Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-05-22
The Boyer Trial.-The case (

manslaughter,9 was called up on the
first day of this session Of the court,
on Tuesday the 18th inst. There was
in the neighborhood of so men sub
poenacd, including the regular panusl,
out Of which number the jury to try
Mr. Boyer's case was taken. Almost
every available man in Grand Rapids
and Centralia was summoned. 4 jury
was secured after a long time being
spent in parleying about for one reas
N or another. The prosecution wa
represented by j A. Gayuor, assiste
" J. w. Cochran The defendan
was represented by II. Hayden and W
II. Packard. The case lasted four
days: and was very ably conducted
on both sides. Thirty-siz witnesses
were sworn, many Of whom were not
of the brightest people in the county.
It is a deplorable fact that we have
large number of ignorant citizens in
our community, many of whom have
no excuse whatever for su oh fact We
earnestly warn our people. against al
lowing their children to grow up with
out, at least a good common school ed
ucatiop, as the courtroom well testifies
that it is fact that an inexcusable
amount Of ignorance exists.
About Friday noon the trial of Mr..
Boyer terminated and the Jud &c
charged the jury about two o'clock in
the afternoon. The jury retired to
anether room in which TO deliberate
upon the testimony before them They
spent the night in the court house as
they did not come to a conclusion as
to their verdict before court adjourn
ed It was learned about five O'Clock
Saturday morning by some struggling
individual or some interested person
that the jury haa come to conclusion
and had went home Not bet q short
time after and the verdict was quite
generally known. The defendant, Mr.
Boyer Was seen about s O'Clock going
toward the court house, and about 8
0 clock. was no. where to be seen or
found Much Indignation was mani
tested by the better class Of citizens as
also by the Judge, when he learned
the fact. The Judge instructed the
sheriff TO exhaust all means for his re-
capture. Nothing reliable was heard
or seen Of Mr. Boyer till Monday
noon when Mr.. Boyer surprised all
disinterested parties by making his
appearance in court. He was taken
and placed in jail for safe keeping,
1t was at first supposed he had taken
leg bail for parts unknown SO rs to
avoid punishment Of maAslaughter in
the third degree Of which he was found
gully His attorneys having found Oh
examination. that he could, on itch
nicallty that had occurred. get permits
sion for q new trial, doubtless got
word to him to return. That is our
flea of how he happened to surpr1se
the good citizens Of Grand Rapids and
vicinity with his august presence On
Wednesday morning of this week, the
attorney for defendant, argued on
motion for new trial in case of Mr.
Boyer, advancing the facts something
like the following; That the jury
acting on said case had left the room
in which they were taken to at first.
and went up in the court room wherein
they had access to all books and papers
and testimony in the case, and that
the law in such case expressly provided
that where jury had access to said
books and papers and testimony the
verdict was void and motion for new
trial was in order. 1t was in purport
about as abovs stated. The court
granted motion for new trial and Mr.
Boyer will, on giving bonds in a small
sum. be allowed his freedom again I'M
til another term Of court. The cost
to the county for this one case alone,
is not much less than $500.
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