, 1880-09-26
REDNEY BURNS.

4 SENTENCE or FOURTEEN TEARS.
The Jury in the Redney Burns murder; trial
had not agreed when the Criminal Court opened
at 10 O'Clock yesterday morning. Three-qunr-
ters of an hour later they sent IN to court re-
quest to be supplied with the forms of verdict
which might he used, and the Court re-
sponded by instructing them that they might
do one Of five things-na1nely: finding
the defendant guilty Of murder they
could sentence him to death by hanging, i'm
prisonment for life, or Imprisonment for Il term
Of years not less than fourteen: finding
him guilty Of maus1aughter they could sentence
him to imprisonment for any number of years;
or they mirht aequIt the defendant About half
an hour afterwards the ominous knock sounded
upon tho door Of the jury-room, and the eyes Of
those ia the courtroom flashed from the passage
door through which the jury were to file as they
entered, and the face of the prisoner
turned all sorts OF coIors as tho fateful moment
dr. drew near an and - turned to death.l!ke pat!or IS
dict to the Ballin. An express.on OF surprise
arose IS Deputy Clerk Doyle read the verde
tx bis term I'm Of imprisonmens @ an az fourteen Years
The ptlsoper looked decidedly dissatisfied, md
at the result Mr. Burns heayed a long sigh Of
relief, and the father Of the prisoner gaye
ample evidence that he had looked for
had short consultation with the defendant,
after which he entered motion for Il new trial.
The prisoner was then remanded. and the
twelve jururs, who had devoted ninety-six cum
secutive hours to the case, were allowed their
liberty once more. .
The verdict was the result Of O compromised
When the jury retired Friday evening they .ook
9. ballot on the general question Of the gIilt Or
Innocence Of The prisoner which resulted ia
for acquittal.. The ten Jurors then took: a
ballet On the question OF punishment,
farur Of sentencing the prisoner to death by
hanging, the tenth man declaring for a life i'm
pr1snument. The battle between the ten on one
side and the two tsn the other, one at whom Is a
near ncighhor OF the counsel for the defense,
listed all night long, and when. in the morning,
1t became clear that the two men were "stick-
ers. an effort was male to bring about com-
promise The Courts advice on the subject Of
thu possible verdicts In the case provided the
grounds upt'n which the jury might agree, and
atIast the pair who had been for scquitta agreed
to II verdict of guilty OF murder IN the condition
that the penalty shall not te more than the low
est one provided for the crime ct murder. The
njority, seeing that this Was the besr that oou1d
be done, accept the proposition, and tho YER
dict was prepared accordingly.
Half an hour after the rendering Of the YER
oner, who since the trial has lost considerable
flesh and Ert'wn very holl.,w- checked, seemed
very much east-down by the verdict, which he
determined upon having a new trial IT possible,
and, with his counsel, was bent upun carrying
the case up to the higher courts 1t he did not
get It upon the application which had just been
made.
The impression which the verdict made upon
the occupants Of the County Building, who
have watched the progress Of the trial very
closely, WAS that. while the punishment inflicted
was not Ia accordance with the horrible nature
Of the murder, yet, as a compromise verdict, ii
was quito satisfactory.