Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-01-15
WAITING FOR THE VERDICT.
Closing Scenes Of the Stokes Trial.
From the New York Herald. Jauary 81

! WAITING EOR The fEhDICIs
Closing Scenes Of the Stokes Trial.
From the New York Herald. Jsuary ST.
During the long hours waiting for
the verdict the court room was not
more than half crowded. The ladies
related to Stokes family. all dressed
in deep mourning, were grouped to-
| gether sitting on chairs, and above,
thechsndtlierb burned brightly with its
lIIany lamps. Some few persons had
gUne to sleep on the upper benches,
and here and there an officer OF the
| Court strolled around and gazed va
cantlY at the ceiling. The reporters
scribbled without purpose on the fly
sheets, and conversed with each other
about the incidents of the trial. The
Judges seat was vacant, as he had
gone to dinner at either Delmonicois
or the Astor House, and it was ru-
mored that the counsel for Stokes and
Beach, Fullerton and Fellows were
dining with him. In the Supreme
Court Chambers the prisoner,
Edward S. Stokes, and his cousins,
| Walter, Thomas and Henry Stokes,
were eOnversing and walking to and
fro.
STOKES SEEMED MORE sANGUINE.
than he has been at any time since
his imprisonment. So .sangulne was
he that half an hour before the jury
came in with their verdict, Henry
| Stokes, his cousin had q bail bond
made out so as to give bail immedi-
ately on the possible disagreement of
the jury. A little before ten O'Clock
a sumpIuous banquet was prepared
| for the jury in the Supreme Court
Chambers. A long table was set,
covered by a white cloth, on which
was spread game, fowl, and all the
delicacies of the season. The jury ate
hearty and pleasant meal, occupy
ing twenty minutes or so at their sup
per. They then went back to the
jury room and were locked up again
by Valentine. In the meantime dis
cussiOn was rife in the Court among
the audience, nearly all present can
vassing the situation and the probable
result Of the deliberations of the jury
The nervousness which Stokes dis
played while waiting for the verdict
on his former trial was all gone. He
seemed elated with the consciousness
that the deliberations ofthe jury would
either set him free, or else.give him an
OpOrtunity to give bail on aceountof
their disagreement. Stokes took light
supper at quarter to ten. A dozen
oysters on the half shell were brought
to him. He ate four or five; the rest
were left lying on their shells.
Neither the father or mother of
Stokes fortunately, as the sequel will
show, was present at the delivery of
the verdict. While waiting for the
verdict the ladies connected with
Stokes family, all of whom appeared
to belong to the highest rank Of soci-
ETY., seemed to be in deep trouble and |
anxiety, and ever and anon would
look at the clock and again at the
door through which the jury were TO
pass to their seats.
Stokes kept OH smoking, and his |
younger brother, Horace, who has |
been so faithful and steadfast to him |
through the varied vicissitudes of
both trials, seemed far more anxious |
than the prisoner himself. At quar-. |
ter past eleven o'clock there was OBJ /
servable IN the Court, among the |
waiting audience, that premonitOry |
hustle and confused hummiDg which |
is always noticeable when a long ex- |
pected event is about to take place.
First came Mr.. Sparks. the Clerk,
from an inner room followed by the /
officers of the Court, who pushed /
chairs aside and made passage way /
for the jurymen. Then came the
jurymen's attendant, who opened
the door of the box. after which
followed the prisoner, looking as un-
daunted as ever, and surrounded by |
his friends and relations. These lat
ter took seats facing the jury box.
The Judge then entered and took his
seat on the bench.
At this moment
THE TWELVE JYRYNEN
filed in, looking very grave, and pres
emily they took their seats. AS they
passed IN it was noticeable that but
one man out of the twelve looked at
the prisoner; all the rest seemed to
avoid a glance at his face. There
was a dead silence in the Court.
There was no need to ask what their
verdict would be. 1t was imprinted
in the lines of
EVERY MANS FACE OF THE TWELVE.
First they answered severally to
their names, and then the Judge, in
the usual manner, said, Gentlemen,
have you agreed upon verdict"
Foreman Of the jury (rising)-We
have.
Mr.. Sparks-Gentlemen of the jury,
rise. Prisoner, stand up. Gentle
men Of the jury, look upon the prison
er. Prisoner, look upon the jury.
nf o
Do you find the prisoner at the bar,
Edward s. Stokes, guilty or not
guilty?
THE VERDICT. Il
Foreman OF the Jury-Guilty of
murder in the first degree.
At the moment thRt these words
passed the lips of the foreman, there
arose In the court such terrible,
piercing walf from one Of the young
ladies dressed IN deep mourning that
it seemed to curdls the bloodeOf every
man and woman incourt9 None who
heard twill ever forget it, The young
lady who uttered this. cryfell forward i
with her aee.prone on the shoulder of ;
the prisonersr Horace Stokes, the ,
brother, burst into tears, and all his
friends and relations by one impulse, !
as they clustered around him, seemed !
terribly affected,
The Jury were then polled at the re-
quest of Mr. Townsend, one of the
prisoners counsel. When asked by j
the Clerk if they all agreed upon the /,
verdict, they answered, separately, !
"a Yes" Some of the responses could !
not be heard ten feet from where they
stood. AS the twelfth man answered
90 Yes,n
STOKES ROSE SLOWLY, ,
and, facing Mr.. Beach, one Of the {
counsel for the prosecution, and who I