The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-29
ANNIE WAGNER FREE
Jury Decides Upon Acquittal After
Thirteen Ballots.
Remarkably Wild Scene Of Joy and Con-
fusion IL the Courtroom When
the Verdict Was Read.
DEFENDANT SWOONS AWAY
Trial Has Been a Long and Bit
terly Contested One.
Congratulated by Her Neighbors
ions of Koesters and the Attor-
neys on Both Sides.
Not guilty.

MOI
Such is the verdict in the Annie Wagner
case, and everybody was apparently happy
over the result 1t was received in the court
with tremendous and deafening applause
The Marion county Criminal Court room
never before rang with such a spontaneous
outburst of applause as went UP from the
crowd assembled there when the verdict
was announced. 1t was an uncomfortable
expression Of feeling that had remained pent
up for weeks and months. 1t was no more
to be controlled than the rush of a torrent
is to be stopped the sweep of a cyclone
stayed. Men, women and children, beside
themselves with joy, cheered and cried, men
yelled as loud as lusty lungs would permit,
boys whistled and stamped their feet, wom-
en- clapped their gloyed hands and their
faces showed that they desired to make even
much noise as their more lusty-lunged
companions. 1t was the widest scene OF
confusion ever witnessed in an Indiana
court room. 1t was not momentary only.
It was long continued, and bedlam reigned
supreme in the room for several minutes.
The warning of Judge Cox, though timely,
was inadequate to restrain the feeling Of
the enthusiastic admirers OF the girl whose
liberty had been restored to her by the ver-
dict of the jury.
BIZ CROWD WAS WAITING.
It was II 20 yesterday morning before the
jury had reached verdict. At o'clock
Judge Cox and the officers of the court
came down to the courthouse and found
the corridors of the building filled with the
same surging mass of curious visitors hang
ing on till the last act had been ended and
the curtain had fallen on the drama of a
life. The corridors Of the first floor were
1snO1 xr.ffb e..
some word from the jury, and on the sec
ond floor the crowds were about double
that the first. The doors of the court
room were locked. and those outside were
only permitted to peep through the doors
and eye about one hundred women who were
comfortably seated in the room awaiting
Developments. Some of them were eating
breakfast from boxes or baskets which
they carried with them. They had already
been in the room nearly an hour. When the
janitors reached the building early in the
morning they found a large crowd gathered.
When the janitors opened the doors of the
court room to place ice and water in the
coolers and straighten up the disorderly
room the women made rush for the open
doors and the janitors were unable to repel
the onslaught. Recognizing that under some
conditions discretion is the better part of
valor, they stood aside till the last one had
crossed the threshold, and then bolted and
locked the doors to prevent others from
entering.
When Judge Cox and the officers
Of the court arrived they retired to
the court chambers and remained
discussing the situation till II 20,
when rap was heard upon the door Of the
jury room. Bailiff Sheehan went to the
room and was informed that the jury had
reached a verdict and We're ready TO
port He came down and announced to
Judge Cox that the jury was ready The
crowds seemed to know by intuition what
the message from the jury room was and
the widest excitement prevailed. The news
spread throughout the entire building in a
very few minutes and there was a stam-
pade for the Criminal Court room Now
the crowd was not to be restrained. Even
barred doors barrier to them.
They were determined to see and hear. 1t
would have taken an immense wall of
solid masonry to have withstood the on
saught from the crowd that rushed for
the doors of the court room The bailiffs
hurriedly tried to throw open the doors
and IN the main succeeded in throwing
back the bolts before the crowds were at
the entrances. In one instance a little
delay was caused and the consequence
was that door is now without a glass. The
crowd came against it and out went the
glass; another moment and the door itself
would have been out, but the baillff sue
ceeded in getting it unlocked and swung it
open.
While the exciting rush was going on
outside the jury had filed slowly into the
room ana taken seats in the jury box.
l.. he
held during the three and a half weeks
of the trial, and there was an expression
of relief upon each face. The expression
was one that seemed to show extreme sat
isfactiOn over the completion of an ardu-
task. The eyes of such gave ex-
preston at all spoke favorably for the girl.
ANNIE WAGNER BROUGHT IN.
Before the jury entered the room the at
torneys had been telephoned for and Dep
uty Sheriff Nieland had been sent TO the
jail for Annie Wagner, and it was almost
impossible for TIE officer to reach the
court room with her on account of the
surgiug crowd of humanity that blocked
the Railways. When she entered the court
room she was very nervous. John Berg
man already sat in his accustomed seat
where he has daily met his sster-in-law
with reassuring words. He could not utter
them yesterday morning. He simply took
her hand in his and looked her in the face.
She returned the look, but could not speak.
Her lip trembled, ana it was very apparent
that ii was only by a superhuman effort
that she could control herself. She was
undergoing q terrible strain. Lines OF care
marked her face, and her eyes looked as
If they had not been closed in sleep during
the entire night. Mr. Spaan came in few
minutes after his client. He was very pale.
A reporter spoke to him ana he replied,
Boys don't talk to me for a few min
utes now. Then l will talk 10 you as much
as you wish" He was evidently self-pos-
sessed although he could not prevent the
escape OF color from his cheeks. His eyes
told nothing. for there was a multiplicity of
expressions there. He sat down beside the
girl into whose defense he has thrown I'll
his energies and abilities for weeks past.
He turned TO her and. taking her hand in
his. said: You will soon know ii all,
Annie" The girl tried to answer him. but
could not. A smile which she tried TO give
in lieu of words failed TO come at her
command. She was in frame OF mind
for smiling.
Judge Cox. having taken his seat, asked
If e was desired that MIR. Brown should
be present He had not yet arrived In the
court room. 1T decided that he should
be waited for. It was just at this moment
that the Jury flied into the court room.
Mr. Brown came in Immediately behind