New Britain herald., 1924-12-18
SIO,534,lO9 AWARD
 IN MASS. LAWSUIT
Plaintiff in WiIlett- Banking Case Gets Judgment
TRIAL SET NEW RECORD
Lasted 1Si Days-Actton Was to Recover Sums Claimed Lost by Plaintif in Conspiracy-Wlnner Is Critically III With Typhoid.

Dedham, Mass Dec. 1S.-A yer dict of S10,53Al09.O7 for the plain tiff wns returned today by the jury In the $l5,0b0,00O damage suit brought by George F. Wilett against Robert r. HcrriCk and q group of Boston bankers, Trial of the case in Norfolk superior court lasted 1S4 days. The jury had been dcliberat- ing since Monday.
 Sets New Time Mark
 The case which set a new mark in American court history for trial length, was brought by Willctt to recover from Herrick and the bank ing group sums claimed to have been lost by the plaintiff through an al- legged conspiracy in which he was deprived Of control of the American Felt and Daniel Green Felt Shoe companies. The time required for hearing inc evidence caused the litl- gation to be compared to the famous TichbOrne trial in London, the sec ond period of which in 1874 lasted 1SS days, In tha tease. A. Orton, son of butcher. was charged with per- jury on the ground that he had rep resented himself as Rogert Tich- borne, missing heir to large estate.
 Only fl Jurors Left
 Only l of the l2 jurors impanoH- cd for the trial considered the evil dence and rendered the verdict. One suffered a nervous collapse in the course of the trial and was forced to quit the box, counsel agreeing 10 continue with a jury of eleven. The case is believed to be the only one on record where q special law was passed to raise jury salaries in con- pensation for the jurors prolonged neglect of their business. Two jurors were married In the course of the trial which opened November ,, 1923.
 Plaintiff Very Ill
 George F. Willett, the plaintiff, who attended every session of court up to two weeks ago. is ill Of typhoid fever at his home in Norwood. At- tending physicians today reported that his condition was decidedly serious"
 Testimony. arguments and the judges charge in the case amounted to approximately 4O00,O0o words, which, it was estimated. would fill thirty volumes of $50 pages each. The charge of Judge Christopher P. Callahan to the jury occupied 940 closely typewriter pages, and was of about 72,0Uo words. Forty-fve witnesses were heard, 24 for the plaintiff and q for the defense The defendant HcrriCk was called to the stands 55 days in succession. There were 954 exhibits, letters, memoranda and papers, marked in the progress of the hearings.
 The Judges Charge
 Tn presenting the case to the Jury Monday Judge Callahan warned the jurors 10 consider the mass of evil donco only when they were rested and their minds clear. He preSCrib- cd working and exercise hours for the jurors, warning them that 430 o'clock was to be the end of their working day. Yesterday the judge advised the jury that a verdict would be received up to 9 o'clock at night, should they reach one. The jury re- ported to the judge at 10 o'clock this morning and their verdict was received immediately. The foreman announced simply that damages of sI0,5S4109.o7 had been found for the plaintiff against all the do- fendants, Judge Callahan thrn thanked the jurors and dismissed them.