Charles McCall with picture of long court case, London
Apr. 05 View From The Jury Box - By The Man Who Attended The Old Bailey's Longest Trial: The longest case ever heard at the Old Bailey - the purchase tax trial which ended yesterday after 81 days - is to be recorded for posterity. For one of the members of the jury was a professional artist. No one is allowed to sketch in court 9 but every nights for four and a half months London artist Charles McCall went home and drew sketches from his memories of the day. From these sketches Mr. McCall has started work on a series of oil paintings of the trial where five men were convicted of conspiring to defraud the Inland Revenue of 84, 000. One sketch shows Judge Alan King-Hamilton Q.C. on the bench, with 14 barristers and four solicitors in the well of the court. None of the accused is shown. Mr. McCall, aged 59, said last night: I found the long jury service quite a strain. Just like a regular office job. But the drama so impressed me that I have now enough court-room material to occupy me on and off for years
