The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-05-09

| and her QauSnter on ner Ielt. ailei JuuSe
Dwinele appeared, the Jury was Called anu IN
| Jury. Mrs. Fair then resumed her half-recum-
| bent position, closed her eyes, and remained
apparently entirely unconscious Of the district
1 attorneys remarks.
| MRS FAIRS LITTLE GIRL.
The daughter acted precisely as it might be
expected an unsophist.cated child would act.
| She seemed entirely oblivious OF anything that
trauspired, and occupied herself In chewing
gum, and regarding alternately the judge. the
jury and the spectators.
MRS. LANE, THE MOTHER
of the prisoner, was perfectly composed
| throughout To all intents and purposes she
was 3 spectator. taking less interest In the
proceedn IS than did the strong-mnded wo-
| men who were seated behind her. At II. 45 P.
NJ. the court announced The usual recess until
. o'clock P. n.
DURING THE RECESS
Mrs Fair, her mother and daughter partook of
| lunch brought by waiter from neighboring
restaurant. Mrs Fair seemed 10 be in excel
| lent spirits, and occupied herself in pleasant
converse with her. little daughter, frequently
consulting with her counsel, who appeared
hopeful OF q favorable result. When the court
resumed its session, the prisoner resumed her
semi-recumbent position and made no further
| movement The Judge commenced his charge
al five minutes before o'clock and concluded
exactly at twenty-five minutes after o'clock.
THE VERDICT.
Those who anticipated long deliberaion in
| the iury-room, and made their calculations ac-
cordingly, were disappointed. The jury retir-
ed at 3.25 P. N. at i've minutes after z. NJ,
or forty minutes after they had retired, the
mry came Into court and took their seats in
the jury box. They were preceded by Mr..
Cook, who whispered something tprobabiy The
verdict Of tn. jury in Mrs. Fairs ear. She
turned a t,iae paler than usual, her head
dropped to one side, but otherwise she did
not seem to be affected by the Intelligence.
The excitement among the audience was In.
tense, and they climbed up on benches and
the backs of chairs in order 10 obtain view Of
the scene which all felt would ensue. Judge
Dwinelle took his seat upon the bench. a pin
dropping upon the carpet OF the court-room
could then have been heard. People held
their brealhs 10 hear the verdict. The little
daughter of the prisoner for q moment seemed
awed by the oppressive silence, and turned
her wondering blue eyes upon the jury, who in
one short moment would pronounce the sen.
teDce that would give her mother for life, or
leave ber an orphan 10 the cold charities Oh
| the world.
The court then wrote the following and read
it to the jury: Gentlemen OF the lnry@fon
are instructed to state by your verdict, n you
convicted the prisoner, whether she was guilty
Of murder in the first degree, second degEee,
or manslaughtcr: you should so state"
Foreman We ind the prisoner guilty OF
murder In The first degree.
The clerk then read the verdict, and, calling
| each Juror by name, asked him II that was his
verdict? All replied. "Itis
The ominous words, .Guilty OF murder in
the first degree" fell from the lips OF The fore
man of the jury. Mrs. Fairs llttle daughter,
who seemed TO comprehend their full meaning,
broke forth in violent fit OF sobblng.. She
leaned over upon her mother, and her Childish
cry OF anguish pierced every heart. Her
paroXysm Of grief became so violent that she
sprung from her chair and fell In her mothers
lap, her little arms enclrcling Mrs. Fairs neck
| She continued in this position until the court
| adjourned. The scene was most affecting
| one. Several Of the jurors were affected 10
tears, and even Judge Dwinelle had difficulty
| In retaining command Of Ills voice.
EFFECT 9poS MRS. FAIR.
The delivery o! the verdict that consigns her
10 the gallows has no perceptible effect She
seemed marble as she reclined in her easy
chair Mrs. Lane, the mother OF Mrs. Fair.
betrayed no extraordinary emotion. Her face
flushed slightly as the verdict was recorded;
otherwise, sire gave no token OF the storm that
must have ragged in her breast as she saw the
child Of her bosom condemned TO an ignomlnl-
1 Gus end.
| Inc nIIel VI Tile dNOhc locHuSo VI SOu-
passion in the large crowd; and now that
| Justice was yindcated, mercy spread about
| her ministerinS spirits 10 invoke pity for the
child, if not the mother.
THE DELIBERATIONS or THE JURY.
/ When the Jury retired 10 their room TO de-
| liberate. they had not, In accordance with
Judge Dwineles instructions, discussed The
matter Of Mrs. Fairs guilt among themselves.
They had been for many days confined TO-
l gether, and discussed probably almost every
| subject within the range OF human observa-
7 tlun except the exact question which brought
l.them together. When, therefore, the seal OF
silence was removed from their lips after q
| mouth, they felt as though relieved Of Il great
Incubus, and prepared themselves 10 state
their convictions TO each other, based upon
their understanding Of the evidence and the
charge of The court. Being all business men,
| and having spent month .cf time III nearing
the testimony and the arguments, they indl-
vidually determined 10 approach the conside-
ration OF the case in business way. II un-
necessary time had been occupied in hearing
The case, they were determined not 10 spend
any more unnecessary time In The determna-
ton Of the verdict. They llrsL determined to
select
A FOREMAN,
as is usual in such cases. Their CHOICE fell
upon &. +. Sterett, the printer, the most elder.
| ~ man upon the Jury. They next resolved
| that "Cnshings Manual should be adopted as
The rule Of the discussions that might ensne.
Next they determined that Il ballot should be
taken tu indicate how the Jury stood as u body
upon The question, first, of murder in The first
degree. Next each juror was numbered as
follows: Henry ". Beach, /; W. D. Lilch!ieid.
2; Hiram Rosekraas, ); ID. G. Liltleield. j; l..
+. Sierctt. d; j. w. Shaeltr, G: Hermann Wen
Zell, I; Jonn E. Freeman, s: Asa r. Wells, .;
Ernes. Mayriseh, 10; George Morrow, IL ;
Thomas Herobin, II. In this order, should q
disagreement Result upon the first ballot, each
juror should explain his views to his fellow
lnrymen. All The prelimiuarles being arr;ng-
eG, The foreman stated that tile ballot would
be in order. y hat was procured and placed
npcI. the table, and the foreman
INSTRUCTED TIE JURORS
To write on their ballots ''Guilty' or 'iNot
guilty" and place them within the hat. This
was done One By one the jurors advanced
and placed his Tiilten ballot within the recep'
tuce provided. There was u degree of dr
liberation which marked this cpl ode in The
discharge OF their duties that denoted how
each individual juror felt The Importance Of
The duty he Was then Gischarndur. Not Z
word nul passed between them upon the qlss
ton Of The guilt or innocence of the prisoner
at The bar, Laura D. Fair. The bGiivts vert
all in, ana The hrors resumed their seals, Ill
anxious 10 know how each had voted upon lht
question Of life aud death. Asa Il. Wells wa;