Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-03-13
THE GALLOWS CHEATED
George Swiloos Acquitted of the
Charge of Murde r BY a
Jury of His Peers
An Excited Crowd Attempts
to Organize a Mob to
Lynch the Indian
Proceedings of the Ninth and
Last Day of the Sensa-
tional Trial

The jury returned a verdict Of ac-
quttal i'm the Swiloos murder trial
about 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. \
large number Of spectators, besides
many lawyers interested in cases before
the court, were gathered at the court
house in the afternoon, in hopes that
something more might transpire in the
trial of George Swiloos, although no.
body had the faintest hopes that ver
dict would he arrived at so soon after
the retirement Of the jury.
Very soon after the court was
called, a message from the jury room
announced that the jury wished to be
brought into court again for further in
structions. At the order Of Judge
Winn the jury was conducted into
court and when the roll had been called
the foreman was asked upon what
point they needed the further instruc-
| ton. His answer was to ask if all
jurors, or simply the foreman, should
sign the verdict. Upon being informed
| he replied that the jury had already ar
rived at "A decision and he held the YER
| diet in his hand. This announcement
| fell like a thunderbolt on the audience
who had watched the trial, not one Of
whom had the faintest idea that a YER
diet would be arrived at i'm such "a short
time Amid perfect silence the verdict
was passed to the Judge and then to
Clerk Pierce for reading.
The strictest attention was paid to
the words as they fell from the clerks
lips, and when the words "uOt guilty"
were repeated "a sigh was uttered by
almost every person in the court. At
tOrney Piles was visibly affected. He
gave sigh that was heard by everyone
within the railing and dropped his
hands on the table. He recovered him
selfin a moment and turning TO George
said, Come here, George, you are a
free man. Within a few minutes the
visitors had filed out Of the court room.
Large numbers gathered in excited
groups in the corridors to discuss the
verdict, which was a surprise to all.
Accompanied by Attorney Piles, Major
Boniface Hallam, Sheriff DeLOrimier
and several Indians George left the
court and made his way unmOlested by
a back street to the beach below the
: brickyard, opposite Broadway, where
two large canoes were i'm waiting to
convey the Indians to the reservation.
A party of fourteen embarked in the
canoes and started out on the bay,
. while the sheriff returned to the court
house and Mr.. Piles went down
through Thirteenth street
Within thirty minutes of the return
of the jury with the verdict Of not
guilty the news had flown all about
town. On every street corner could he
seen groups of excited men talking o
organizing party to retakc George anC
hang him. Mayor Miller harangued
: an excited of men on Thirteenth stree
and advocated proceeding to the court
house to demand of the judge the re
lease of the boy Henry and David II
Long, now under Indictment for mur
der, saying that the people had see1
enough Of farce trials and did not wan
7 any more of them. Nobody volun
teered to lead the party and no star
was made, although a large Grove
did collect in the corridors Of the cOur
house sometime later and so disturbed
the proceedings that Judge Winn wa
c compelled to order the bailiff to clea
the halls and stairs, which he did with
out assistance.
Several excited men mounted horse
u at the Bay CITY livery stables and lee
: by George NJ. Brown started Off in tn
}, direction Of Lnmmi with the declaTa
ton of killing the Indian on the reser
vation or bringing him back to town.
Application was made TO charter an.
tug which might be i'm the harbor bu
y as none was offered a message was sen
to the Globe mill to secure a sma
launch lying at that wharf, but repl
was received that it was being Tepaire
u and not serviceable. Meanwhile tn
,ee Indian canoes were out on the bay
I'd quietly waiting to see if any move wa
" made to recapture George, before the
J. decided i'm which way they would pre-
y. ceed Had a steamer been secured I
follow them they would doubtless paC
, died over the bar, between the mali
Is land and Lummi island, where Il
= steamer could follow and before I'll
- steamer could have gone around the i
land they would have been 50 far q
their way toward British Columbia ;
to make a successful search for thel
in the dark an impossibility.