Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-12
.3.BAND|T SUSPECTS
TO GET NEW TRIAL
Hearing of Trio Held for Bank
Robbery Ends Abruptly.
Taken From Jury
CHARGE OF PANEL TALKED

The trial Of John Hogan. Joseph
Ramsey and Hugh Doughcrty. charged
with being three Of the four bandits
who robbed the Overbrook bank. Six
tieth and Master streets, last January
=. ended abruptly this afternoon in
Quarter Sessions Court. when the case
was taken from the iury's hands.
After former Congressman John r.
H. Scott. counsel for thc. defense,
brought out in an examination that one
OF the jurors talked about the trial yes
terday to friend. assistant District
Attorney Kelley asked Judge Monahan
to take the case out Of the jury's hands.
A new jury will be sworn and the on =
tire case will be reviewed again.
The three defendants had been on
trial since Tuesday afternoon. Yes
terday Mr.. Scott presented their dc :
fense by attempting to prove an alibi
as to each of the accused men. The
proceedings came to halt when Clifford
A. Hastings. 232S North Thirteenth
street, one of the Jurors, was overcome
by the heat.
When court opened today, Hastings
was present, and Mr. Scott expressed
the doubt that the man was not
physically fit to sit any longer as a
juror. He asked that the entire twelve
jurors be excused
Hastings told Judge Monahan he had
fully recovered and was confident of his
ability to serve until the end of the
case. &c. 49,.
The judge. before allowing the trial
TO proceed. questioned all the jurors as
to whether any one had spoken to them
rnUarIfno fha
mute, and u number shook their heads
negatively.
Mr.. Scott then caused sensation by
asking that Juror No. ~, Harry A.
Lwas, a civil engineer, 1923 Cedar ave :
nue., be interrogated separately.
Told Wife Of Case
Judge Monahan directed Laws to
come to the bar of the court and the
other jurors were led from the room. In
answer to Judge Monahsn's question
as to whether any one had spoken TO
Laws about the case or whether he had
discussed it with any one, the Juror
said:
Only to my wife,"
Mr.. Scott then asked Laws whether
he knew man named McCue. Laws
admitted he did. With more questions,
Mr.. Scott finally extracted from the
juror the admission that he had ex-
changed few words regarding the case
with J. Joseph McCue, who has an
Office at 1430 South Penn square.
The information was brought out that
the juror had stopped in Mr.. McCue's
office yesterday to tell him that lie
could not attend to the work for him.
Now ] want you to think q min =
ute said Mr.. Scott. You must
realize from the trend of my questions
that i have certain information, and
want you to try and recall. Didn't
you tell Mr.. McCue that one of YOUR
fellow jurymen had been taken sick ?"
Yes, believe ! did, replied Laws.
Didn't you tell him that the de-
fense was going to try to prove an
alibi?"
Il don't recall that I did"
Didn't you say something to Mr..
McCue about the mother of one of the
defendants being called as witness in
support of the alibi?"
II may possibly have done so, but
l don't remember"
the case was going to be a battle that
one of the jurors was going to be for
acquittal, but that you were going to
stand for a conviction. 4"
Denies Statements
mo, sir" replied Laws with en-
phasis.
Didn't you say that the Jury would
probably be out all night"
mo, SIR"
Didn't you make any remark sug-
gestive of what the ballot would be?"
mo, sir"
Didn't you tell Mr.. McCue. or In q.
innate to him. the first time you saw
him that the defendants would be con :
victed?"
mo, sir"
The judge directed that a subpoena
be issued for Mr. McCue, and one was
sent out Immediately. Later. after Mr..
Kelly conferred with Assistant District
Attorney Brown. the case was with :
drawn.
After the examination of laws had
been completed Mr.. Kelly asked that
Mr.. McCue be brought into court to
testify.