The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-06-10
DailD argus.
orrTOxAL PAPER.
the MCCONNELL HOMICIDE.
AcQuittal of VIM. a. Robinson.
Exciting Scene in Court

The trial of Wm. A. Robinson, charged
with the murder Of fGeu, Murray Mcconnell,
al Jacksonville in this state, was closed on
Tuesday by tho acquittsl of the prisoner
The trial has occupied two full weeks and
has enlisted almost universal interest. The
case was given to the jury just before noon
on Tuesday, WHEN the court adjourned TILL
l;SOP. NJ. The following report OF the clos,
ing scene at the re assembling Of the court,
We take from the very full report of the
Chicago Times:
When the court again assembled, the large
hall was crowded to overto wing the galleries
being filled with ladies, aud the body Of the
hall covered with masculine spectators in
every corner where anything human could
find a standing place. For few minutes
after the Judge, the Hon. Charles D, Hodges,
ascended the bench, the vast audience main.
tanned most expressive silence.
The rustling of sheet of paper, the lowest
whisper, could be heard distinctly through
out the large hall.
At length, after ~ minutes had elapsed
and TO the excited crowd they appeared to
be 20 ages-it was announced that the jury
had agreed upon a verdict.
Amid the most breathless silence, quiet
that most painfully pervaded the entire as
sembage the . good men and true were
escorted to their seats by the worthy sheriff
Isaac Serer, when the small sheet Of paper,
freighted with the life or death Of the prison.
er at the bar, was handed in to the court.
The court regarded the document for a
moment, and then said
Gentlemen, read this as your verdict
1--WE, the jury, find the prisoner to be not
guilty"
The reception of this finding was one of
th e most remarkable that has ever chsrsc'
terized court of justice. The immense
audience rose as one parsonage, and applaud,
| ed until the very building rang with the
thunder Of the popular appreciation. Bou'
Duets innumerable were thrown at the feet
of the accused, while on every hand he re-
ceived the heartiest expressions of congratu-
| lstion,
The words of the verdict had hardly fall
| len from the lips Of the court when the de-
voted wife of the prisoner, with little
cry, fell forward in her seat, and tainted
| away.
The aged father of the accused, who had
| labored so devotedly in his behalf, also sank
backward, in the ecstaey of pleasure, while
Robinson, himself, the man who had made
SO narrow an escape from the gallows, fell
forward in his seat and sobbed like very
infant. Strong men cheered until hoarse'
ness intervened, while the ladies in the
court room, for the most part either tainted
or wept themselves into the pleasing condi'
ton of Mysteries
When quiet had, in some small degree
been restored, the court said
Gentlemen of the jury, you may now un
derstand that you are discharged.
The Jury then left the jury box, when thel
were madethe objects of d most general oya
ton. For O second time, the court room
rang with the popular plaudits, and agar
were peace and order two things that could
not be attained.
Mr.. Bacon, the foreman of the inquest
and the first uryman to leave the box, was
seized by each hand by dozen spectators
and fairly borne from the room upon the
shoulders of the audience. The remainder
of the Jurors received an almost equal wei
come, and it was evident, on every hand
that had their verdict been otherwise the,
would have been the recipients of q toera
bly, rough reception.
After the Jury had left the hall, Judg
Hodges, pursuant to a motion by henF
Barnes, Of counsel for the accused, said
"The order of the court now is that the pris
oner be discharged from custody
uapugpd seen
to understand the purport Of the judicio
words, and remained in his chair, with hi
head buried iu his hands. In few minutes
however, Mr.. Barnes approached him, an
patting him upon the back said
"Rob,nson, You are now olscnargec
You may 90 wherever you please; oo
character is cleared, and you are declare
to be as innocent Of the murder as am.
He then warmly shook the gentleman D
, the hand, and taking the arm of his VIII
left the court, amid the most tremendous al
plause. !,
After the prisoner had departed from tn
scene, the court, Judge Hodges, and sIl tn
members ofthe counsel for the defence wei
d made the recipients Of an ovation, ana sIt'
thing approaching good order, the court a.
!. journed. ~.
In the city the news Of the verdict WI
received with the most varied selumea'
Half the populace seemed to be WiIo WI
delight, while the balance were as earne
in urging the guilt of the accused, ana !
sisting that he had been wrongiuily acqnI
ted.
In this connection, it may not be Out
place to mention one scene in the couF
room which stood out in broad relief fro
1 the general iov Seated within the bar, ve
! paar to the bench was Murray McConne
the grandson and namesake OF the murder'
general, aud, as he quietly heard the Verol'
and as silently left the court room, 1t "
evident that in the poor boys soul rankl'
the thought that the blood Of his revered
a lative would now never be avenged, al
:! that the murderer, whoever he may
was now safe from detection.
p. After the court had adjourned, the crow
still fingered around the central portions
the city. At one time a general dlstufosn
re- seemed to be imminent. Geo. Smth'
W witness for the prosecution, and man wi
ns 30 far, has apparently beeu simply actual
by desire TO possess himself Of the Sl,o
'A reward, savagely assaulted Messrs. Barn
- and Robinson, of the prisoners counsel, I
on the public square. Fortunately, t
>, gentlemen we're speedily rescued from
len concentrating touch of the rowdy, who v
=. arrested and suitably dealt with
IN This evening the popular excitement
. remarkably strong, though SO far, no furtl
- acts of violence have been commit
q. What will characterize the ensuing IL no
remains TO be seen.
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