The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-30
EDDLEMAN OUT OF JAIL.
THE JURY FINDS THE KILLING OF
GRESHAM JUsTIFIk BILE.


verdict-Rumors that Friend OF
the Accused Was On tho Panei-The
Grand Jury to Investigate-Whatt the
Foreman Says.
ATLANTA, Oct. 29-The jury in the case
of George H. Eddleman, charged with muir
der. in the killing of Thomas c. Gresham
in NAV last, returned verdict this morn
ing of not guilty.
Gresham. a popular railroad man, was
shot bv Eddleman in May last over trivial
discussion
TLis case had occupied the attention OF
the superior court from Tuesday last until
Saturday night at late hour, when it was
placed in the hands of the jury.
The verdict was not reached until this
morning.
A SURPRISE.
The result was surprise TO almost every
one of the large audience that packed the
court room when it was rendered, aud
popular sentiment seems to be that the YER
dicr should have been otherwise.
For some days rumors have been in circu-
lation to TIE effect that the jury was
racked, and that in consequence under no
circumstances would verdict OF murder
be returned.
SUSPECTED JUROR
II was said that |. s. Albritton, thos
twelfth man who qualified, was staunch
friend of the Eddleman family, ard that
the manner in which lie had got on the JURY
booked a little queer, as he had served on
iury the week previous and could not have
been drawn again. No one seems to know
how Albritton got on the jury.
THE LIST LOST.
The list OF the jurors avn from the box
70 serve in this case has been lost, and none
of the officials appear to know who sub
pdnaed hlnu. These facts are causing
good deal Of talk, and the matter is to be
ipvestiS ted Y the grand jury.
With this fact IN view all the clerks,
sherifTs, Lifts and other officials have been
served with subpoena to appear before the
grand Jury on Wednesday next, when
special session will be held for the purpose
of investigating the matter.
WHAT THE FOREMAN SAYS.
Foreman Frank Bliley upon being inter
viewed to-day said: II can't tell you the
names OF the men, nor how they voted, as
we all agreed, as one Of the first things we
did not t. tell the names of the men who
voted either for or against acquittal. The
first vote We took was at 10:30 O'Clock on
Saturday night shortly after we retired"
HOW IT STOOD.
"How did the vote stand?'
Zone was for finding verdict Of guilty,
five for manslaughter and SIX for acquittal."
Then there was no truth in the reports
about friend of Eddleman's being on the
None tina I know Of"
'H1w about the other votesr
well, shortly after we got to our room
at the hotel we took another vote which
stood one for murder, two for manslaughter
and nine for acquittal"
THE LONE PICKET.
"Who was the one who wanted to find the
prisoner guiltyi'
II have told you could give no names
will only say that he refused to talk about
the case, and said he was either for murder
or an acquittal, and would agree on no half
way ground"
'FWhen did you agree on a verdict"
THE DECISIVE BALLOT.
This morning. We did not discuss the
case Yesterday but this morning before
breakfast we took a third vote. and found
that eleven were for acquittal and one for
rnanslaughter. After we reched the court
house, and while we were waiting for court
toopen, we took another vote, and the obsti-
nate fellow came over with the majority
and we made a verdict"
GROUNDS OF THE AcQUIrrAL.
''On what grounds did you bahe the ac-
quittalF'
why, we just simply believed that
Gresham had knife, and that Eddleman
shot him in self-defense.n
You then believed Hefiin and McCord
in preference to all the other wltnesseS."
Yes, sir. They were nearer to the
fighters than any of the other witnesses
and saw better what was occurring"
AN INDIGNATION MEETING.
This afternoon it was reported on the
streets that an Indignation meeting would
Re held in the evening at the artesian well
for the purpose of giving an expression of
opinion upon the action of the jury that
acquitted Eddleman. Early In the evening"
cro% DIS commenced to gather at the well, and
10y 7:30 O'Clock fully 500 people were assem-
bled. There was no platform, and the leaders
of the movement awaited themselves of
the roof covering the machinery, from
which number of speeches were made
denunciatory of the result of the trial. The
NANTES Of several members of the Jury " ere
ventilated in the speeches ant their action
strongly criticised and bitterly denounced
There appeared TO De no presiding officer and
eacn speaker sounded his views upon the
Issue on his own motion. The speakers
were principally railroad men and mechan-
les, who had known Gresham and who had
learned &c love him.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
The following resolutions were offered by
Thomas W. Bur- ey, a young lawyer OF this
city, ard adopted:
WHEREAS. On NAV Il, 1899. one George Ed
dleman rou!ly and brutally murdered Thomas
Gresham. and
WHEREAS. The said Eddleman has just been
acquitted OF said crime by packed Jury and
against the evi Ience; and
W HEREAs. We, the people Of Fulton county
ST. mass meeting assembled feeling that justice
has been fouliy insuited and laughed at. and
fseing that something must be- done to check
this thing in this county: therefore be il
Resolued That We condemn the action OF the
fury that tried said Eddleman being unjust.
and "a establishing a precedence that will en-
danger the safety OF our families and homes
and will allow violence to run riot among Us.
Iesolced That we burn the said jury in effgy
This the 10Th day Of October, 1883.
Resolred further. that it is the sense of the
s-irlzens Of Fulton county that the killing of
Thomas Gresham was murder and that the YER
q ct of acquittal was a disgrace to the Jury and
Il, the county which furnished It,
Inc meeting lasted two hours, and was de-
voted almost entirely to the hearing of
short speeches.
Among the speakers were Will O'Neill,
F.. o. Ford, H. g.. Roberts, Nat Anderson
and W. B. Burke
DR.. Hanniltons Funeral Pos tponed.
ATHENS, GA, Oct. 29.--The funeral of
T1r Iat1as g Hamilton was uOStDOned this