New-York tribune., 1922-03-29
Crowd, Defying Warming
of Judge, Applauds Yer.
dict Exonerating Pro.
moter of Girls Charge
Defendant Gives
Thanks TO Jurors
Greeted by His Counsel,
He Smiles Over Result:
PlotCharged byDefensc

Two words-"Not guilty"-heard by
Tex Riokard at 1925 o'clock this morn.
'ng as he stood in the prisoners dock
N the criminal branch of the Supreme
Court Will stand for him until the end
O. time as symbol Of the biggest stake
ne ever won n-his freedom.
Gambler, gold-seeSer, a:venturer a,
fortunes frontier through fftv-two
STIRRING years of rowing between Alaska
and South America, he had his biggest
hriil as he tried to read his fate In
Dhe impasslve faces OF the twelve men
who had sat in judgment on him.
i, Inc sensation of Rickard during
nose few minutes was the essence
~ tnat eluslve spur to life that men
get ron gambling, but this profession.
"a, gathoief' with a broad grin of relief,
eo'n l1Vcd When 1T was over that il Wa 8
form of chance he hoped never ~
experience again. ~
~ was lO:48 p. m. when the iur,,
retired to decide whether the snort
promoter was guilty of the corruntio on
OF the morals of little girls. Had their
Verolct been otherwise it would have
meant more than the loss Of freedom
more tnah mere convict stripes. II
would have meant the loss of tho
lrieadshlp of thousands of men. the end
pI ms family life, of his work. It would
nave meant the end of Tex Rickard,
Crowd Waits for Verdict
Twelve o'clock came. but thers
no word from the jury. Rickard u;th
few of his friends and his enarG 'c'f os
deputy sherffs, was kept durine th;s
painful period in the Sheriff's room IN
an upper floor of the Criminal Courts
building. The courtroom itself grew,
hazE with the smoke of furtively held
cigarettes and cigars. Two corridors
grew grlmy under the shutting feet of
throng of men. Here and there
among them was a telltale caulifowe
ear On the fingers of some elittered
diamond rings of fabulous size, Others
were those whose costumes could not
nave found reasonable critic through
out the length of Fifth Avenue. II Vas
Just crowd as struggles past the
ooorkeepers at Madison Square Garden
when Tex has arranged tight.
Iwenty-twenty and thon, through
some form of radio that would battle
Maroon or Edison, the waiting men
learned that the jury was coming in.
Whispering excitedly they abandoned
cigarettes and cigars and swarmed into
their seats.
Everybody rise" called brass
buttoned court attendant.
Richard Enters With Guard
Everybody did, or else received a
rude thumb in their ribs as a ren,indeT
that Justice Isidor Wasservoeel was
rustllng in his black robe to his seat
on the bench. Then Tex came. deputy
sher # fore and aft and another. fat
one, beside him. They did not pass in
SIDE the bar of he court t his time
fflsoners sometimes create wild scenes
when the verdict is against them and
1t IS easier to drag them out of court
when they are outside t hat bar. As
Rickard stood there his face was ex-
ssionless. Only his black ewes be-
trayed his great interest in he pro-
ceedings.
Everybody down while the jury
comes in" Courtroom attendants have
their own idea of the method of han.
ding spectators at a trial 1t is akin
to that motto of the Tank Corps
Treat 'em Rough. Then in single file
the jurors came, half a dozen brass.
buttoned attendants with them, to clear
path that was already clear.
They saw down in their places and
cleared their throats and tugged at
their vests and looked to the creases
in their trousers with a maddcnina
disregard of the curiosity OF all about
them or for the first editions then rid
ing the presses along Park Row-with-
out the news that only these twelve
men knew
Rickard Scans Jurors Faces
The jurors. it seemed, were in a con
spiracy of their own. They were
agreed that neither by smile nor frowr
should their tidings be betrayed unit
Albert c. Hoy, the cotton agent, who
was their foreman, uttered the verdict
But if their expressions were non-com
initial. the face of Tex Rickard was
even more stony. A lifetime of poker
trained his face.
Clerk Penny, white of hair and mus
tache, called the name of every juror
ALBERT Nash!'
Here"
"Charles L. Perrin"
Rickard searched their faces.
There must be absolute quiet anc
no demonstration when verdict is an
nounced.' Justice Wasservoeels tone
Continued on page four