'MOVIES' PACIFY GRAFT JURY

The New York Times
April 17, 1914

Rebellion Averted as Prosecution in Road Case Closes.

RIVERHEAD, L. I., April 16.—When District Attorney Ralph C. Green had finished the presentation of evidence last night in the case against the four officers of the Suffolk Contracting Company and two State Highway Department officials, charged with conspiring to build the Patchogue-Coram road in disregard to specification, the twelve men in the jury box "struck."  They told Justice Kapper, who is presiding at the trial, that they were tired of being boxed in all day and locked up all night.

"Can't we go to the movies and get a little enjoyment?" asked the foreman.

"Certainly, go to the movies if you want to," replied the Justice.

So, accompanied by four court attendants, the jurymen had their first "good time," as they expressed it, since they were drawn on Monday.

Counsel, in their opening remarks, showed what the trend of the defense would be.  The responsibility for the bad condition of the Patchogue-Coram road will be "passed down the line."  One of the lawyers, who represented a division engineer under indictment, said that his client had never seen the road while under construction; another lawyer asserted his client had nothing to do with the delivering of the material.  The lawyers declined they would show that the required amount of gravel had been purchased.