The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-09-13
THE JAMES VERDICT.

How it Was Received by the Citizens OF
Gallatin and Other Points-Pronounced
an Outrage on Justice-A Testfm onial
to Prosecuting Attorney Wallace Polite
ly Declined by That Gentleman.
GALLATIN, Mo-, Sept. 6.
Within a few minutes after rendering
their verdict the Frank James jury became
invisible. They paid their board bills and
left for home, and one at least was sag.
castically invited to come again and be
juror at the next trial. Their sympathiZers
disappeared with them, and all Gallatin's
proper citizens at once became an indigna-
ton meeting. Groups of men gathered on
every curb and corner and denounced the
verdict as an outrage on law and order. A
conviction had hardly been looked for, but
q hung jury was deemed a probable and
an acquittal an impossible thing. Yet this
jury took but two ballots to arrive at a
verdict, the first standing eleven to one for
acquittal, the second unanimous for
acquittal. People here can not under
stand how this verdict was arrived at.
and rumOrs of curious import in regard
to the jury which have been floating round
for days past were suddenly revived. 1t
was remembered that five names of the
panel of forty had been on the list of jurors
desired to be summoned by the defense. AT
the time it was debated whether to have
the entire panel rejected and new list
summoned by an officer other than the
Sheriff, or to strike the five names off in the
States challenges. The latter course was
adopted with some misgiving. 1t was also
remembered how man had ridden through
the western part of the county and notified
certain parties friendly to James to be on
hand for jury service. 1t was remembered,
E1-. L., 1f 4l,,1A. lnA I,.fA h
ing summoned, stated chat no matter what
the evidence might be he would vote for
acquittal if on the jury. Another Of the
twelve was said to have been brought by
the defense so that he could be placed on
the panel. The feeling against Sheriff
Crozier, who summoned the special venire,
has been pretty strong from the beginning
of the trial . and that officer has been most
heartily criticised tonight.
Long before supper time the sympathy of
Gallatin's best citizens, in behalf of law
and order, took a practical form. A fund
was raised, chiefly through the exertions OF
7. B. Yates, of the Farmers Exchange
Bank, and George TuSgle, of the Daviess
County Savings Association, to present Mr..
Wallace with something that would remind
him of the esteem that Gallatin's citizens
had for the man who had so vigorously
prosecuted James. Nearly all the property
owners and merchants of Gallatin met at
Ju0Re McDOuSaiIS law OHlce ABOUT o:0U
O'Clock. D. Harfield Davis made the pre-
sentation speech, and handed Mr.. Wallace
a gold watch on behalf of the citizens of
this place, in appreciation of his services in
the prosecution of the most famous crimi- !
nal case ever tried in this State. Mr.. Wal |
lace responded, declining the offered gift be-
cause he was public officer and not yet |
through with the task of fitting burden of |
legal punishment on Frank James shoul- |
ders, and assuring his friends that he val |
utd their offer of present equally with the |
present itself, but treasured the feeling |
which prompted it above all else. After |
few words by Judge Shanklin, resolution |
was offered by DR.. Black to apply the |
money in printing Mr.. Wallace's closing
speech. This was carried, and Messrs.
Davis, Black and Yates were made COM
mittee on that business. The meeting then
There are three other cases
here against Frank James-One for being
accessory to the killing OF Westfall by Jes-
Sc James; one for the Sheets murder in
with the robbery of the Gallatin
Bank, and one for simple larceny at Win
ston. If he is acquitted here on all these,
there is still the Blue Cut case to be tried at
and the Northfield and other
cases after that, so that this alleged chi
alrous bandit is far from free.