to get
q Slated gate for the moro than knee
high ankle fence must have stayed at
the saloon some time. This was one
explanation offered at the District It
torney's office yesterday when attention
was called to the fact that the swinging
saloon door had been hinged to the calf
pen upside down. In other words, in
the openwork Slated part of the gate
each Stat slants from the outside down
ward instead of from tie inside of the
calf pen downward. thus permitting any
& 4aI i,,