The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-21
JURORS BAD Time.
The Panel in the Let's Case
More Tried Than the
Accused.
HUNGRY, WEARY. WORRIED.
One of Them Faipts-New Trial
With Scott Jackson as
q Witness.


The jury In the trial of Alexander s.
Letls for embezzllng abont $4,000 from
the Pennsylyanla Railroad Company re-
tired to consider the evidence at forty
Eve minutes past four O'Clock Wednes-
day and were discharged at twenty
minutes past seven O'Clock Thursday.
be cause they were unable to agree.
The trials OF this jury were greater
Than those of the accused man. For five
of the hottest days this summer the
twelve men sat continuously in the close
and foul smelling court room without
having chance to leave their seats for
recreation of any sort and then, when
tired and weary from the heat and
iediousuess of the trial, they retired to q
room only 12 by 10 feet TO deliberate on
their verdict. The last meal the jury had
before retiring WAS at one O'Clock
Wednesday. anu the next time they ate
anything was in the middle of Wednes-
day night. The jury during the time Of
their deliberations varied from nine to
three for conviction TO eight to four.
1iteG and worn out with their strug-
giles with he massive amount or evidence
of purely a technical bookkeeping nature,
that only experts could successfully
wrestle with aud which Prosecutor Win
1eld frankly declared he could not un.
derstand perfectly, the jurors sought
slsep. Toeir coucnes were benches and
chairs; their feather beds were made of
wood, and their quilts were the ceiling
OF the court room. The unprotected
windows admitting mosquitoes by the
Thousand, ,and life was a continual torture
to the unnappy twelve.
HUNGRY AND WORN.
The night WAS long ana weary one.
Sleep was impossible and rest a stranger
lu the morning. at nine O'Clock, nearly
famished from hunger, tue jurors sent
note to Judge Llppincott asking per-
mission to order breakfast. The Judge
replied that Judge Audspeth WAS absent
anu he did not want 10 interfere with hts
cases, and refused The request. The
jurors murmured at this but were forced
TO make the best of a bad bargain, and
prepared themselves to wait for Judge
Hudspeth's arrival.
At len o'clock the heat In the locked
Jury room and the want of proper food
became too great for Juror Philip Frei-
lag and he tainted. It required all the
efforts of his brother jurymsn to revive
him. and when this was done the jurors
de emanded of the coustabIes in attend
ance that Judge Hudspeth be made
acquainted with their condition. They
were informed tnat the Judge was not
present In despair almost, they sent the
constable to Judge Lippincott again
and he told the judgs of the
OF the men. the big heart
of Judge Lppincott could not withstand
this appeal aud be at oncs ordered proper
food for the jurors, Notwithstanding the
ab ence of Judge Hudspetn. A cup of
go,a coffee and a steak revived .Freltag
very much. as it did the others. 1t was
half-Dast eleven O'Clock when they re-
ceiVed the food.
IMPOSSIBLE To AGREE,
At one O'clock the jury came into
court and informed Judge Hudspeth, who
had just arrived. that they were unable
to agree. The Judge replied that there
sai be no difficulty In reaching de-
cision aud he sent them back to deliberate
further. In the miserable room occu-
pied By the jury the msn remained until
five o'clock, when the again sent word
at they could not agree. The
Judge was absent and the clerk did not
care to take such a message, and the
jalors were kept in their room until
twenty minutes after seven, when they
Entered The court room and declared 1t to
be ImpossIble to agree. Clerk Purtell
took this verdict. and the half starved ana
Vrly weary jury fastened from the court
room to their homes, for some food and
Fest.
NEW TRIAL.
Today Prosecutor Winfield applied to
Judge Huaspeth for struck jury to
sgain try Lstts and the request was
granted. Letts will be tried nor a second
lime between August 30 and 80. The
prosecutor is much displeased with the
result of the trial just finished.
Let's told me yesterday that il the Jury
did lot bring in a verdict he Was rnlned
man and that he never could stand the
expenses of another trial. A warrant
has been issued for the arrest of Scott |
Jackson for embezzlement and the prose-
eutor believes that he assisted Let's in |
bis alleged peculations.
II Jackson is arrested he will be used |
Rs witness against Le5ts. jackson was
seen in this city twice during the trial |
although the police have been directed TO
pick him up.