Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-05-28
Before a Large and Anxious Audi
elce.
HOW THE JURORS SETTLED 1T.
The Early Verdict Surprise to Most People.
General Expectation of Disagreement.
Motion for a New Trial to
be Argued.

could not be better eXemplilied than in
the rush of people to the Court House,
yesterday morning. Nothing was to be
said; little was to be seen, and yet half a
hundred men, and dozen or so OF ladies,
were in the Court room before nine
o'clock, and after that time the crowd
kept increasing, and the seats filled up
rapidly, while outside in the corridor
the ceaSelesS tramp Of many feet on the
marble tiles to1 Of public interest and
anxiety and unrest. 1t was the twenty
first day of the trial. In its out
ward aspects 1t differed little from
it's fellowS-there was the same
crowded Court room, the same jury in
the box at the opening, the same de-
PENDANT sitting at the rear Of the coun-
sci tables, the same attorneys, the same
reporters-all the characteristics of the
scene which had been daily reproduced
all during the month of May. But in
reality the scene had changed; the out
ward appearances were deceptive. 1t
was no longer Il contest between State
and defense for the mastery of
the minds Of the jury. That fight
had been made; the excitement at
tendant upon the everchanging scenes
of that long struggle was over, and
in its place, had come that
most awful thing to defendant on
trial for the gravest Of all crimes-wait-
ing for the verdict.
The defendant came into Court at
twelve minutes before nine o'clock. He
was trifle more pale than usual, and
his face bore Il perceptible trace Of
anxiety. He took his seat in the chair
he had occupied daily for month past,
and while he smoked, he chatted for q
moment with Sheriff Steenrod, and later
looked curiously about the Court room,
minutes of nine the jury flied in and
took their seats, and at the
same time Judge Campbell took
his seat upon the bench. Then
came an interval OF ten or twelve min
utes, while the presence Of counsel was
awaited. Most Of the jurors sat look
ing at the defendant, and seemingly
were thinking over the weighty matter
committed to them for decision. One or
two had their eyes turned toward the
floor, sitting with that preoccupied air
betokening deep thought, the eyes
widely distended, yet seeing nothing.
Juror Robinson looked out OF the win
dow at his left, watching the workmen
as they reared the foundation walls of
the new Jail. From the audience peo.
pie looked on curi0usly.
At ten minutes past nine Judge
Campbell, with the instructions in his
hand, stepped over to the jury and en-
planned an interleniation he had made
in instruction No. for the State, and
as he concluded the father and brother
Of the defendant, accompanied by a
female relative, came in and took their
seats By the side of the defendant. Col.
Arnett and Mr.. Sommerville also APP
peared and took seats and u moment
later. at 9:12 o'clock. the Clerk handed
the package of Instructions TO Foreman
Supler, and without Il word from Court,
or counsel or officials, the twelve men
rose and filed out to their room. The
door was locked, Deputy Sheriff took
up his station before it, and the event.
full wait commenced.
Just after the jury retired Mrs. Gar
rison came in, and few minutes later
the defendant and his relatives removed
their seats to the extreme southeast
corner of the Court room, where they
talked together while the Court busted
itself with other matters of bust
ness, so long neglected on account Of
this trial.
As the morning wore away people
came and went in the Court room, but
the crowd grew by insensible degrees,
and finally nearly all the seats were &C.
cupied. The ladies inside the railing
chatted together attorneys and news
paper men gathered about the
iury box and told stories
of former similar waits, or endea-
vored to guess the result, while at
the Judges bench, about ten o'clock,
James Talie, an Italian, sent to jail to
await the action Of the grand jury, on
the 10th inst, by Justice Davis, on q
charge of attempted rape, made his ap-
pearance on writ Of hdbeds corpus, and
after statement of the facts by l.. S.
Jordan, his counsel, he was discharged
from custody, the Prosecuting Attorney
concurring. This created bnt a
momentary diversion, and was quickly
forgotten, and the weary wait was re-
sumed.
So the morning wore away until
about quarter Of twelve, when there
was commotion in the corridor, several
Deputy Sheriffs went out, and there was
a rumor that the jury was coming. At
that time it had really agreed, but none
outside their room knew ought of it..
At six minutes to twelve there was a
knock on the jury room door, and
the Deputy Sheriff in attendance
was told that the twelve were
ready to come into Court. Word
was once sent into the Court
room that the jury was coming, but
the general expectation was that it was
merely to be adjourned over the noon
recess. As the jurors filed down the
aisle, headed by the Sheriff, on their way
to their seats a look into their faces show
cd that if they had not reached verdict