Huntsville gazette., 1883-06-23
ACQUITTED.
The Jury in the Celebrated Star-Route
Trial Render a Verdict of Not GuiIty-AII
the Defendants in the alleged ConspIr.
acy Declared to be Innocent.

Trial Render a Verdict of Not GuiIty-AII
the Defendants in the alleged ConspIr.
acy Declared to be Innocent.
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. June A.
"You can ask the jury whether they have
any communication to make to the Court"
said Judge Wylie to the crier when the
Criminal Court hearing the star-route case
reassembled this morning. Crier Donald
son soon returned with a message that the
| jury desired to communicate with tho
| Court. They filed into the courtroom, APP
! parently none the worse for their confine-
ment. When they were seated the Judge
said: Gentlemen of the jury, the Court
has sent for you for the purpose of inquir-
ing whether you have any communication
to make" The foreman stated that the
| jury had agreed upon a verdict, and .
painful silence fell upon the courtroom,
only to be broken by wild shouts of ap-
! plause, when in a clear tone of voice the
| foreman stated the verdict was
mot GUILTY"
| Immediately the decorum of the court of
| justice was forgotten and cheers resounded
| from all quarters of the crowded floor.
| Mrs. s. w. Dorsey Sprang to her feet,
| clapping her hands, while tears streamed
down her cheeks, and there were many la
| lies in the Court who were silently weep
! ing. Davidge quietly asked to have the
verdict recorded, which was done, while
| the Deputy Marshals were vainly endeav-
oring to quiet the tumult. S. w. Dorsey
and Brady were the recipients of warm
congratulations, and as they left the court
room they were greeted with renewed
| cheers by the crowd in front of the City
Hall. When order had been somewhat re-
stored by reason of the defendants and
their friends leaving the room, Judge Wy
lie turned to Juror Vernon and asked:
"Mr. Vernon: how are you this morn
ing?"
Juror Vernon: "First-rate, SIR"
The Court: 81 believe we have nothing
further for the jury to do during the term,
and the Court is prepared to discharge you
! finally. You have had a laborious task to
| perform in this case. You have been more
than six months engaged In this trial.
| Many of you have occupations OF your
own which you have been obliged to neg
lect during that period, and though your
verdict of course will create dissatisfaction
to many, yet having been selected accord
| ing to the forms of law, and having sworn
to perform your duties faithfully, the
| Court is bound to presume you have faith
| performed your duty. If you have done
| so, each one according to the dictates of his
| conscience, that will be a satisfaction to
you as long as you live. You are therefore
| discharged with the thanks of the Court"
In the ante-rOOm anu Ulle HdlIS lut
was beset by a tbrong of interested per-
sons, prominent among them being the de-
! PENDANTS and Mrs. S. w. Dorsey and Mrs.
| Peck, who thanked them for the verdict
with tears in their eyes. As the foreman
reached the sidewalk the large crowd as
sembled there burst into tumultuous cheers,
which was renewed as each juror made MS
way out of the Courthouse.
Ker was the only representative of the
prosecution in the court when the verdict
was returned, and Carpenter, Dorsey's
counsel, congratulated him as the only one
of the Government counsel having pluck
enough to show up in the hour OF defeat.
Ker says he was this morning informed by
the court officer that Ingersoll had said the
Jury would return verdict OF acqulttal.
He added that the other indictments against
Brady would be pressed, and that, OF
course, it would be necessary for the Court
to enter an order setting aside Rerdell's
plea of guilty.
Information gathered from members of
the jury discloses the fact that several in
formal votes were taken in addition to
those already recorded. A vote on the
question of the innocence or guilt of all the
defendants excepting Brady stood nine for
acquittal and three for conviction, the lat
ter votes being cast by Jurors Harrigan,
Sheriff and Grone. In Brady's case the
Jury stood ten to two in favor of his ac
quittal, the two negative voters being Har-
rlgan and Sheriff. OF the jurors who voted
for acquittal Evans, Lowry, Gill and Re-
shaw gave as the reason for voting in that
way they failed to find any proof of the ex
istence of conspiracy. Juror Sheriff
(who at first voted for conviction) said that
in the minds of some of the jurors there
was doubt as to the innocence of defend
ants, but after consultation jurors felt it to
be their duty to resolve that doubt in favor
of defendants. He thought if the Govern
ment, with all its power, in a six months
trial could not convict man he ought to be
acquitted Sheriff further said that the ex-
treIne length of the trial, the large amount
Of oral testimony and documentary evil
dence in the case and the long arguments
seemed to have had the effect of befogging
the minds of the jury, so that they found il
a difficult matter to reach any firm and
fixed conviction.
At the Department of Justice.
The news of the verdict in the star-coute
trial reached the Department Of Justice
shortly after ten O'Clock this morning, By
telephone At the time the Attorney-Gen-
eral was in consultation with George Bliss.
When the news was announced ne SAID 70
Bliss: "What do you think of that!"
az am astonished," was the reply. ~
thought some of the jurors might get mud
died on the conspiracy question, but dld
not anticipate acquittal."
"WeIl." said the Attorney-General, THAT
settles it, When twelve men agree the mat
ter is settled. / feel satisfied the Govern
ment has presented the case in the best
IL