The New York herald., 1877-10-09
THE PHILADELPHIA MEDIUMS.

THE BOGUS MATERIALIZERs TEMPORARILY Es-
CAPE THE CLUTCHES OF THE Aw-sINoULAR
SCENE IN coURT-A JURY ''DysAoREEs"-
CHARGES OF CORRUPTION AGAINST JURY
MAN.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. g. 1871
The trial OF James A. Bliss and the woman called
hsw mas iul Of startling surprises and ara
matte situations. First, the former conederates OF
the medium explained at length how he materi-
allied his spirits by means OF trap door
in the cabinet and convenient dressing
and theatrical wardrobe In tho cellar;
then Roberts, the professional medium, "2ave him
away" in the most effective manner, and then the
guilty man and his woman partner were suddenly
confronted by Bliss real wife, whom he had deserted
IN Boston, a situation that caused his cheeks TO
blanch with fear. This morning, when the jury was
to come in aud when everybody confidently expected
prompt verdict OF conviction, another surprise was
in store Tor the large assembage that has daily been
drawn into the court room by this cause csiebre.
The jury had been locked up since Saturday night,
and those who chanced pass by the old Court House
during Sunday were startled 70 them in their
up stairs masqueradng In tho costumes OF swift
Water, ""Blue Flower "Mothcr Macarty" and other
familiar spirits OF the BLISS stances. whose togeery
had been put evidence before The twelve good mcu
and true US part Of the exhibits of the case.
This morning. ut ten O'Clock, when Judge Briggs
took his seat on the bench, the jury was sent Tor
There was breathess stiffness among the great throng
tnat hled The court US hcir verdict was called or by
the usual formal question, but there buzz Of as
constituent ~ tue foreman unounced that they had
not been able TO agree.
THE JUDGE AsroSisHgD
Judge Briggs expressed umazement. He said In
effect, In the OF stern address TO them,
the evidence was unmistaKable aud overwhelming.
The proof was incontestiblo. The only question ior
them was "Were these spirits real or lusory ~ aud
he could not understand how they could fail TO
" a verdict. He Continued
"ln passing upon this question tako, for instance.
Swift Water Coniessedly the defendants represented
tut character 10 be there Tho defcI dants' witnesses
believed u TO be character there 1t was the charac
ter Of an Indian. Was real material pcrsonatcd by
some live person on EARTH or was it presented through
spirtu ual ageucyy Mr. Hays, an Intelligent genlle
man. said IT was, and ne doubtlesE becved 1t; others
believed t; but II Is not what they believe, bat what
you believe II lhis principle were not 10 maintain
We might as well dispense with uries and take tho be-
heis oi witnesses conclusive Witnesses TO be
protected IN their private convictions. but you
70 be guided by that unless testimony makes you
believe IL was q spirit. In passing upon It you have
before you the moccasin and the wig We're they
used in the representation OF this SPIRIT were thcy
manufactured for the purpose oi convcting those de-
ienaantsy Now, who Is Aarrsous He may be an
ndvcnturer, aud Is sefconvictcd conspirator but II
you believe what he says is true you throw
II out because he has been sell He says Le
has been among the Cheyenne and Ute Indians and
there learned something OF the Indian language which
he was enabled TO use In the representation Of
Swift Water Indian words were used. You must
take all these into consideration You heard what the
Volts said about their sister Clara Woli and what
Diesinger said: you have the wreath presented
Was all this paraphcrnala manufactured
ior the purpose Of convicting those deiendantsy II
not, then you have reached u point where the Com
monwealth completely annihilaes the delcuce. = The
Judge also SAID II is moro important that ndcpcn-
dence OF the jury should be preserved than verdict
should be obtained III special case, what
tnut verdict might be. I'll believe these
arc not guilty you VIII say and thus preserve those
who believe IN Sprituallsn from tho rayages OF the
imposturc Now gentlemen, ! have exhausted my
power. Return again and consider tho matter viii
be here al one O'Clock or before It,"
The foreman repeated that there were reasons why
the jury could not agree, and they would not II they
were kept confined "A lifetime. He wanted tv explain,
but the Court would not permit ~ Aiterward the
foreman SAID again, Have the right explain 10
Your Honor! nave thnk can settle -
Judge Briggs-You must not tell mo how you stand
II there any difficulty any point OF evidence that
can enligb.en you upon you can state II.
The F0reman-Not at all THIS Is y very curious
thing.
Judge Briggs-Will you never be able to agreeP
The Forcmnn-Ncycr.
Judge Br,gss-TaKe the sense Of your colleagues
now right here and report TO me ruthiuly what they
say.
rho foreman then consulted with his fellow Jurors
Judge Briggs-Can you over agree?
Tho FOreman-Nevcr
4rs anna N, THE JURY DISCHARGED.
Judge Bri9gs-Well, gentlemen you have certain
| rights which must respect VIII discharge you
but wait a minute. II there ever was guilty man
walked this the defendants are gu
The Judge then Instructed an officer oil tho
respectfully INFORM Magistrate smith TO have handed
maliy remandcd him 10 appear before the mag stratc
adding, Mrs. Bliss is under bail 10 appear before the
same mag -
The jury stood for conviction eleven; for acQuitta
ono the one Juror being Jancg Duudas halter No. 32l
Frankfort road. The other Jurors say that Dundas
saa, III there ever Was guty man the face OF
the cartu IL is Bliss, tut will never send him 10 JAIL
on my verdctn The Jurors also say that two OF their
number were approacncd and that mouey had been
used to prevent conviction.
CHARGE.
Bliss and the women with him aitcrward CON-
nlitted by Magistrate Smith for nearing, the former
ON charge vi bgalny ana adultery, and the Latter
with knowingly marrying the husband OF Lucy L.
Bliss, Boston. The charges against the jury arc
10 bc investigated.