Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-08
DOUTH|TT RELEASE
ENDS BITTER TRIAL
Arlington County Jury Is Out
But 10 Minutes in Ex-
onerating Him.

The acquittal late yesterday afternoon
in the Arlington County Circuit Court.
of Harry N. Douthitt, former Citizens
Service Association investigator, on
charge of having attempted to bride
Judge Howard w. Smith, followed one
of the bitterest court battles waged
there in many years.
Despite efforts made by Common
wealth's Attorney William c. Cloth to
prove that Douthitt was the author of
letter offering Judge Smith $500 for
a favorable decision in a pending law
suit, the jury remained out but 10 min
utes before returning the verdict that
gave Douthitt his freedom. He was de-
Tended by State Senator Frank l.. Ball.
Throughout the trial Cloth and Ball
engaged in spirited debates, all of which
were brought to a close abruptly by
Judge Frederick w. Coleman when they
reached the wrangling stage. Both at
torneys were rebuked on numerous &C.
casionS.
Indicted in June Term.
Douthitt had been under indictment
since the June term of the Circuit
Court, charged with having written
letter in which it was stated that Maj.
E. Brooke Lee, Montgomery County,
Md, political leader, was to be the
donor of $500 that was offered to Judge
Smith if he would decide in Douthitt's
favor in suit instituted against him b.
Morris A. Bealle, former joint owner
with Douthitt of the Clarendon Chron-
icle, a weekly newspaper.
Attached to the letter was Douthitt's
signature. which was followed by his
address, written in the same hand He
admitted the signature both before and
during the trial, explaining its presence
on the letter by claiming that he had
at one time affixed his signature to the
top of memorandum that he had pre-
pared and handed to Bealle when they
were negotiating for the sale of the
Chronicle.
Explains Four Letters.
There was ample space left on the
page for the letters to have been writ
ten in by some one who wished to have
him appear as its author, he claimed,
and for the memorandum to have been
torn off. 1t was in this way that he
explained the fact that the page had
been torn off below his signature and
not above the text.
The first witness of any importance
was Judge Smith. He stated the cir
cumstanceS under which the letter had
been delivered to his Office at the court
house He stated in answer to a cues
ton from the defense attorney that
he had known Douthitt since the for
ferS elevation to the circuit bench
and that he had never had any reason
to suspect the latter of resorting to
bribery.
Following Judge Smith on the stand
was Sheriff Howard B. Fields, who re-
lated that Doughitt had said when he
saw the signature that it was either his
or an excellent forgery. When shown
the text Of the letter. Fields said that |
Douthitt declared that If he wrote |
that he must have been drunk.
Both Fields and Cloth, who followed |
him on the stand, related the efforts |
that were made to trace the origin !
of the letter by locating the typewriter /
upon which it was written.
The testimony of Cloths surprise |
witness. Lawrence w. Sorrell. vice !:
president of the Virginia Paper Co., |
aided Douhitt when it was testified |
that the memorandum to which Dout- |
HIT referred was prepared, in the Of !
fee of the Citizens Service Association |
and on their stationery. Sorrell had |
testified that the paper bore the same |
private water mark that was found on |
the letter heads Of the association.
Lee Testifies for Defense.
Maj. Lee was the first witness for |
the defense. He testified that he did |
not know Douthitt, could not identify |
him in court and had never talked with /
him except when requested to appear
as a witness.
Douthitt, through his testimony, at
tempted to show that there were hare
feelings existing between him and Bealle
and Morton A. Anderson, a former
Washington policeman, who became
Douthitt's partner after Bealle with