The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-04-24


| ious Tactics Employed to Bring About ~
Verdict of Foreman shaw
And Three Others Placed In an Unenvi.
| able Light.
CINCINNArI, O.. April ~.
The Grand Jury, composed of some ui
the best citizens, which IS investigating
the late riot and the proceedings of
the Berncr Jury, has had the
| statement of Mcclure, one of the
! jurors, to an EreHiRg Post re-
| porter made before a witness laid before
them. Mcclure says: 81 am forty three
! years DID, an Irishman; have been living
in Glendale since '65; have buried a wife
and six children; have wife and three
| children. l work as a hostler, gardener,
etc; I worked seven years in Glendale;
have had much trouble in the past five
| years. Three years ago lost my housr,
valued at 1000 by storm; have been
in poor health. l was drawn, qualified
and served as a juror in the Berncr mur.
! der trial. After we retired to the jury.
room ballot was Immediately suggested
by Foreman Shaw, who asked me and
the others to vote mot guilty. | did not
exactly understand him, when he said Il
was merely to see how 10 would work
Shaw, Harmeyer and Dallahan wrote ON
number of slips of paper and
gave me one. Mine read mot guilty.
don't know what was ON the others.
voted it. but drew IL out aud voted guilty
murder first degree | don't remember
what was the result. On the third ballot
l think the vote stood eight guilty, four
for manslaughter. I asked Shaw n that
l refused to vote any more
that Saturday night and We
retired. The others played cards for
money. Some whispered among them
selves. Harmeyer, Shaw, Phillips aud
Gallagher stuck together and seemed
trying to talk the others over There
was no open debate, but continued
whispering before taking ballots The
four men named wanted to vote Sunday
morning; ] refused, wanting to think. I
had slept near an open window through
which the escaping gas entered and had
bad headache. On the next ballot things
were badly mixed. / voted first degree
Juror Merrill voted second degree.
suggested that we all vote guilty and
make clean job of IL. He stuck 20 the
second degree. Shaw tried to convince
me once that no jury had reached man
slaughter, but would not have H.. We
sent once TO ask the Judge IL we could find
him guilty and throw him on the mercy
of the Court. lie answered yes, but Shaw
and three others said they did not
want IL so and would not have IL. asked
TO look at the confession. Shaw refused
lie was a good taiker and soon talked the
other fellows out Of their opinions.
stuck out TO the last ballot. Before this
was cast Shaw and the others wrote ng-
ure three over the word "nrst," so as TO
make the ticket read, "murdcr, third
degree" We voted them They said
there was verdict of granddaughter,
and rushed US out into court.
had notion to write
TO the Judge, but did not; was all alone,
as they were all strangers. / did not
vote as | wanted TO or should have voted
first degree. When / refused 10 yield &C.
Shaw's request, he told me II would
please the Judge and the people. The
four men stuck together from the first
Shaw, Harmeyer, Phillips and Dcllahan.
| and others were forced into n man.
slaughter verdict against our wills