The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-10-03
TWENTY yFARs Fos ETLL-
Only the xeai OF Laspyers Grouse and
Gordon saved His Neck.

GOfGOn SaVeu HAAS ~ 90 ~.
Edward Bull has escaped the gallows,
thanks to the extraordinarily skilful de-
fence made for him by Counsellors Otto
Grouse and James Gordon. When the
| final testimony was given in the trial
| yesterday afternoon there were few per-
sons in the large audience in the Court
of Oyer and Terminer who believed that
anything else but a verdict of murder in
the first degree would be rendered by
the jury. Bull had no friends. No one
testified in his behalf with the exception
of a saloon-keeper, who could only say
that he never heard anyone speak i'll of
the accused man prior to the night when
Isabella Bull breathed her last. For the
prosecution there was abundant evidence
that made the accused mans case almost
hopeless.
With all these obstacles to surmount,
Counsellor Grouse won a victory. His
closing remarks in defence of the pris-
oner viii never be FORGOTTEN BY those
the jury there was flow of eloquence
the like of which is seldom heard in
oyer and Terminer. In his charge to the
jury Judge Lippincott .eomplimented the
Counsellor, and said that the defence had
presented its case with characteristic
zeal and ability
The jury retired at a quarter to two
o'clock and two and 9 half hours later
returned with verdict that surprised
the Court.
When the jury announced that it had
agreed on verdict constables were sent
to the County Jail, and Bull was again
brought into court. The accused man
walked into the court room with slow
step, and his face turned an ashen white
when he sat down in the chair inside the
rail. When the jurynien lfled out of the
jury room and marched up to the bar
he scrutinized them as though anxious to
read in their faces the decision which to
him meant life or death.
Have you agreed on verdict?" asked
Judge Lippincett, anu Bull moved ner-
1--WE have" replied the foreman in an
emphatic tone. Murder in the, second
degree" Those who expected to witness
a scene were disappointed. Bull displayed
no emotion. He leaned back in his chair
and folded his arms across his chest.
Judge Lippincott then spoke to him as
follows
"The jury have convicted you of murder
in the second degree. A great deal OF
clemency has been shown you, and the
jury have bestowed more mercy upon you
than was warranted, either by facts or
the law. You may thank your counsel
for their zeal in your cause, for to that
alone you may attribute your escape from
the gallows. The facts rendered you
liable to be convicted of murder in the
first degree. The sentence of the Court
IS that you be imprisoned at hard labor
in State Prison for twenty years. This
is the extreme limit of our power to pun
ish you"
Bun was then returned to the County
Jail.
The first ballet taken by the jury re
suited in vote of 10 to in favor of
murder in the second degree. The sec
ond ballot vote was to 8, and on the
third the jury was unanimous. Bull is
still confined in Murderers Row In
the County Jail. The news of his es-
cape from the gallows had consoling
effect upon the other murderers con-
fined there, especially Thomas McLaren.
Sheriff Toffey will send Bull to the
State Prison early next week.