Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-03-26
LINGOS DOOM PRONOUNCED
The Jury Finds Him Guilty as
Indicted.
MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE
The Prisoners Counsel Asks
for a New Trial.


PHILADELPHIA, March 2l.--The jury in
the Lingo case, after deliberating six and
o half hours, last night brought in ver-
dict of guilty against the negro for the
murder of Mrs Annie Miller. A new
trial was at once asked for.
When the jury came in, at $50 o'clock,
the decision they had reached could be
easily read upon their sworn, solemn
faces. As early as o clock news spread
that the Jury had agreed upon its verdict
Of guilty, but it was not told to Lingo's
wife, who was in the court room. When
Lingo came in, as the clock hands struck
the dots of $50, he walked with solemn
visage and heavy tread, as though he al
ready knew the result, and took one of the
chairs set so that they could face the jury
when it came in.
A hush fell upon the great audience as
Justice Garrison came in, and the next in
slant the jury filed to their chairs. The
faces of the jurors betukened the result,
and when Justice Garrison's unnatural
voice broke the painful silence it was to adj
monish the crowd,
1.-THE officers who are in attendance in
the court will face the audience and if
there be any expression of approval or
disapproval at the rendering Of the YER
dict the officers will Immediately appre-
hend such persons and they will be pun
ished by imprisonment in the county iaill"
County Clerk Barber's voice bore
tinge of deep feeling as he stepped across
the space between the prisoner and the
II, and asked in the antiquated way:
"Gentlemen, have you agreed upon ver-
dictp' The answer of guilty came from
the foreman, David A. Burrough, and
then, in discordant chorus, the other
stereotyped phrase of .'and so say you
all?n
Lingo's face twitched, but his body re
mained motionless. He gazed iixedly at
the men who had decided against him.
Justice Garrison's lips were hard set, and
some persons there say be showed the gem
eral surprise which the verdict created.
He had the jury stand up and announce,
each for himself, the verdict that had been
reached. Some Of the voices that answered
this, particularly that of James S. Gibbs,
son of ex-Sheriff Gibbs, who was eleventh
man, were far from firm Gibbs could
scarcely be heard
Gentlemen, you are discharged with
the thanks of the court, said Justice Gar
rison in a low tone. "irhe sheriff may re-
tire with the prisoner"
81 desire to move for a new trial" said
Lawyer Taylor, rising hastily from his seat
close to Lingo
"The court will set day." replied JUS
tice Garrison, for the hearing on the mo-
tion. The court OF oyer and terminer stands
adjourned"
There was an instantaneous break for
the doors amid bnzZ of discomfort. The
jurors had disappeared, but few of them
turned up later at the sheritfPs office, on
the first floor.
Lawyer Taylor fastened across to the
Jail, where Lingo had been placed in cell
No. 5S, third tier east, in which Chalkley
Leconey spent so many days. Lingo was
far from happy.
Il know'd what it nd be when seed
Dave Burrough on de jury He's fren'
Oh '(halkt Iappnny'S ~
Mr.. Taylor cheered him as well as he
could with assurances that new trial
would be granted and that the battle had
just begun. Judge Wescott had been
summoned to New York.
Diligept inquiry showed that the jury
had practically agreed upon verdict of
guilty before they heard the arguments of
counsel or the charge of the judge. When
they retired to deliberate, however, they
took ballot or two, which showed but
three votes for acquittal. They took an
oath of secrecy, and the three were won
over shortly after they got to their room.
Ex-Prosecutor R. S. Jenkins finished his
argument in the morning with 50-minute
appeal to the jury, claiming that the breast
pin found in the bush lot path settled be-
yond all peradventure the question as to
whether Mrs. Miller was killed in the
bush lot, because it was found there the
same afternoon that she walked in and
came not out.