The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-29

the guilt of Gov. Bernhamer and Matter were
taken up. that relating TO the latter being the
first considered. One time the vote was equally
divided, aud remained so for some time until
those favoriag acquittal were reinforced by two
three others. Dropping Mattler, tee jurors
took mp Coy's case on Friday evening AM and
Several ballots were taken with
tho same result until yesterday morning. Coy
was dropped and opinions were tested on Bern
hamer, who started out with eight to convict and
four to acquit. After while those who believed
him guilty had one of the four to come over to
them. The ballotng did not vary from this
until In the afternoon. whom a change occurred.
Juror Gardener says 1t came about through
comparison and to avoid staying over night
The last act of the jury before announcing that
il had agreed upon verdict enter into
agreement that nothing should be said about
the secrets of the jury room. The Democratic
members were especially anxious that nothing
should be said about how thav voted
Those who talked secured pledges from
the reporters that their names should not
he used. I'VE must have balloted one hundred
times" said one of the jurors. land we gradual
ly came together for conviction. The first bal
lot stood ten for conviction Of all the defendants
and two for acquittal. There practically
ing. at o'clock, when those favoring
conviction of all tho defendants offered to
vote for the acquittal of Mastler If those who
were standing out for acquittal of all would vote
for the conviction of Coy and Bernhamer.
Those who had all along opposed the conviction
of anyone for time refused to consider this
proposition. but after laborng with them for
two hours they agreed to the proposition. and
the result the unanimous vote for convic
ton. Il was in one sense a compromise verdict.
Gardener of Bremen, Marshal county was the
most difficult TO bring over for conviction"
"Were the Democrats who voted for convic-
ton from the beginning anxious to see the three
convictedp
They were, and if it had not been for them
doubt if those favoring acquittal could have
been induced to vote fer conviction. The Demo-
Gratis who favored conviction from the
beginning were the mos most -, earnest men
they argued that politics should not enter into
forming a verdict Those who held out for
quitta felt that the trial was for the purpose of
making political capital for the Republicans.
and based all their argument on that assertion
rather than on the evidence We heard"
Another said that the attempt of the defense
to give the case a political aspect had as much
to do with conviction as any other one thing.
s'The defendants would have stood much bet
ter show for acauttal." said he, 'if so much pol
itics had not been introduced in the All
the Democratic jurors, who voted for conviction
from the beginning, felt that the introduction of
politics was for the purpose of attracting their
attention from the crime committed"
The jurors wasted time while locked in
their room They slept little Friday
night, they say. but balloted twice DER hour
during the entire night. In all nearly one hun
drsd ballots were taken although the exact
number is not known. record was kept
even to how the vote stood on all the ballots.
The defendants attorneys claim that the tele-
gram to Messick stating that his mother was
dead, was used to bring two Democrats,
Gardener and Peters, vino held out to the
last, Burger having left them before
on the same account. Some of the
jurors sag that the Judges charge
had cleared away all their doubts although
Mr.. Kern's speech had made strong impression
on come of the Democrats.
The Jurors who coud go home on the late
trains did so, but several of them had to remain
until this morning. q
How the Verdict Was Received.
The news of the verdict spread over the city
with remarkable rapidity, and the downtown
telephones were kept busy by persons who de-
sired to verify the report that Coy and Bern
haner had been found gnilty. The verdict be-
came the general subject of CONVEX sation about
the hotels, bar Der shops and on the street, and
the prevailing opinion that it was just
verdict Among Democrats of the Coy-Bern-