Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-06-12
MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE

CONVICTION OF CLUvERIUs-HIS COUN-
Sell HAD WARNED HIM 1T WAS COMING
HIS GOODNESS -APPLICATION FOR A
PRESS,
&C.. &C., sc.
The Richmond papers contain full &C
counts of the conviction of Thomas J.
CIuverius of the murder in the first de-
gree of Lillian Madison, on Thursday
night last. We make up from their COL
umns an account of it:
Thursday.
At 9:1O O'Clock Thursday night the case
was given to the jury and the jurors i'm
mediately went to their room. They had
not been there long before Sergeant Lee
went to inquire if there would be any
probability of a verdict that night, and he
was told to come back again in a few
minutes. that the jury would by that time
be ready to answer the question. At the
expiration of twenty minutes they told
the Sergeant that they would announce
their verdict in twenty minutes.
Mr.. Harrison being the youngest man
on the jury was permitted to Vote last.
The vote was taken by Mr.. Kepler. He
wrote the names of the jurors in two col
umns. Each jurors name was under the
word Guilty" on one side of the paper
and under the words Mot guilty" on the
each man was checked as forming YER.
dict of guilty. Only one vote was taken,
and that was an open vote.
AS soon as 1T was ascertained that the
jury
WAS UNANIMOUSLY IN FAVOR
of a verdict of murder IN the first degree
Mr.. Kepler, who had been chosen fore
man on account of bis having been the
first juror selected, asked if it would not
look more digniied to return the verdict
the next morning. AS two of the Jurors
were unwell, and the wife of another (Mr.
Trice) Was quite sick, and another juror
expressing desire to return verdict as
soon as possible, in order to relieve the
anxiety not only of the prisoner, but of
every one interested IN the trial. it was
determined that the verdict of the jury
should be announced at once. So after
the lapse of forty minutes, One-half of
which was spent in administering to the
sick jurors, who we're made unwell by
long confinement in the hot and badly
ventilated courtroom, the
JURY WAS BROUGHT INTO COURT
and as they entered there was dead ST.
lence. Sergeant Lee demanded that ST.
lence should be observed after the an
nouncement of the verdict as we'll as be.
fore, and policemen we're stationed in
different parts of the room with instruc-
tions to arrest and bring before the Court
any person guilty, of any demonstration.
When the twelve men sworn to try the
case and true deliverance make between
Thomas j. Cluverius and the Common
hn1 fr,f I,oo
eye was turned towards them. Quiet
reigned supreme in the courtroom, but on
the outside there was slight commotion
as each anxious spectator In tho crowded
street moved step nearer to the open
windows to catch the wording of the
jury's verdict. The countenances of the
jurors indicated that they fully appreci-
ated the responsibilities of their position
The clerk called each jurors name and
every man answered. Thomas J. Gu
yerius. stand up" said Mr.. Lawton, in a
tremulous voice.
THE PRISONER AROSE,
firmly stood up, and with that strange
lmperturhability that he has all along
sustained, he intently listened as Mr.. |
Lawton asked: "Gentlemen of the jury
look upon the prisoner. How say YOU? |
Is he guilty or not guilty of the felony |
charged in the indictment?'
Mr.. Henry Kepler. foreman of the jury,
replied Guilty and the clerk then read |
the verdict as follows:
"We. the jury, find a verdict of murder
in the first degree as charged in the in
dictment."
The prisoner did not finch or scarcely
move muscle while the verdict::was be-
ing read. There was
A SOLEMN STIFFNESS IN THE COURT
ROOM
when be took his seat, closely followed by
q shout from the outside. This, however.
was quickly silenced, and the great crowd
soon went away, but not before Mr.. Mer.