Evening star., 1939-12-02
Cassini Verdict,
Filming Trio, NOT
To Be Appealed
All Parties Content
With Guilt Finding
In Torring Case
By ALFRED TOOMBS,
Star Stan Correspondent.

~~- 00~>~ ee~SS~~~.~~.@"'
WARRENTON, Va, Dec. q
L'Affaire Cassini was settled finally
today and all concerned were con-
tent with the jury verdict which
outlawed tar and feathers as
weapon with which a Virginia
gentleman may satisfy his honor.
No appeal is planned by the three
defendants who were found guilty
and fined for constituting mob
to commit assault and battery" on
Igor Cassini, writer for a Washing
ton newspaper, on the night OF
June Is.
The Jury, after celebrating for an
hour and a half, decided that q
misdemeanor, rather than felony
had been committed and ordered
fines assessed against the three de-
PENDANTS as follows: Ian Mont
gomery, 80, to pay $500; Colin
Montgomery. %, his brother, $3.50;
Alexander Calvert, $50.
Defense Counsel Satisfied.
Defense counsel-which wound up
the case yesterday with a vitrlollc
denunciation of the columnist and
the warning that Mr.. Cassini would
be treated worse, perhaps even be
killed, if he continued to gossip
about Warrenton folk-eXpressed
satisfaction with the verdict.
The prosecution felt that "the law
had been vindicated" and the citi-
zenry in general, although surprised
at the jury action, expressed ap-
proval.
The tempestuous two-day trial
reached its climax when T. j. Huff
man, jury foreman, turned to the
bench and, while a crowd packed in
the ancient Fauquier County court
room waited tensely, handed in the
verdict.
Judge j. r. H. Alexander halted
proceedings to issue stern warn
ing that any one who participated in
any demonstration would be dealt
with severely.
Plead Act Was Justified.
The defense had based its hopes
frankly on the plea that the COL
umnist deserved to be tarred and
feathered and claimed that the three
defendants should not only be freed,
but should be commended .
Defense Attorney Walter H. Rob-
ertson. after denouncing the col
umnist as a "ghoul' and a YAM
pire" among other things declared
that he deserved to have "his Rus
sian hair pulled out or a leg broken
or something" because Of the things
he had written about Warrenton.
Mr.. Robertson referred to Mr. Cas-
sini throughout his bitter attack as
that creature" and at one time
pointed to him and declared:
HE is responsible for what has
happened and if it the Warrenton
gossip doesn't stop something worse
is going to happen, even If some one
goes to the electric chair for it..
Somebody ought to warn him"
State Senator A. G. Weaver, an
other member of the defense counsel,
Joined in this warning, declaring
that the columnist had insulted the
motherhood of this great common
wealth"
Column Called "Cesspool."
"This column. as far as this COM
munity is concerned, has become a
cesspool that is a stencil IN the
nostrils of our people. We have no
apology to make for this occurrence.
but we say that these boys have
rendered public service.
He has written about many
people in Warrenton, but when he
wrote about Virginia mother who
had two herman sons, the pitcher
had gone to the we'll once too often.
Yes, the pitcher went to the well
once TOO often and let me tell you,
brother, it had better not 60 there
again. Therell be fight and it
won't be fight with buttons" CA
reference to fencing foils, which had
figured in testimony
Commonwealth Attorney Clarence
w. Carter-who had been close
friend of Ian Montgomery since boy
hood-wound up his final argument
in choked voice, warning the jury
that if it acquitted the trio it would
be putting its stamp of approval
on mob violence in this county"
Charles Henry Smith of Alexan-
dria, Va, Mr.. Cassini's personal at
torney and special prosecutor in the
case, demanded punishment for the
three, whom he accused of bar
barity."
All Three or None.
The judge in his charge to the
Jury stated that all three defend
ants must be found guilty or ali must
be acquitted. In assessing the fines.
the jGrymen apparently considered
the testimony of the three men.
Ian Montgomery shouldered full
blame for the tar and feathering,
claiming the other defendants, along
with two men who saw the attack,
merely went along as witnesses.
Colin Montgomery admitted he knew
in advance that his brother was
going to tar and feather the column
list, while young Calvert said he did
not know what was going to happen.
Mr.. Cassini said he was subjected
to brutal treatment, while the de-
PENDANTS minimized his hurts-say-
ing they merely wanted to scare him
out of the county.
The jury had its choice of con-
victing the defendants on a charge
of assault with intent to MAIN or
kill-which offense carried a pen
atty of from l to 10 years in pris-
on-or on the simple assault charge,
which carried a penalty of a maxi
mum of year in Jail and maxi
mum fine of $500.