The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-05-14
MRS. BARNUMNO7 GUILTY.
II Took the Jury Five and q Half
Hours to Come to an Agree
ment.
Her Family Shed Tears OF Joy In
tho Court Room Over the
Verdict.
A Verdict for " 500 Rendered Against ths
New York Life Insurance Com
pnny on > Policy.

There Was an affecting scene in the United
States circuit court yesterday at tivs o'clock.
Mrs. Amelia D. Barnum had Just been ac-
quilted Of the charge of mail robbery. She
was nos In the court reom whom the jury
came in and had tobe sent for. Az soon az
she appeared Judge Knowles asked r.. s.
Hale, the foreman, If the jury had agreed.
I'VE have" he said, and handed the YER
dict TO the judge. Every eye seemed to DO
fixed on Mrs.. BArnum, whose breast hsaved
with emotion. She sat close TO Peter
Baum, n Of her attorneys. with q warm
and anxious expression in her face. Az the
words not guilty. were read by Clerk
Sproule Mrs. Barnum was surrounded by
her husband snd her son Ed and her two
young daughters. They all she'd tears Of
JOY. Mrs. BArnum stepped quickly to the
rail aud shook hands with zach juror as he
passed out and thanked him for the YER
dict. Peter Baum and @. @. Newman, who
defended her 70 ably on tho former trial
aud this one were happy lawyers and made
no attempt to conceal their feelings over
their hard earned victory. United States
Attorney Weed thought hs had a clear case
against Mrs. Barnum and was very much
dissatisfied with the result Of the trial.
Baum and Newman felt satisfied that their
client would not be convicted. The jury
went ont at 11:3O .. n. The two lawyers
waited about the corridors. Al two p. M.
they thought the jury would disagree. II
was fvs O'Clock when Marshal F'uray an
nounced the jury were ready to come into
court.
Mrs. Barnum's case il 1 noted one. she
Wa tried last December on the same in
dietment. The jury disagreed after being
ont for several hours. AT that term Of
court Mrs. Barnum's sen Ed, who is ~
years old, was tried for rihing q mail sack
and acquitted. Mr.. Barnum ana another
son we're in the Lewis and Clarke county
jail at the time also charged with mail rob
bling. After Eds acquittal and the disa-
greement OF the jury in his mothers case
the father and other son were released on
their own recoRnizance. Mail robberies
were committed on the postal route in ths
eastern part of Cascade county. running
from Arlington to Monarch, before the
Barnum family came to Montana. Nothing
much was aver done about them until
Judge Bedsll came to Helena and took
charge Of the postal inspection. William
Watkins, Jr., one Of the inspectors, looked
+. Sackett was detailed to investigate the
robberies: He mailed 9 decoy letter which
contained a marked 81 bill. He claimed
that he foundt tho marked money in Mrs.
Barnum's possession. She was then the
postmlstress at Mann, q stage station be-
tween Monarch and Arlington. The whole
family were put under arrest but the
daughters were afterwards released and no
charge made against them. Shortly after
the indictment of Ed Barnum. II was the
theory Of tho prosecution that Ed had rihed
the sack to divert suspicion from his
mother. Two ranchmen named
Carr and johnson made statements
to inspector Saokett that they had
mum anohr riding q mail bag. Afterward
the ranchmen told a different story, to the
effect that they had formed q conspiracy
with young Barnum. They were to get $50
each for watching the man in the ooulse,
who was supposed to DO unknown to them.
After the grand jury indicted Ed Barnum,
it censured Carr and johnson. On Eds
trial these mon were subjected to a severe
cross-examination by Attorney Baum. Ono
Of them said the true story was the last one
made concerning the conspiracy. This
W1bu0Se 8hlu A0 nnd q lltGl0, ODlt6Q STATES
marshal in his breast, by which he meant
his conscience. which impelled him to tell
the truth. Thu prosecution made a strong
fight but lost the case, as much distrust was
thrown over the testimony of the ranoh-
men.
An interesting witness on Mrs. Barnum's
first trial was Judge Lee, the postmaster at
Kibby. a stage station on the much-robbed
mail route. The defense accused the Judge,
who is a Cascade county justice Of the
peace, OF trying people for horse stealing
and pocketing the fines which he imposes
for this class of offences. The Judge is a
believer in hypnotism, and thinks it ia no
trick at all for Peter Baum, OF Great Falls,
to cast a spoil over twelve jurymen which
will last for an hour after they have turned
in their verdict for Mr.. Baum. After the
hypnotic influences wear of the Judge in
sists that the Jurors frequently kick them
selves for going against their own couvio-
tions. Judge Lee also makes a fad OF sew
eral isms, the details of which never
reached the jury
On the jury which acquitted Mrs. Bar
mum were: R. s. Hale, j. E. Norris, E, @.
Baboock. Q. J. Holmes. w. H. Frank, Fl. H.
Ashby, O. A. Southmayd, w. DeLacy, j. NJ.
Dutton, F, l., FEST, o. Allen. II. Adami.