South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-06-22
The Verdict Of Acquittal in the
Star Route. Case.

THE morning would be to denounce
the jury who rendered verdict of
acquittal in the Star route case YES.
terday The announcement OF the
result must have been received with
surprise everywhere. While nobody
confidently expected a conviction, and
most people thought there would be
disagreement, probably not one
person III Il thousand OF those who
had followed the reports Of tho trial
entertained the slightest idea that the
verdict would be in favor Of the de.
PENDANTS, Yet it turns out that at no
time after the jury retired were there
more than three jurors who thought
the proof even sufficed TO establish the
existence CT n conspiracy irrespective
Oh the persons concerned in it.
Many explanations will be offered
to account for the verdict. The
Judge has already been pronounced
Dogberry. and somebody has dis
covered rather late in the day' that
'the twelve men who compos ed the
jury were unfit in almost every way
to pass upon the questions submitted
to them We cannot adopt either
OF these views. Judge Wy lie has
shown some inirmity OF temper dur
irg the trial, but succeeded in pre-.
serving degree of impartialty which
was hardly 10 be expected in trying
such case a second time. Ills
charge seems TO have been particu-
larry talr and free from bias. AS to
The jury, the counsel for the Govern
ment have never complained of their
lack oil intelligence, SO far as we know
and their mental capacity to compre,
bend the case sufficiently TO find a
verdict of guilty has never been q,es-
toned. Indeed, at the beginning Of
his charge the Judge spoke in COM
plimentary terms of the patient at.
teLtion they had bestowed upon the
trial, saying that ii had lighter ed the
labors of the Court.
If there had been disagreement.
caused by the refusal Of two or three
members Of the jury to vote for con.
viction when the other jurymen were
earnestly in favor ola verdict of gull.
ty, suggestions of bribery would
doabtless be made, and many people
would believe that the result was due
to the improper use of money. In
the present case, however, We see no
reason TO supp osc that the verdict of
acqulttal was secured by wrongful
means. One man, or two men, or
three men might be bribed, but not n
whole jury.
In our opinion it is not necessary
to impute folly or knavery either TO
the Judge or to the jury in order to
explain the escape Of the Star route
defendants. We believe they have
been ably prosecuted and fairly tried.
I As we have more than once pointed
out, however, the case against them
involves inherent difficulties of proof
which must render it task of extra.
ordinary skill and labor to establish
their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
That task has simply proved inipos.
sible Of achievement.
1t is q mistake TO suppose that either
/ in England CT America tife people un.
tertske To- punish by legal process eve {.
~ man who may have comeuitted n
crims. Only those are TO sGffer thus
whose gait IL 20 plain that twelve men
sitting IN judgment have no doubt OF it.
II the defendants in the Star route case
could no: he brought within this cate.
CORY, ia y were omitted TO go free aud
we can only regret taat the proof failed
TO establish their responsibility for
crims OF which We believed them TO be
guilty. - Nc0 York Sun, J0le 10.
new-maie widow went la.ely % a