Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-09-15
THE CHISOLM TRIAL.
The Jury Return a Verdict Of "NOl
Guilty"

LIE hALB, MISS, september H.
At 4 o'clock pm. yesterday, a sick !
juryman in the case against Henry j !
Gully, for the murder of Cornelia
Chisolm, expressed himself as feeling
well enough to listen to the evidence
for an hour or two. The defense in
troduced a number of witnesses to
prove the character OF the defendant
for peace. During the examination
of these witnesses the court rebuked
one of the counsel for the defense,
and forbade him putting questions to
one of the witnesses and ordering him
to keep quiet and say not another
word.
During the progress of this impor-
tant trial, nothing tending toward
unpleasantness or discourtesy has oc-
CURED between the opposing counsel
The defense closed its case at $50
pm. yesterday. The prosecution re-
quested the court to allow the jury
to so to the Jail and examine for
themselves marks made by gun-shots
in the doors and walls. This morning
at 8 o'clock the jury retired, accom-
panied by two bailifs to make an ex
animation, and returned in a short
time to the courtroom.
The prosecution then introduced
one witness in rebuttal, L. G. Sinclair,
former sheriff, to prove that the lock
on the door at the head of the stair
way in the Jail had been changed
since the shooting occurred.
AT 10 o'clock this morning testi-
mony was closed. Council on both
sides submitted their instructions for
approval of the court, and at 3 o'clock
in the afternoon argument was opened
by District Attorney Ford, presenting
the theory Of the prosecution. Thos.
ii. Woods, of the Meridian bar, man
of peculiar power and magnetism, fol-
lowed the district attorney in behalf
Of the defense.
Colonel S. NJ. Meek, of Columbus,
Miss, popularly known as the Eagle
Orator Of Mississippi" next spoke
for the defense. Judge Joshua S.
Morris, of Vicksburg, one of the most
eminent lawyers Of this State, closed
the argument on the part of the prose
cution. Counsel were limited to two
hours on each side.
| In outlining the case for the State,
the district attorney summed up all
the facts in evidence going to show
conspiracy on the part of Henry j.
lGully, the defendant, and others, to
murder Chisolm and that in carrying
their design into effect Cornelia CHS
olm was killed.
These facts consisted principally of
actions on the part of citizens at the
burial of John w. Gully the evening
before the killing of Chisolm, that
there was noticed whispering among
those collected there which excited
| his suspicion, that on the following
| daya large crowd came to town armed,
| shot Gilmer, Mcclellan, Johnnie, Cor
nelia and Judge Chisolm, together
with declarations made by defendant
and others on that day. The defense
has been torcibly presented, and a
sweeping and convincing argument
made Of the principal fact as brought
out by the State in addition to the
testimony given by the defense. Col.
| Meek made an argument for the de-
fense. 1t has always been the practice
| in this district for the district attor-
ney to close the case for the State, but
he has in this instance left the closing
argument in the hands of Judge Nor
ris. This departure from the usual
practice has created some comment
The jury will retire this afternoon.
| DEKALB, MISS, September r.
The court in which is being tried the
case of the State against Henry J.
Gully, for the murder Of Cornelia
| ChisOlm, having adjourned at pm.
yesterday, after the argument for de-
tense was closed, that sick juryman
might not become too much fatigued,
convened this morning at 8. The
ljuryman who is unwell is an old man
ifty-seyen years Of age, and being
unable to sit up, was this morning
provided with a bed, where he laid
during the concluding argument of
| Judge Morris on the part of the pros
ecution. The argument of Judge
Morris was to the effect that con-
spiracy was formed to kill Chisolm
and Gilmer. In order to carry out
this design the conspiratorS had an
affidavit made before a magistrate
charging Ohisolm, Gilmer, Rosenbaum
and Hopper with having murdered, or
aided and abetted in the murder of
John w. Gully a few days previous ;
that the object of that step was to
disarm their victims, Chisolm and
Gilmer, and thus place them in such a
condition that they could not defend
themselves nor be defended by their
stanch friends, Rosenbaum and Hop
per, the onlv men most likely to stand
by them and defend them that the
sole cause of the imprisonment of
those four men was that the oonspira-
tors could more easily and with less
danger to themselves take the lives of
Chisolm and GilmeF. The principal
facts sworn to in support Of this theo-
ry were the shooting of Gilmer on the
, streets, while on his way to the Jail, in
presence Of the defendant; declara-
tions made by two young men that day
to two negroes, a short distance from
town, that they had better turn back,
: and not go to town that hell was to
be played that day the killing
| of Mcclellan, as he left Jail, who
had been acting as one of the guards
of Chisolm, Rosenbaum and Hopper
/ in Jail, and who had been discharged
by the sheriff; the taking of the Jail
keys from the sheriff; the final wound
/ ing of Chisolm as he came down the
stairway from the second floor of the
Jail at an alarm of fire, at which time
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