, 1889-12-26
Tho Jury, After Being Out 4s
Hours, Returned a Verdict
of Aoquittal.
Tho Defendant Woeps Tears oi
Joy and Kisses Hor Law
yors' Hands.
How the Jury Stood Throughout
A Troublesome Though
Enterprising gailif.

hours, agreed upon verdict oi NOV
guilty.
At 9 o'clock in the AFTERNOON
Judge Blake proceeded to the court
house. The Skeels jury and tho
Joy jury were both out, and had
been for many hours, and the judge
sent for the attorneys on both sides
TO come to the court house, as he
desired to consult with them with q
view Of deciding whether 1t would
not be better to discharge the jury
In the case of Mrs. Skeels. While
the consultation was being held the
balliff' announced that the Skeeis
jury had agreed.
There were present In the court
room at the time Judge Blake,
Sheriff HinchliT, Deputy Pugh,
Clerk Armstrong, States Attorney
RIdpath, and Il. G. Griflltts and Il.
w. Murphy, attorneys for Mrs
Skeels.
The sheriff was ordered to bring
the defendant into court, which
was done.
The Jury was then called. They
fled into the courtroom, looking
haggard and worn out. After they
had taken their seats there was
moment of solemn silence, which
was broken by Judge Blake, who
inquired; ,,. ,.o,, .orssd
upon verdict"
1--WE have,n answered Foreman
Wagner, and the verdict was
handed to Clerk Armstrong, who
read II in a clear, loud voice.
MRS. sKEELs' BEHAVIOR.
The instant the words "not
guilty" were uttered, Mrs. Skeels
burst into tears.
AS soon us she could recover her.
self she shook hands with the Jurors
and thanked them for their kind
ness.
She then went to her attorneys,
Messrs. Griffitts and Murphy, and
fervently kissed the hand of each,
and thanked them for saving her
life.
She then approached Judge Blake,
and warmly shook his hand.
A moment later she returned to
the jall where she had been confined
for nine months and twenty-one
days, to gather her effects, soon after
which she proceeded to the house of
q friend on the south side of the
river.
HOW THE JURY STOOD.
Tho Jury retired at 245 Friday
afternoon. On the first ballot they
stood six for conviction and six for
acquittsl, and several subsequent
ballots resulted the same.
1t was then decided to take bal
lot on the degree Of punishment.
The Jurors who were for conviction
stated that they would be satisfied
with O verdict of manslaughter.
The vote resulted eight for man.
slaughter and four for acquittal. In
a short time the two jurors who had
previously voted for acquittal, re-
turned to their first conviction,
making the vote six to six again.
Finally two more jurors came
over to the original six who were
standing out for acquittal, the vote
standing acquittal eight, man.
slaughter four.
Repeated ballots failed to change
the result. During the long hours
of Saturday night the minority Of
four stubbOrnly held their own
against the majority of eight.
At frequent Intervals the bailiff In
charge would pound on the walls,
and between the intervals of this
pastime he would beat vigorously
upon tin pan, all of which was
done to keep the jury from going to
sleep. The sleepy jurors remon-
strated with the bailiff in vain.
Every time they quit talking he
would commence his unearthly
racket.
1t was finally decided to break the
door down and kill the bailitf
Upon being Informed of this dark
project the bailiff replied that he
was acting under orders from the
judge. This was u fib, but 1t had
the desired effect, and the tin pan
serenade and pounding on the wall
werc kept up until morning.
Nearly all night the four dissent
Ing jurors talked among themselves.
One of the Jurors who was for ac-
qhittal from the start said yesterday
TO n REVIEW reporter:
ut Is my experience that when
only a small minority are hanging a
jury the best way Is to let them
alone. If you keep arguing the
matter with them 1t only makes
them mad. The best way IL to pay
no attention to them, and they will
finally fall out among themselves or
come to an agreement"
This plan was adopted with refer
ence to the four dissenting Jurors
Saturday night and Sunday. They
talked the matter over at Intervals
among themselves, and Sunday af-.
ternOon got their heads together for
final understanding.
They knew the judge was outside
ready to receive their verdict; they
knew he had told them II they failed
to agree they would have to remain
locked up until Monday morning;
they had been there forty-eight
hours already; 1t was now 3 O'Clock
Sunday afternoon, and there were
eighteen more long, weary hours
ahead Of them before court would
open on Monday.
They at last decided TO agree with
the majority, and That decision
opened the iron doors of a gloomy
cell and set a prisoner free.
A NOTE FROM MR.. M'DoNALD.
He Further Explains the Jumping of