Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-17
AEWBERRY'S ATTORNEYS
PLEAD LACK OF intent
Defence Denies Any knowledge of
Guilt or Conspiracy in Elec-
ton Fraud Case.

Grand Rapids, Mich, ;, March IL
Lack of knowledge of any guilt was en-
nhasiged by each of the four attor news
for the defense in four hours of argr .
ment before the Newberry jury yesterday
Judge Sessions ruling yesterday on the
expenditure in excess of $3.50 as apply
ing to the candidate, as we'll as others,
no matter from what source the money
came, if the candidate actively partici-
pated in it, shut off further arguments
on campaign funds which the defense
had outlined.
James o. Murfin. for the defense, de-
clared th1t the Government had been
very unfAir in presenting its case, that
there was no conspiracy unless it was
IAN unconscious conspiracy" which, he
said, is not admissible under the law
and not conceivable in this case, and
that in every instance the defense had
produced documentary evidence when
called upon, but that the prosecution
had failed in every instance TO do 50.
IF the testimony in this case is true
as shown by the Government, he de-
clared, "then Newberry and King should
so to a lunatic asylum as only insane
men would carry on such an open con-
spiracy Every act committed by the
defense was widely heralded IN the
newspapers, nothing was concealed ana
yet they claim it was a conspiracy;
Il am not begging for an acquttal; |
want a vindicatlon and shall have 1t
before we are through. We are gwen
the novel status in criIne of having COM
mitted an unconscious conspiracy. Con-
spirators work in subterranean channels
in the dark with crooked hearts and vile
minds, hut who can say that these men
who have been vouched for bv the best
men in the Commonwealth are IN this
class
Discussing Henry Ford, Mur6n said,
attorney Eichorn very unfairly asked
why Ncwberrv under the circumstances
did not give back his commission as a
Senator to wipe the disgrace brought to
the State. To whom would he give that
commission, the men he beat?
NO. surely not that man whom the
whole State rose up against patriot
ically, and especially after these re-
spondents took part in a patriotic cam
paign solely on the ground they were
upholding our boys at Chateau Thierry.
Belleau Wood and other historic spots
hallowed by the blood of Americans
1T makes a difference, then, if we
associate with a mliitant man of the
Michigan type or with that other kind.
They never did what has been charged
TO them solely for money. That was the
last consideration. They We're actuatcd
by higher motives of the
very highest type. This whole organi-
zation was a move of skilled men with
the cleanest of hearts.
Discussing Newberry's record. Murfin
declared that it was the heighth of folly
TO say that men like Newterry and his
brother John, who fought to save their
country, should plot to destroy it through
conspiracy.
Hal II. Smith, for the defense, analyz-
ing the Frank W. Blair campaign re-
port, declared that every cent was ac-
counted for except $50, and that it was
marvellous feat that so voluminous an
accounting had been made with so few
errors. There was no fraud in the re-
port, he declared, and the Government
rad failed, he said, In its attempt to
show that the report was short S64, 900.