The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-02
CORBETT ACQUITTED
The Jury Decided He Was Not
Guilty of Prize Fighting.
Only Sixteen Minutes Required to Agree
Oh the Verdict - The Champion
Congratulated by Mitchell.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla, March 1.-At S:51
this afternoon the jury in the case against
James j. Corbett, charged with violating
the laws of Florida by engaging in a prize
fight, retired to make up a verdict AT 4:OI,
or sixteen minutes later, the jury returned.
the foreman handed the verdict to the
States attorney, who read: "We the jury,
find the defendant not guilty.
A broad smile spread over Corbetts face
as he heard these reassuring words, and the
sports who crowded the court room would
have cheercd had they not been informed
by Judge Phillips when the jury came in
that he would send any person to jail for
contempt who dared express audible APP
proval or disapproval of the verdict.
Charles Mitchell was present when the YER
dict was announced, and he leaned over
and grasped Corbetts hand and whispered
con-, ratulations. Mitchell, of course, con-
sidered the verdict in the light of prac-
tical acquittal for himself. as a case against
him of similar nature is pending. There
were four women in the court room at the
time, two Of them members of the After
Dark Company, and they braved the
wrath of Judge Phillips. to the extent of
airily waving their hands to Corbett.
The proceedings leading up to the ver-
dict were very tame. Court convened at
9:3O a. m and the State resumed the ex-
animation of it's witnesses The attorneys
for the prosecution tried to elicit testimony
to show that the fight was brutal, and to
make the witnesses admit that from the
very brutality of the contest Corbett and
Mitchell must have harbored malice against
one another. The State, however, did not
make much headway on this line, and then
il ATTEMPTED to bring in the check for S20-
which
the fight. All the witnesses had seen
piece of paper handed Corbett, but all were
innocent of any knowledge of its character.
Jack keefe, who was chief of police when
the fight occurred and supervised it, was
the theater when it was presented When
asked If the paper was not check he said
he did not know. Upon being pressed
further in regard to its being a check he
said he thought it might be ~ property
check, such as is used on the stage just
the the same shnar;c as Propery vegetables which
This answer caused considerable merri-
ment. The State closed here. and the de-
Tense announced that IL would introduce no
witnesses s-sa
Argument was then begun. The attor-
neys were brief. and wheE they concluded
of the charge was as follows: TT is ipnma-
terlaI whether 1t was a glove contest or
ing SRa1tfs match if maffh It Constitutes 9F RSS snd
amounts to a fight as already defined it is
a Violation Of the law Of Florida against
court has already read In considering the
guilt or innocence of the defendant under
the second count of the Information, that
Is to say, the count charging assault and
battery, if it appears from the evidence
that the pioWs were given as result Of
compact which the parties naturally agreed
the court instructs You that if such blows VS.
were given In q contest, which, in the
usual course of things, and being carried
on in such manner as would not infict
| or cause bodily harm or injury to the
Of ha
ing the blows, excuses assault and battery,
and the defendant, under such circum-
stances, cannot be found guilty of assault
and battery But if the contest in which
| the parties were engaged in was of such pa-
| ture and being carried on in such a way
cause bodily harm or injury, and the
blows Were given with the intention to
pain. the consent Of the party receiving dfs the
blows is no defense to the charge Of as
sault and battery, and the party can be
such circumstances"
With this charge, the jury retired, and
soon reached a verdict of mot guilty." as
noted above. The impression here is that
| the whole thing has been a farce. The wit
nesses for the State, to use a sporting
| phrase, fell down." and the defense had
| the easiest sort of a walk-over When At
| torney- general Lamar asked for an
| opinion on the result of the case he said:
1T would not be good faith for me to criti-
else the verdict"
will you push the other cases now?"
| L cannot say yet, replied the Attorney
general. Il have wired the Governor for
| Instructions and the States course in re-
| gard to the other cases depends on the
Governors advice"
| Corbett left for New Orleans tonight with
| the After Dark" company. Mitchell Is
| still here, and will remain until the case
| against him is either tried or not proved.
| The sports feel jubilant over the outcome,
and members, of the Duval Club say they
| propose to pull off the Corbett-JacksOn mill
| here. They say that the courts and people
with them, and thsy have a prize
| fight every morning before breakfast and
| another one TO give them an appetite for
| supper, if they so desire.