The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-21
THE JURY VERDICT.
Five to One in Favor Of Holding Irish Respon
sible For the Shooting Of Wesley spidle.

| The coroner's jury in the Spidle case
was discharged Sunday morning, after be-
| ing out since 6 O'Clock the previous night,
unable to agree upon verdict. They ex-
pressed to the coroner Saturday night
their inability to agree, but the impor-
tapee OF the case was such that the coro-
ner did not want to discharge them
hastily. in hopes that they might reach
verdict. The following are the ysrjicts
they handed in:
MAJORITY VERDICT.
STATE OF KANSAS,
Sedgwick County IS
An inQuisition holden at the Office of the
copnty coroner at the court house in
Wichita, Sedgwick county, Kansas, on
the 18th and 18th days of March, 1893, be-
fore me, ". N. McCollister, coroner Of
Sedgwick county, on the dead body OF
Wesley Spidle, there lying dead, by the
jurors whose names are hereunto sub
scribed. The said jurors, upon their
oaths, do say that from the testimony
given. the deceased came to his death
from a pistol shot in the hands Of c. L.
Irish, unlawfully used.
o. RODGERS,
l. V. JONES,
r. ". VANSANT,
A. H REED.
o. u. DRAPER,
Jury.
In testimony whereof, the said jurors
nave hereunto set their hands the day and
year above written.
Attest: NJ NJ MCCoLLsTEE. Corouer.
MINORITY VERDICT.
STATE OF KANSAS,
Sedgwick County,
An inquistion holden at the Office of the
county coroner AZ the court house IN
Wichita, Sedgwick county, Kansas, on the
nth and 18th days of March, 1898. before
me ". N. McCollister, coroner OF Sedgwick
county, on the dead body of Wesley Spidel
there lying dead. by the jurors whose
names are hereunto subscribed. The said
jurors, upon their oaths, do say that from
the testimony given, the deceased came 10
his death from a pistol shot wound fired
from a pistol in the hand of one c. l.. Irish
accidentally discharged.
JOSEPH SLOWER.
In testimony whereof, the said Jurors
have hereuuto set their hands the day and
year above writtern.
Attest: N. NJ MCCoLLIsTER,
Coroner.
The case was tried with the utmost fair
ness and everything possible, in the line
OF evidence, was introduced favorable TO
Irish. Notwithstanding all this the
fusiouists are saying that the jury was
packed for the purpose OF holding Irish
responsible, for the bearin z it may have on
the city election. 1t is distressing to re-
fleet on the meanesss of fusion that will
tri1s with such an important matter as
death
The facts are the jury was selected
wholly By the attorneys for Irish and GER
tainly there is no kick coming to the
Demo-P Pops for every attorney in the case
was a Demo Pop. The history Of this
jury is interesting in view of the fact that
it is alleged that it was partisan. Ia the
morning when the case was reported TO
coroner, jury of six men was empan-
nelled in regular form regardless Of their
politics. When Irish came into the jury
room he was represented by two Demo-
Pop attorneys, viz: Messrs Moore and
Sanky, while the state was represented By
Willard Boone, the Demo-Popuist
county attorney. The first thing ths at
torneys for Irish did was to object to
Charles z. Burrows ex-chief OF police and
the coroner, in order TO be perfectly fair
ia the matter, excused Mr.. Burrows. The
bysranders expected to see objections
raised to Mr. Slower for the same
season, but there was none. Slower |
was the populist candidate for |
sheriff last year, is now in training TO sue
coed Rufe Cone as chief OF police. and is a /
bitter partisan and yersonal aud politi- /
cal friend OF Irish He should be consid- /
cred to have a much greater interest in the
exoneration of irish than Burrows would |
have in holding him responsible. Hovev, /
another man, was excused because he used /
to discuss politics with Irish during the /
campaign. Let it be said here that the at !
torneys for Irish, in this instance, were the
first to give the case political coloring. !
Two more men were called in and exam |
ined aud when the coroner asked the at |
torneys for Irish whether they had any /
more objections 10 raise they promptly &C /
cepted the jury as suitable in every re-
spect Republicans had no hand in the /
approval OF this jury whatever and the /
fusionists are the last people on earth who
have a legal claim to say that it was a
partisan verdict.
The fusiouists were the only people who I
introduced politics into the case at all as (
the record will show.
Ii Is a pity that jury cannot bring IN 4
verdict without having their honesty i'm /
pugned and their opinions and beliefs at I
tackled by a faction of politicians who even /
use the sauctity OF death as a campaign I
agency.
NEW ASSIGNMENT OF MINISTERS.
The faliovfno are the amendments OF 1