The Connecticut labor news., 1923-11-17
Schliefer guilty before the facts were brought out and was un-

Iprejudging Schliefer guilty before the
 facts were brought out and was un-
 warranty trying to prejudice the jury
 to his way of thinking. The attor-
 neys got into a long and bitter con
 troversy and were finally stopped by
 the court MT. S1ade then insisted on
 reading portions of the pamphlet and
 the court finally ruled the whole thing | in.
 l Next filling brought in copies of
 the New York Call and attempted to
 connect Schliefer with 1t and con-
 tinued over Mr. Slade's objections un- | til Judge Jennings finally, stopped
 him. filling got excited and began to
 shout at Attorney Slade until told
 bluntly by the court to "calm" him.
 self and proceed with the case in an
 orderly manner. This continued until
 the evidence was all in Thursday
 mor ming and the arguments started.
 The court room was crowded with shopmen, railroad attaches and mass of ordinary citizens interested in the case but such a feeling of tenseness prevailed that the court had at no time to caution the crowd to be ord erly. Assistant State Attorney Walter M. Pickett opened the argument but before he did so Judge Jennings overruled two motions by MT. S1ade, ] one for the return of personal prop erty to Schliefer and the other to in struct the jury to return verdict of not guilty.
 Mir. Pickett review the case until warned by the court he was crowding l on on his time ailetment and then turned ned claring that he was a strong minded | man who could easily incite others to do his bidding even to wrecking trains trains b He deelIred that 1ha ward football rush with intent to crip- l pie the road at that serious time and | that he urged the strikers to attack the ScabS win lead pipes, eSpecially| on pay day so they. coudl reimburse themselves.
 Attorney Spellacy opened for the defense and in what was admitted by i attorneys present to be one of the most masterly pleas ever made before . a jury here, tore the states case to pieces. He pointed out that the state had traced Schliefer's history from his cradle in it's unusual zeal to convict him but in not one case could 1t show held up Schliefer's excellent war rec ord, where he had held places of trust under the government, to refute the claims of anarchism and cited many instances of where Schliefer had been always ready to aid the un der dog rather than defy law and order. He showed that the state had asked Schliefer but one question about his alleged statements and had de- pended upon the testimony of paid hirelings to convict him.
 Following came MT. S1ade who rel viewed the exact testimony eSpec1aI-I ly that of the paid witnesses and de- clared the time has come when the railroad must be given to understand that professional witnesses cannot be sent out and get evidence that will disappearance also of card carried by Schliefer which show ed him 10 be a member Of the Bsb. tist. church, which disappearance he said was caused in an attempt to prove Sch1iefer atheist and against God, man and the devil.
 filling followed after the noon re- cess and was bitter and vindictive in his arraignment of Schiller. He pie tured him as almost everything vile but but a bootlegger: Juddgf ti genningd5 lem sgd they retired at 4:o5 o'clock. Almost on the hour of 5 o'clock they return ed and announced the verdict of guilty. The usual motions to set aside were then made and as Friday