Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-05-18
MCFARLAND ACQUITTED.
Closing Scene Of the Trial-An In
tensely Exciting MOment-The Pris-
Oner and the Audience,


From the special telegraphic report
of the Cincinnati Commercial, we con-
dense the following graphic deserip-
tiOn of the scene in the recorders
court at New York, at the acquittal
! of Mcfarland:
Half-past four came, and still no
jury. At a quarter to five a rumor
ran round the room, based on the
| alleged declaration of one of the Off
eials, that the jury was split square
in the middle, and that the fragments
were having violent altercatiOn-six
to six.
This seemed to preclude all hopes
of a verdict for the day. Stakes, on
an aequittal, found no takers, and
a general gloom, in harmony with
the darkened heavens, settled rapidly
upon the audience, but Immediately
afterwaTd the simultaneous entrance
of flash of lightning and Captain
McClOsky, dispersed the natural dark
ness and the spectral gloom, and gave
the interest of the audience a vigOr-
Gus impulse.
Hats off in court. Down from
the benches" shouted the Captain.
Down from the benches, there
stand back; give the jury rOOm,n
cried the officers.
"Are the jury coming?n asked Mr..
Young.
"Yes, they are coming" replied
Captain McClOsky.
"Oh, papa, the jury are coming"
exclaimed little Percy, hiding his face
upon his fathers knees.
Down off those benches; make
room for the jurors" sternly cried
the officers, forcing the excited audi
tors to their seats.
In the midst of the excitement, the
private or Judges door was thrown
open, and the foreman of the jury
was seen standing in the threshold,
with his eleven fellow-jurors grouped
behind him. At a signal from Cap
tain McClosky, they filed slowly
in, and amid a silence as of death,
passed to their seats. A moment
later Judge Hackett came in and
took his seat upon the bench. Then
came the venerable clerk, Mr.. Van
derpoOl, and took place at his desk
to call the jury-roll, a duty which
he has performed on many q MEM
Orable occasion, when his rOll-call
was the prelude of ignOminious death
to the accused. As Mr.. Vanderpool
called the roll, and the jurors sue
cessively answered - Here" the spec
tators strained their ears as if to
catch, if possible, some prophecy of
the verdict from the tones of the
jurors voices; but their here's
were not prophecy; they were low,
and no one could base a guess upon
them.
And now came the crucial moment.
Clerk-"Gentlemen of the jury,
have you agreed upon your verdiet?"
A death-like silence.
The Foreman" We have.n
A profound sensation and the sound
of women sObbing.
The Clerk-"The jurors will rise,
and the prisoner will rise"
The jurors and the prisoner rose.
The Clerk" Jurors, look upon the
prisoner. Prisoner, look upon the
jurors"
The jurors all turned and looked
upon the prisoner, and the prisoner,
with haggard, ghastly cOuntenanee,
and sorrowful, appealing eyes, gaZed
at the twelve men, who, for the pur-
poses of that occasion, held his des-
tiny in their hands, and were about
TO make it known. The scene at this
Mr.. Graham sat in his accustomed
seat, with his head bowed upon his
bosom, cOnvulsed with uncomfortable
emotion. Mr.. Gerry sat by his side,
no less moved within, as his suffused
eye plainly told, but otherwise as
firm as the rock at Plymouth, where
hls fOrefathers landed. Little Percy
seemed paralyzed with terror, and his
lips, white and parched, Glove to his
teeth, and the death-like stiffness was
only broken by women's sobs.
The Clerk" How say you, gentle
men? Do you find the prisoner at
the bar guilty or not guilty ?n
As the clerk was asking this
question, vivid flash of lightning
streamed into the room, followed by
a thunder crash which overwhelmed
human utterance, and which rolled
mutteringly off down the horizon.
The Clerk, repeating the question
How say you, gentlemen? Do you
find the prisoner at the bar guilty or
not guilty ?"
The Foreman" Net guilty.n.
Spontaneously there arose from the
assembly such shout of applause and
prolonged cheering, as probably never
before filled the hall of General Ses-
sions, and a scene of indiscribable re-
joieing and eOngratulation foil owed,
which the Recorder and officers of
the court made no attempt to tran
quilize, as all felt that it would be
utterly impossible to check the wild
of the people. The friends
of Mcfarland crowded around him,
and praying heaven for blessings on
his head.
Ladies seized little Percy in their |
arms, and Rugged and kissed him
with womanly tenderness and affec-
ton. Cries of mcfarland give me !
your hand,u and "Thanks be to the /
Lord" mingled with the cheers
which were repeatedly given for the |
prisoner, and for his cOuncil-Mr. /
Garham.
The brother of Mr.. Mcfarland |
pressed forward in tears, to cOngratU- /
late him and ladies surrounded Mr.. |
who was weeping like boy, I
and enthusiastically thanked him /
for mis- devotion to his imperiled eli /
ent; members of the bar gathered .
around Mr. Gerry and expressed .
their appreciation of the magnificent /
in which he had prepared the I
prisoners case. In short, the pent- I
up excitement and sympathies of the
last five weeks found free vent, and
turned the court room into an arena
Of spontaneous and heartfelt rejoice
ing.
And during all this, and himself
being the central object of the joyous
the man apparently less
moved and most calm of all, although
with a happier countenance than he
has worn before since the trial, was
the prisoner Daniel Mcfarland.
But such scenes can not last forever.
The feelings of the audience having
had free vent. silence was at last re-
stored, and the ordinary routine was
resumed.
The Clerk" Gentlemen of the
ury, harken to your verdict as it
stands recorded. You find the pris-
,ner not guilty. So say you all?'' |,
The Jurors all bowed assent. [,
The Clerk" You are discharged
rom further attendance.
Mr.. Gerry" May it please the
Court, move the discharge of my
.lient."
The Court" The prisoner is dis
.harged." Adjourn the court. /
The crier adjourned the Court. The
Gene of eOngratulatiOn which, though
ozz ,,Ofsxr I,od horflIx- baar infarr,,v,f ]