Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-08


yoa alone are responsible fora tire an-l
aithfa iindiag Of the faeis- I repeat
yorr duty Is 10 end 4 rerlie. on the law
and the evidence produced in the case.
You ara not responsible for the law laid
down, nor for the facts established by
the testimony. II the evidence lead the
jury. in the exercise of a sognd judgment,
to verdict of guilty there it is your duty
to 60 without stopping to inquire what
consequences f How. You, as jurors,
have nothing to do with the eonsequen-
ces, and the fear Of any possible conse-
auences should not for a moment mis-
lead you TO rendering verdict which
your Judgment does not approve. In ike
manner, If the law and the facts lead. you
in the exercise Of sound judgment to
verdict of not guilty. there 1t viii be
your duty to go, no matter what conse-
auences follow. You should arrive at q
conclusion, as your oath implies, on all
the evidence in the case.
Grave and ariuous as your duties
seem, the task of finding a true verdict
from the evidence under the law as given
YOU, is not difficult one, if you will
constantly keep in mind that you must
arrive at any conclusion you come toby a
due and careful consideration of the evil
dence in the case under such instructions
as, to the law as have been given you, free
and unaffected by public clamor, private
sympathy or feeling, and in total disre-
gard of anything you have heard or read
in or out of court before you were sworn
as Jurors in this case, and that you act as
iudicious men without fear, favor or alice
ton, looking nowhere but to the law and
the evidence. For on these and these
alone can a true verdict be based.
To find a verdict otherwise than on the
law and the evidence would be verdict
indeed, but your consciences would not
be easy. Looked upon in a proper light,
the task imposed upon jurors is not so
severe
The jury heard such witnesses as the
Court deemed competent Endeayor to
remember what they said observe the
witnesses on the stand-their demeanor
and manner Of testifying, and whether
candid or biased Observe whether their
statements are consistent or contradic-
tory: whether contradicted in material
matters by others, and whether they
have been assailed or theircredibility i'm
peached; and then, looking at the wit
nesses, including the prisoners as wit
nesses. their interest in the Issue, their
testimony and manner on the stand, and
the consistency Of it, the jury determines
the amount of credibility that should be
given to each witness
Then, giving due consideration to the
testimony of all credible witnesses for
and agains, the prisoners, and due regard
TO the discussion of the material evil
dence, the jury find what are the facts
proven, and having found the facts, they
consider them in connection with the
law as laid down by the Court, and
find a verdict in accordance with the
law aud evidence. If the juror has been
careful to observe the evidence and the
law, the result o. conclusion he arrives
at should not disturb, him, what
ever conclusion reasonable, naturally,
fairly and truly follows from the law
and the proven facts should be the YER
dict, whether that be verdict Of guilty
or not guilty. Peace Of conscience
would only be disturbed by finding a
verdict contrary to, or in defiance OF, the
law and the evidence. The verdict
whatever it may be, should be found
upon due and careful consideration oi
all the evidence in the light of the laH
/ laid down, and should be entirely free
from the emotions of fear, favor, affec
ton, sympathy, bias, prejudice, hatred
ill-feeling or revenge, and should be il
total disregard of public sentiment o.
feeling.
A human life has been taken
Herman Umberger, a former citizen o.
this county, is no more. He was sudden
ly taken off without warning by pesons
whoever they were, that did not feal
God, but openly and boldly served the
devil and imbued their hands in hi
blood at the hazard Of their souls.
Sad as is everything connected Will
that death, we must not let our sym
pathy for the bereayed ones, pity for tht
dead or Indignation against the feions
sway us from the clear path Of duty
Our duty is in the line of justice and no
of vengeance. The laws Of the land anC
the laws of God have been ruthlessly yio
lated The rights of personal liberty
and security have been invaded and {
life has been taken.
For taking this life the prisoners at thu
bar are on trial, and on this jury de
wolves the duty of ascertaining ghat
the ofTense, and are the prisoners tn
offenders. Whatever the ofiense may b
found to be, If the prisoners are not tn
offenders they will be set free; if the,