Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-08-26
THE VERDICT is MURDER
Th0t is the Verdict of the jury in the
Anarchist Trial at Chicago.
Judge Gary Delivers His Charge to the
Jurors in the Anarchist Trial.

Thursday afternoon in the anarchist
trial at Chicago, Judge Gary delivered his
charge to the jury. The first instruction
was the statutory definition of murder
the unlawful killing of human being
with malice aforethought, etc.
The second was the statutory punish
ment for the crime = death or imprison-
ment for life or any term of imprison-
ment not less than fourteen years, and
that 1t belonged to the jury to fix the pun
lshment If they found the defendants
guilty.
The third was that it was provided by
the statutes of Illinois that every person
may speak and write in any manner he
pleases, but he is responsible under the
law for what he says and writes. Free
dom of speech is limited to the extent
that no man is allowed to advise the COM
mission of any crime against person or
property within the state. The statute
provides that he who stands by, aids or
abets, or assists in the preparation of a
crime, is to be considered as the princi-
pal, and may be indicted at the same
time as the principal or before, and any
one who being not present advises or in
cites another to the commission of a
Even ladies drank in every word of
each long phrase in the instructions as if
o lose nothing which might furnish a
clue as to what the verdict might be.
The strained attention of the defendants
was painful to witness and the anxiety of
Mrs. Parsons was scarcely less apparent.
The jury seemed glad of an Opportunity
to rest their tired limbs and stood erect
throughout the reading of the instruc-
tions. The counsel of both sides crowded
as close the bench as possible, and once
or twice Captain Black or Mr. Zeister, for
the defense, interrupted the court to sug-
gest Interpolation or exchange of words
or phrases. When the jury retired the
prisoners were taken to the bailiffs rooms
adjoining the court room, and few min
utes later Fisher emerged accompanied
by bailiff, and entered another room to
get drink of ice-water.
HE WAS DEADLY PALE.
The bailiffs took pains to assure the la
dies present that it was extremely i'm
probable that a verdict would be return
ed before the adjournment of court, but
every one of them remained till Judge
Gary put on his hat and went out of the
building. During the three hours of
waiting for the verdict the attorneys
present were subj ected to repealed inter
views, mostly by ladies, as to the proba-
bility of averdict being returned which
would fix the extreme penalty. Mrs Par
sons, Mrs. Neebe and Mrs. Schwab con-
versed together in low tones at the end
of one of the attorneys tables, and were
now and then frightened up by a cheer
full word from Mrs. Black, who is said to
have firm faith in an acquittal. The
MOST TOUCHING SIGHT OF ALL
was the aged mother of Spies. Her inn
perfect knowledge of the English Ian
guage has made it impossible for her to
follow the evidence closely, but her in
tense solicitude for the comfort and safe
ty of her favorite son, the enormity of
whose offense, as maintained by the pros
ecution, she has seemed little to under
stand, has made her the most pathetic
feature of the trial. While waiting for
the return of the jury frequent teare
rolled down her wrinkled cheeks, and
when the court adjourned, with her sur
pense still unrelieved, she moved slowly
out on the arm of her young daughter
seemingly broken-hearted.
'tHERE COMES THE JURY"
was the startled whisper which went
around fifteen minutes after that body
had retired, and it created momentary
sensation, for the jury had returned,
but it was only to receive some additional
instructions concerning the crime of
and the hopes of the sem
sation seekers present speedily fell again.
It was with extreme disappointment that
the larger part of the audience received
the announcement that court had ad-
journed. They would gladly have waited
until midnight to hear the verdict, put
Judge Cary was not so minded and the
crowd departed, many of the ladies
vowing they would be back early in
the morning, rain or shine,
At ten o'clock Friday morning the jury
a verdict that all of the defend
ants were guilty of murder except Neebe,
who was given fifteen years imprison-
ment.