Evening star., 1928-04-26
Sinclair Verdict Surprises
And Anglers American Public

Expressions Of surprise and indigna-
| tion predominate In the comments OF
| the American press on the action Of a
| washington Jury which acquitted Harry
r. Sinclair, charged with conspiracy in
obtaininr from former Secretary Albert
B, Fall leases Of land which had been
| held as a naval oil reserve. Special
emphasis is placed upon the fact that
| the Jury, III effect. repudiates the solemn
declaration Of the United States Su-
! preme Court that the Teapot Dome
| transaction was fraudulent and corrupt.
The Topeka Daily Capital states that
he final Judgment OF the country must
| be that OF the Supreme Court--that the
| transactions from start 10 finish were
corrupt and dishonest Commenting
OH the report that the verdict ~ ono
of the greatest surprises Washington
| has had in wears" the Manchester
| Union adds that ut Is a surprise that
will be shared by the whole country.
| The Birmingham News holds that
Americas court OF last resort has al
ready assailed the business OF Sinclair =
acuulttal." and that ''undeniably this
verdict Is tremendous, depressing
commentary upon the system Of trial by
| Jury as that system now operates
THE American jury system Is a
CHASTITY failure at critical times, affirns
! the Denver Post. which links the sin
clair and Remus cases, with the COM
ment that they are enough TO make
decent people hang their heads IN
shame" The Portland fOregD journal
exclains. How low has virtue de-
scended In the country What is the
conception OF American Institutions
when IL men, with the defendant in-
dicte /, condemned and sentenced by the
| highest court, still hold him gliltlesSp'
| The Harrisburg Patriot secs public
| "ama2ement, disgust and indignation"
at Jury verdicts which virtually repu-
| diate the decisions OF the upper courts,
~
/! Thanks To the courage and ability
Of It's Federal judges" remarks the
| Omaha World Herald. the Government
obtains return OF the stolen property for
| the people. thanks To the falliDility OF
| It's Jury system. the cnnSpirators get
/ away with their bold raid on the public
property without punishment, SINH
| larly, the Raleigh News and Observer
| declares. THE courts atill function
well In recovering property, They are
| impotent 10 punish the individuals. .
| The Savannah News concludes There
was conspiracy. q bad one. but SIN
clair was not in IL. II was somebody
else. so a jury has said, and that ends
| IT,"
That the verdict Is rotten, vicious
and stencil 10 the American people
| Ia the assertion Of the Los Angeles Ex-
press, which holds that words permits
sible on an editorial page fail utterly To
! indicate the intense indignation ana
| disgust with which the American people
| received the shocking news Of the Jury's
| verdict" The whole affair appeals 20
| the Brooklyn Daily Eagle MS "a sordid
and shocking tale. made worse, instead
OF better, through the action OF the Jury
| IN frceinL Sinclair"
| ours Is a government ot law. states
| the Roanoke Times, and all good citl"
zeng peTforee will bow to the Sinclair
verdict Hut IN their hearts they ieel
| that n gross miscarriage OF iustiGs hhA
occurred" The Wheeling intelligencer
| calls IL gross and lamentable," while
| the Morgantown New Dominion believes
| that there can be no doubt, reasonable
/ or unreasonable, that Sinclair and Fall
| are as guilty hs sin"
! OF 6inclara record the New YORK
| Times declares III cannot be altered,
| Nothing that happened IN his criminal
| trial at Washington can change H., lie
will remain a scandal to his class, a
| public warning 10 rich men, tempted az
| he was 10 avoid his example IS they
would The plague For both him and
| ex-FeereLary Fall the sentence of the
! intelligent public has been pronounced
| and will abide, As time goes on II
| will be strange II Sinclair II not moved
10 exelaini, MY punishment II greater
| than | can beafF
| y
"fphe Shiny transaction, With all It's
| Mandal0iM rAmifiGatInns,h AYERS the
Newark Evening News, has heen laid
bare, The public sees II as loathsnme