Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-29

n
Jury Y, ,. DEFENDANTS, Francis A.
Coffin u.s. y. Coffin guilty as
charged g 7e.. counts OF the liz
dietment ais. m. Reed guilty as
charged In tn Va. 20 rom 81 to 40 i'm
elusive"
These three defendants have been on
trial for wreckiug the indianapolis Ma
uonal bank. which Institution sus-
pended payment last July Ex-Attor-
ncy-General Miller Immediately moved
a new trial and Federal Judge Baker
will hear arguments Monday next As
Foreman Joseph A. Trotter handed the
scaled verdict to the court the counte-
nances OF the three defendants gave
no sign Of emotion or excited interest
The Verdict Expected. =
The indianapolis Cabinet company.
with branches in the East and in Lon
don has through the three men just
convicted secured from the Indianapo-
lis National bank about $4,000 on
practically worthless paper. The Jury
was out eighteen hours. from o'clock
Saturday p. m. until Q o'clock Sunday
morning. The verdict was in the pub
lie mind. and expected except IN the
case of Reed. who had In his favor ex-
tenuatlng circumstances which It was
thought might lead the jury to ac-
quit him. His position with the cabi-
net company, which so merclessly and
systematically looted the bank was
purely clerical and for so comparative
a short time that his Ignorance OF the
company's methods was not regarded
as wholly impossible.
The Court Thanks the Jury.
In Diminishing the jury after It had
returned its verdict, Judge Baker
said ~ hardly need assure you. gen
tlcmen Of the jury, that the court is
entirely satisfied with the result Of your
labors. l need hardly add that be-
lieve the general public, not only In
this state, but everywhere the National
bank laws obtain, will feel that you
have rendered efficient, intelligent and
honest public service"
Each count in the Indictment re-
turned by the United States grand jury
makes a separate case. The minimum
penalty in each case is five years and
the maximum ten. These counts can
not be considered separately, however,
as 1t would take many life-times to
serve the penalty. The defendants were
required TO furnish bonds as follows;
A. S. Reed, $4,000 (old bond Satisfactory;
Francis A. Coffin. $4,000; Percival Il.
CONN. $4,000. Bond has not yet been
secured by the Collins.
solid Against the Collins.
When court adjourned shortly after
the reading OF the verdict at o'clock,
Foreman Trotter said that the 5uiy
was unanimous for the conviction Of
the Collins from the iirst. The fiGt
ballot showed for Reed eight for con-
viction and four for acqui-tai. After
three ballots had been taken and
eleven votes declared Reed guilty and
Juror James Good, who had held CIT
against Reeds conviction gave In.
Five years was regard ID by the Jury
as proper punlshm mt for Reed. The
bank case was called for tr!ai Oh April
10. Three days before, Theodore j..
Huughey, the presideu. of tle bank
had entered plea OF guilty anu had
thrown himself up1n the mercy OF the
court The court was asked 10 permit
Reed TO have separate trial. but this
he refused to do. The government had
presented most OF Its evidence TO the
fury when. on May II. during the noon
hour Adlson c. Harris, leading counsel
for the coffins. was shot in the arm
by william H Copeland OF Madison
There was a consultation OF the other
attorneys In the case after the shoot
ing and It was agreed with the court
that there should be an Adjournment
until the following morning,
A Case of Sensations.
II was evident the next morning that
Mr.. Harris would not be able to take
part In the case for some time and the
court allowed the members Of the jury
10 70 home and remain until April a.
The trial was resumed on April =. MI.
Harris absent. on the following day
came the exposure OF the attempt OF
Alvin Armstrong. one OF the members
OF the jury. to control the verdict TOT
a money consideration The Jury was
a,acharred and Armstrong arrested
The court announced that the THAI
would begin anew May p A few days
before the date dyed for the new trial
the attorneys for the defendants asked
for an indefinite continuance on the
ground that Mr. Harris. the leading
counsel for the cofiins was unable TO
he IN court. The appeal was denied
May l. Juryman Armstrong was uied