The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-12-18
AFTER THE VERDICT.
Judge LOngeneeker Not Pleased - Beggs
Will Hunt the Murderer.

Judge LOngenecker Not Pleased - Beggs
Wili Hunt the Murderer.
CHICAGO, Dec. 16.-It was not until aft
ernoon to-day that the jury finally came
to a verdict and then it was that Juror
Culver, who had been voting for acquittal
for all the defendants since the jury went
out, consented to a compromise. The
other jurors were for hanging Burke,
Coughlin and 0'Sullivan, while he was
for letting them all off. Mr.. Culver finally
agreed TO a life sentence for the three.
The inry was practically unanimous on
the subject of Beggs' acquittal and but
little time was needed to fix kunze's term
of imprisonment.
"What do you think of the verdict,
judge?" asked the Associated Press rep
resentative OF Judge Mcconnell, after the
adjournment of the court for the day.
"Judicially, OF course, l can pass no
opinion upon the verdict As an individ-
ual, however, and without being cognizant
of all the proceedings in the jury room, 1
might say that l think the verdict is the
result of a probable objection of some of
the jurors to the death penalty on circum-
stantial evidence"
"Mr. Culver, probably"
"No. Not Mr.. Culver necessarily. l
understand he was in favor of acquittal
from the start. 1t was only after long and
harassing deliberation that he finally
agreed with the rest upon the verdict.
You will probably find that Mr.: Culver
was not the only man upon the jury who
was opposed to the hanging of the three
principal defendants"
"But the jurors all swore in being ex-
amined as to their competence, that they
had no conscientious scruples against capt.
tai punishment on circumstantial evil
dence."
That is all true. But behind all that
each man probably had a mental reserva-
tion that the evidence must be convincing
beyond reasonable doubt. Now, il some
of these men should think there was even
the faintest shadow of a doubt as to the
guilt of these three men, do you not see
how natural it would be for them to men
tally resolve to come to compromise the
matter with their consciences-no matter
how conclusive their judgment might be,
by favoring life imprisonment in lieu Of
the death penaty-all because the case
was one of circumstantial evidence?"
"Then you think that innate scruples
against circumstantial evidence probably
controlled the verdict?"
Il do not say that say that a Juror
might almost unconsciously have an OBJ
lection TO circumstantial evidence, and yet
never be fully aware of it until a great
case like this, involving human life, caused
him to pause, and, finally to guard against
the possibility OF an error, favor ife impris-
onment in lieu of the death penalty. The
law may be intiexible, but men are human.
You know the objection to circumstantial
evidence has become so strong in Michi-
gan and possibly other states that there
they have law precluding the imposition
of the death penalty"
81 suppose you feel relieved that there
has not been a disagreement?
81 do, most assuredly. Although, il the
jury had disagreed, and it had become
necessary to try the case again, / should
not have finched from presiding over the
same case again. In fact, think should
rather have preferred to in view of all the
circumstances.
In the main corridor of the criminal
court building before the announcement
OF the verdict, sat Dan Coughlins wife.
On her knee was the pretty little girl that
has continually called out in the court
room for her papa. The old gray-haired
doorkeeper knew that preparations were
being made for the return OF the jury with
their verdict, and ne pleaded with them 10
go home. He told them that no verdict
would be reached, but they would not 90.
Tfey knew too well that the scene OF ex-
element and the hurried movement of the
court officials meant that something was
about to happen. In vain they asked If
the jury had returned verdict. They
we're kept in ignorance of the facts until
some one rushed into the corridor and
called out the result Mrs Coughlin
gasped, stood erect, sbrieked and fell back
into a chair She buried her face in her
hands and moaned wildly as she wept in