Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-19
BarteL Girl Freed;
Jury Out II Minutes
Continued From Page One

Continued From Page One
The fathers lips are sealed, and you
have heard the story Clara has told.
1t appears that Charles Martel was a
man of hot temper. If we believe the
testimony, his manner was harsh and
even brutal at times. One witness has
called him devil in his home"
Even the district attorney, Hiram H.
Keller. had seemed loath to have the
jury find the girl guilty of murder.
His address had been brief and without
heat. He had not demanded a first
degree verdict.
II ask you to lay aside all your emo
tions,'' he had said. "The facts are
comparatively few and not much dis
puted. Clara admitted that she killed
her father. The only thing for you to
decide is whether she was justified.
"They were an ordinary family, and
Clara was normal girl. Remember
that no one was in the house but the
mother. father and children when the
tragedy occurred. When the neighbors
and friends came in the family was, of
course, hysterical.
i am not going to take up your time
with long address. Simply judge for
yourselves, from the facts given"
From start to finish the district at
torney's final plea had not consumed
fifteen minutes. 1t was unlike any
plea heard for years in the local criminal
court. Mr.. Keller sat down evidently
satisfied that he had said just suff-
cient for the ends of justice, but not a
word that would unfairly prejudice the
jury against Clara.
Little Testimony Today
There was little testimony given at
today's final session of the trial. Five
character witnesses were called, neigh
|. bors of the Bartels who knew Clara
we'll and her teachers in the public
school. They gave her an exemplary
character.
Then came the plea of j. Hibbs Buck
man, which wrought up the crowd in
the courtroom to a pitch of sympathy
4 and emotion almost equal to that of
yesterday, when Clara dramatically re-
cited the story of the murder and the
unhappy hours leading up to it.
Bartel Family Bitter
4 The only unsympathetic faces in the
courtroom were those of members of
Charles Bartel's family. During Mr..
Buchanan $ address Mrs. Schumacher,
the aunt who had given the most damag-
ing testimony against Clara--testimony
which Judge Ryan alluded to later in
his charge as rebutted by other wit
nesses-sat high up in the amphitheatre
of benches and glowered at the district
attorney. She did not lose word he
said, or changing line of the express
sion of his face. She sat throughout his
plea for Clara, bent over in her place.
her hands gripping the bench in front of
her, concentrating her whole gaze upon
him.
The lawyer referred to her testimony
during the trial. She turned pale and
red by turns at his words, and whis-
pered 10 her husband, who was sitting
beside her.
In contrast to Mrs. Schumacher,
Mrs Charles Bartel, Clara's mother,
sat on the opposite side of the court.
also high up in the tiers of benches and
also watching him intently. She too
hung on his words but the expression
on her face was one of hope that grew
10 certainty as he marshalled the argu-
nents in defense of the child sitting
near Inn prisoner,
Mrs. Bartel wept quietly, but her