Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-11-03

eveloping at the District of Columbia
supreme court room, Albert B. Fall
issued statement from his apartment
at the Mayflower hotel, saying that
he was ready for a re-trial immediate
lily and expressing regret that the gov
eminent found this impossible.
I was prepared to completely refute
| the charges against me and 1 enter
tanned no doubt whatever but that
verdict Of acquittal would be render
ed" said Fall.
| This brought a statement from Owen
j. Roberts, of special oil counsel, that
| the government also was ready for
new trial, but that since all of the
witnesses had been excused and would
have to be again summoned on new
| subpoenaS, trial would be impossible
! before January as it would take from
six to eight weeks TO serve the sub
poenas.
Later District Attorney Gordon
notified defense counsel that Justice
Siddons at noon tomorrow would en-
! terrain motion to fix date for a
new trial and the present expectation
is that this will be for the first or
second Monday in January.
Few times in all the long history of
the district courts had there been such
: an atmosphere of tenseness as pre-
vailed early today among the crowds
who milled through the corridors and
crowded the little room where for IL
days Fall and Sinclair had been on
trial
Declaration of mis-trial was gen.
orally expected and consequently
speculation turned or what Justice
Siddons would do with Kidwell and
whether the grand jury would have a
report ready on the charges of eff
forts to tamper with the jurors.
AS the clock licked off the minutes
Immediately before 10 o'clock, the
bailiffs had their difficulties in keep
ing out the crowds seeking admission.
Long lines formed near the door,
reaching across the broad entrance
way around into the. long corridors,
where justices. moving to their court
rooms had difficulty in passing with
their attendants.
The meeting hour came and passed
and Justice Siddons remained in his
chambers. Those fortunates within
the chamber buzzed with whispered
comments of speculation while they
kept an eye on the clock Ten min
uteS passed and rear door opened
and in stepped the custodian of the
court.
''An arise" rang out his familiar
shout.
Justice Siddons wearing his long
flowing black robe, assembled to the
bench while the crier declared court in
session and the crowd again was seat
eel.
Bring in the jury" directed the
justice to the bailiffS
There was await, and in filed the
jurors All eyes we're centered upon
Kidwell, slender youngster, with a
shock of black, wavy hair and dark
eyes. His face almost matched the
paleness of his collar. He took his
usual place in the front room as the
jurors were seated. Instantly he turn
ed his eyes on Justice Siddons, hold
ing them there until court had adj
journed ten minutes later. Kidwell
held his hands together in his lap, his
whole body apparently tense.
Justice Sidd6ns locke about the
court roo mover his glasses and began
reading from a paper, setting forth
briefly the events of yesterday, when
the charges of jury tampering first
came into the light and then, calling
Fzidwell by name, told him about the
affidavits in which he was named.
There was straining forward OF
lawyers, reporters and spectators alike,
all waiting to hear what the court
had to say to the juror, Justice Sid
dons passed quickly from that phase
of the matter, although on yesterday
in consulting with counsel in his cham
bers, he had this to say about the
affidavits: And, if true, there is one
thing that that particular juryman
did which WAS fatty in. the face of the
caution of the court, and that was
that he would not talk to any one
about this case, nor read the news
papers, nor have them read to him"
Turning from KiKdwell, the justice
resumed his reading, saying that coun-
sci for both the government and the
defense had agreed that a mis-trial
would be necessary He added that
the fact that all matters in connec-
ton with the dramatic episode had
been given the widest publicity was an
added reason for declaring mis-
trial.