The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-09-24
WAS THE JURY FIXED?
And Were our Officers Parties to the
Fixing!

understand your position to be that
your paper takes no sides in party poll
tics. | think this is proper, considering
the nature of your publication. You
invite correspondence on all matters
which concern the public at large, hence
this communication. Every citizen and
every voter is concerned in the proper
administration of justice in our county.
When there is total miscarriage of
Justice and man charged with murder,
and generally believed to be guilty, is
turned loose upon us to repeat his Of
tense, it is natural to inquire why it was
done and who was responsible for it.
This is what the people now demand,
and the assistance of the press is sought.
Lastspring ,one Sherman Vincent shot
and killed man visiting at his house.
1t was pronounced cold blooded murder.
Vincent has the reputation of being a
drunken, shiftless, quarrelsome negro
without redeeming virtue, unless the
fact, that he and his brother and some
close friends are known locally as demo
cratic negroes, may be deemed virtue.
His brother has reputation of keeping
a whiskey den in town. Vincent was
examined by a justice and bound over
for murder, there being no defense Of
fered. These are undisputed facts. Re-
port SAYS that Vincent's relatives and
friends have never been concerned about
his conviction, that it has been openly
stated by them that he would get Oft all
right and that his brother, upon being
questioned as to why he was so active
politically, said he must keep it up I'M
til after court was over. 1t lisa fact that
on the day appointed by law for the
drawing Of grand and petit jury the
box containing the names of jurors
chosen by the county commissioners
was found to be empty, with the seal
broken.
This box was in the custody of county
officers, was kept in the vault and no
one had free access to it but such Off
Gals. It IS generally conceded that some
official interes ed in the result robbed
the jury box. No other explanation
looks plausible, though it may have been
barely possible. This robbery resulted
in the quashing of the entire jury panel,
and the sheriff was ordered, according
to law in such cases, to select new jury
men, "being careful to choose the same
jurors so far as possible" This he did
in a measure, but strangely he over
1OOhSU NCAy SOOO AuOAA3 IAO OOPOC
tally a we'll known temperance man,
while summoning those who stood all
about him.
All the jurors thus selected are said to
be democrats. A true bill for murder
was found against Vincent, and the case
was called for trial last Thursday morn
ing. Before trial three or four of those,
who afterward sat on the jury, were OBJ
served going towards the county Jail in
company with the deputy sheriff. It is
said that one of those, at least, went in
side the jail and came out with the dep
uty and prisoner. At least one other
juryman is said to have been seen speak
ing to the prisoner before he reached the
court room.
In selecting the jury to sit on the case
the prisoners leading attorney was no
ticed repeatedly to hold whispered con-
situations with the sheriff and deputy,
after which he would then Immediately
accept or reject the jurors then rendered
by the State. This was noticed with ref
erence to we'll known persons residing in
or near DeLand. Defendants attorneys
are said to have had a list OF all the
names of jurors to be called.
The jury empaneled consisted of
twelve democrats, all native Floridians.
The evidence was about the same as
given in the lower court. No sufficient
defense was attempted by calling other
witnesses than the defendant. No diff
ference ofopinion existed among attor-
novs or hvstanders as to the conclusive