Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-30
MRS, ROBERTSON
FREED BY JURY
Deal Beach Widow Quickly
Cleared Of Part In Alleged
Fake hold-Up
"0F COURSE, ! AM HAPPYw

Freehold, n. j.. May 80. - Not
guilty" was the verdict of the jury here
after celebrating one hour and twenty
minutes IN the case Of Mrs. Sarah l..
Robertson. fascinating and wealthy
Deal Beach and New York woman.
charged with having engineered the
theft Of her own jewels for the insur-
ancc money.
As calm and dcbonair as ever. Mrs.
Robertson received the verdict in the
courtroom last night. sushed bit over
cottage at Deal with her sister, Mrs.
John J. Joyce. Of Columbus. O.
The jewels we're stolen February IS
last by masked bandit. who invaded
| the Robertson cottage while Mrs. Rob.
"rtson was at dinner. He got hand
| bag. declared to have contained a for
tune in jewels. The robher. John
Bailey. who confessed, testified the bag
contained paper Only. Mrs. Robertson
testified II contained her jewels.
Samuel Gasn. telegraph operator at
Long Branch also had turned States
evidence and testified the woman had
framed up" the robbery with him and
had persuaded him to get Bailey to do
/ the job.
! All these things Mrs. Robertson de-
MED. The jury accepted her word for
1t. for 1t took only two ballots. The
/ first stood IL to /. the second was
unanimous.
Crowds Eye Her Curiously
After the jury had retired, Mrs. Rob.
ertson crossed the street to q hotel and
sat In the womens parlor debating
whether to remain for the verdict or re-
turn to Deal 1t all depended upon
the advice Of her lawyer, A. J, G,
Stokes, of Freehold and he could not be
found.
Finally. in search of him, Mrs.
Robertson crossed over to the court
house. The boys sitting on the
raiings about the green awaiting the
verdict. eyed her curiously. for her
vivid type Is foreign to this little COM
nrnity. Former Sheriff Berkalow, her
bondsman. came running down the
courthouse steps at this Juncture and
shouted They're in"
TO the courtroom. Mrs. Robertson Mt
the mead of the line. Judge Lawrence
had seated himself and the jury was
brought in.
The roll was called and the custom :
ary question concerning a verdict put
to the foreman. A hush fell upon the
courtroom. Shutting feet were stilrd.
Mrs. Robertson leaned forward, her
lips parted.
Not guilty" said the foreman.
",Oh, said Mrs. Robertson, sinking
back in her chair. Then. smiling
brightly. she arose and her sister flung
her arms about her neck, kissing and
sobbing. The others In the courtroom
stood quietly. apparently unable to
realize what had happened.
Then Mr.. Barkalow called. "Shake
hands with the jury" and this Mrs.
Robertson did. each juryman leaving
the room looking as pleased as a child
given box of candy at a Sunday school
entertainment.
Then down the stairs trouped the
crowd again. Mrs. Robertson with
them. She went in search Of a taxi. Or
the way she exclaimed: Happy? o.
course I'm happy
But how it could have turned ou,
otherwise: Think what this has cos,
me in reputation and in anxiety, no,
(" mention the expense of these pro.
ceedings. 1t is terrible to think wha,
an awful experience an unjust accu
sation like this can force a woman
! to so through. And remember this
J those stolen jewels have positively no,
been recovered and my reward of $500
for their recovery and return still
stands
1t had been contended all through the
trial BY Mrs. Robertson that the jewel.
found by detectives after the robber,
secreted in cupboard in the apart
ment of Mrs. Florence Pelletreau in
New York were not the stolen jewels.
The State had contended they were
The defendant had insisted they wer,
a duplicate set or nearly duplicate
worth more than 500 and neye,
insured. The stolen jewels, she said
had been insured and had been kept BY
her in a safe deposit box at New
York hotel.
BY the time Mrs. Robertson had ar.
ranged matters with the taxi man Mr.
Stokes came up and was told of III,
verdict 1t was his turn now to re.
ceive the thanks Of his client. With
chorus Of good -bys and much fut.
ter!ngs of lace handkerchiefs, the tax
rolled away and Freehold put the tria
behind 1t and began discussing the bis
race meet scheduled for today.