Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-05-16
THE SHORT VERDICT.
Shor, OF Justice aud Decency
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald.l
The luckiest man in the city of New
York ut this moment is Dynamiter
.sDick" Short. He has been adjudged
guiltless OF a mOnstrOua crime AMI l.
as free to 20 whittier he will, a. ii he
had never handled dagger az quar-
relied with colleague The Judge
who tried the case and the LAWYERS
who strove hard to convince the jury
that he was guilty cannot see how
twelve reasonable men could find him
innocent, and stoutly maintain that
there has been miscarriage of justice.
But what they think or say is of little
moment to Short, and perhaps still less
to O'Donovan Rosa and his associates.
Nine tenths of the citizens of New
York have, however, been 80 startled
by the unexpected verdict and have
criticised it more Or less wrathtully
and severely that Judge Van Brunt
and the prosecuting attorneys have
found it incumbent upon them to in
form the public that the blame does not
| rest with them, and that this shameful
verdict must be laid at the door Of a
pusillanimous, pigheaded and coward
ly jury.
| 81 cannot use stronger language in
regard to this case," said Judge Val
Brunt last evening, ethan l used t.
the jury when they brought in q ver-
dict of acquittal. Colonel Fellows die
all that man could do to secure con
viction, and it was not his fault tina
the jury brought in verdict of acquit
tai. The jury are the only ones t.
blame. Their cowardice and Ignorance
were too great to allow them to act il
this instance as honorable men should
Any one with an eye in his head coult
see that the attack OH Phelan was pre-.
meditated. If it was not, why did tn
five or six men who were in Rosa
Office when the row began immediate
ly rush out to the street? But what il
the use of talking? The case is endet
now, and every level-headed man II
the city and country knows that justic
has been outraged. All l want tn
public to understand is that the prose
cutting attorneys did their duty ik
men, and that all the blame is to be at
tached to the jury"
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY VERY ANGRY
District Attorney MARITIME was a
irate over the acquittal as Judge Va
Brunt. "That verdict, SIR" he sal
, bluntly, "was simply outrageous. n
man with spark of honesty woul
have consented to 1t. 1t was clearl
against the evidence and sheer coward
, ice alone could have instigated it. A
for the insinuation that the prOsecutio
did not handle the case properly, ca
=. only say that it is utterly baseles
Never before have l gwen so muc
time and attention to any case. l an
I my colleagues did all we could to hay
! justice done, and the result of our IL
, bors was seen when the case came int
e court. 1t is monstrous, therefore, ths
s we should he blamed because cowart
= ly jury brings in verdict contrary
all justice, reason and evidence. How
D ever, 1 shall take good care to remem
ber these jurymen, and not to giN
them another chance of Outraging ju.
E tice in any case Oh which l ALI Ell
gagged"
Colonel Fellows agreed, with Il
district attorney that the verdict I
i acquittal was due to the cowardice
the jury, and that no blame could po;
!, sibly be attached to the prosecution.