New-York tribune., 1922-10-26
jury Frees 3
OF Charge Of
Killing B|ergin
First Ballot Acquifs Cline
of Film Actors Death
and AbsoIves Girl and
Man Held as Accessories
Disregard Judges Words
Six Men and Six Women
Take 1 Hour 45 Minutes
f0 Clear WrongedH Husband

+ required Main Street, as repre-
seafAt By jury composed equally o.
nsxn and women. just one hour ans
forfy minutes in Hackensack yesterda,
IS ass ablish the legal tenet that citi
Ben New Jersey lis privileged to Kill
seal5w man in order to preserve ths
hen0F OF the household.
Aasd a scenes fairly reeking Of paper
hound nelodrama, and setting speed
rseorsl for the state in completing MUIR
sses u .als. the jury decided that George
gling, location man for a New York
siasa company, was not guilty of the
mnv8er of Handsome" Jack Bergin
1ncflon picture stunt actor, who was
tsa6t 0 death in the Cline home in
Edgew ater on the night of August 25
sffsr he was confronted with the
rssaFge that he had attacked Mrs. Cline
Others Also Freed
The jury also acquitted Miss Alice
soF1ss on, who became Bergin's sweet
hsaTt. she says, after he drugged and
~rergs d her in a New York apartment
snd Charles Scullicn, brother of Mrs
Sitne, both Of whom were prosecuted
With Cline as accessories in the Staying
In upholding the ~unwrittem law" a
defense on which Cline chiefly relied
the jury ran directly counter to in
Etruction given it by Justice Charles
n. Parker. of the New Jersey Supreme
Court whose observation-disclosures
the "unwritten law and ruling that
5usti6abIe self-defense had not been
shown by the evidenee--indicate that
Cline would be found guilty either of
murder or manslaughter. 1t required
but one ballot to set Cline and his CO.
defendants free
After the verdict was announced and
the jury had been taken for refresh
naents to hotel near tho Bergen
county Courthouse, Mrs. Susan A.
Squire, twenty-fiyeye year-oid forewon-
an and in business life a stenogra-
rher, was asked for u statement.
The jury she said, Drought In
Its verdict solely on the evidence pro-
duced. finding the prosecution had
'alied to prove it's case. Our findings
were unanimous
She asked whether the jury had con-
sidered the 'unwritten law in it's de-
hberations.
Jury Silent on Discussions
eve all agreed not to discuss the
pnwritten law or anything else for
publication" was the reply.
A. woman among the Jurors, who
could not be identified, was more can
did
"a man has the the right to shoot to
project ms horne, she asserted. Il know
my husband would shoot under the
same circumstances. And he would be
justified
:. The trial was one OF the briefest Of
It's KIND on record. 1t was begun at 10
O'clock on Monday morning and ended
ht 5:35 O'Clock yesterday afternoon,
snas running only ffty-three and one
haif hours. The actual time in court.
however, was but sixteen and one-half
hours, this including everything from
selection of the jury to the delivery of
tho verdict.
Monday was the prosecutions dav.
on Tuesday the defense completed its
ease. Yesterday morning a few minor
witnesses were heard, and then came
the summing up. First was that of the
defense, presented by State Senator
William 3. Mackay, chief counsel for
Cline.
Bergin Branded as "vuIture"
"The evidence has shown, in the testi
mony of at least three women wronged
by Bergin, that ne was vulture, using
drugs to gnin his Victims" he declared.
There ere three cases in which man
.'oS uSC lNitt lpI pIUteCLlClf---SeiI-Q Qe-
fense, defense of his household from
robbers and defense of the sanctity of
his home and the honor of its matron.
Cline was justified by at least two
the first and third"
fSeaator Mackay then left the court
room and went to his favorite golf
links. He was reported on the six
teenth hole when the verdict was re-
ta4fea, and declined TO quit his game
! t',t the news was brought to him
summary was followed by that Of
ifasecutor A. e, Hart, who blamed
lss Thornton as the chief cause OF
faa s.sutder.
De told Cline, Bergin wasn't his
ffieHds' he said. 81 have some syrlpa-
ms Cor him, though there can be nc
crease for killing man under such
xlres'fn stances, but this girls action,
Mesa prompted by her own desire Il
dests9y Bergin. She is little serpent
sha aay have been drugged during he,
hsst experience with Bergin, but no
eus sr her subsequent association
sssth him. AS for Scullion. who handle