The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-19
BY W1NIFRED BLACK

Los Angeles. July 1s.-The little
court room In the hall OF justice,
where Justice Craig presides, was
packed TO suffocation today
Outside in the corridor there was
a Cycling, whispering, crowding. nudg-
ing, crantng mob-mostly women.
Here and there a man, pale, furtive
and a little ashamed Of himself, now
and then a regular citizen trying to
mate GRAND. and once in while
rat-faced creature whose hair was too
shiny. whose nails were too well mani
cured, and who could not be mis-
taken by any one on earth for any
thing but what he was. a human bird
OF prey--but mostly the spectators
were women.
Women In soft. futterv gowns. wo-
men in half-soiled skirts and wholly
soiled shirtwaists--dark women of
the Spanish type, fun Tipped, full
! eyed. fun bosomed
Blondes, pale as lilies. with lips
rouged to the color of blood.
! Little silly girls, not a day over
| ffteen-Where on earth were their
mothers and loose Tipped, vacant
| eyed creatures In wrappers with their
gray hair struggling from dusty hats
| that looked as IL some one had sat
on them.
! In the court room the women over
| flowed into all the best seats and
| nudged and whispered. and cross
| questioned every one they could seize
| as to who was this and who was that
and which was Harry News mother
| and was his sister there?
| Neither the mother nor the sister
| OF New were in the court room--poor
| things: I don't wonder that they
shrank from that cruel battery of Gu
rious eyes.
Tho prosecuting attorney took his
seat at his table, you couldn't mis-
take him for anything but prescott
| ing attorney II you saw him in
| church-passing the collection box.
| LIE Compile Davis, the criminal
T.! lawyer who has been called into the
case settled himself on the other side
showed his calling in every line OF his
! face Le Compile Ii that man.
Judge Craig drifted to the bench
| in q casual manner which seems to
| be part Of hts personality--intellig
tired and q little bored. And then all
ut once Harry New came to tho bar
| Of justice. to answer to the people OF
California to the charge OF murder in
the nrst degree.
marry new. uSuI Iootoo Win
pair Of nat, broad shoulders of a
military swing-weak faced, easy go
Ing, good -humored, easily Influenced.
pleasure loving-a country sport from
the top Of his head to the sole OF his
feet
some one who knows the United
States Senator who is claimed by
Harry New to be his father. told me
that Harry News picture looked very
much like the senator.
New himself does not look in the
least Like any man / have ever seen
In tho United States Senate.
A passing likeness Of feature there
may be-the modelling OF the nose.
the set OF the eyes or some trick in
the turn OF the head-but- type for
type there does not seem to me to be
much OF q resemblance.
Harry New, confessed murderer OF
his sweetheart-the room was aouzz
with eager whispers. Murder In the
first degree-so the officers OF the
court made the charge and there he
stood-Harry New, and faced it
neat. rather graceful. slight with the
active figure OF a bern dancer, but old
and old and old in his lined and hol-
lowed face and dull staring eyes.
Guilty or not guilty-New straight
ened his shoulders. made as II to
salute, thought better of II and replied
in a dull voice of torment. his eyes
fixed desperately on his attorney as II
he feared to let them stray for one
single instant.
mot guilty. STR"
Tho gasping women caught hur-
ried breath-from the oozing crowd
some one broke into shriektng.
hysterical laugh. News face flushed
crimson
Sir" was what they laughed at
the g1ggling women?
A little conclusion at the bar. the
date set for the trial, October 81. and
with the light step of dancer and
straight walk OF a soldier used to
long marches. Harry New was gone
from the room to the Bridge OF Signs
ana from there TO his cell in the jail.
MY" said a fresh faced matron in
the seat behind me. aren't we going
to see him any more got up at
o'clock, washed four 4 children-got
their breakfast and left the dishes to
stand. 90 could get here at 8
o'clock.
The dull-faced girl beside her
shifted her gum to the other side Of
Der mouth and spoke