The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1894-07-14
MICHIGAN MENTION.
CONDENSED NEWS FROM ALL
OVER THE STATE.
Tho Trial OF Attorney General Ellis,
Charged With Forging Election Re-
turns OF Gogebio County. Ends In .
Disagreement OF tho Jury.

After listening to nearly three weeks
of testimony and lengthy arguments
by the attorneys in the case, the jury
in the Ellis election returns forgery
case in the Ingham circuit court at
Mason retired to determine as to the
guilt or innocence of the accused.
The many points in the case
have been so often gone over that
it would Lee superfiuous to recount
them here. Judge Persons charge to
the jury was all that could be desired
and was in keeping with his we'll
known impartial spirit. The first
communication from the jury-room
was received after the 12 had been out
about 40 hours. 1t was as follows:
"To His Honor, II. Ii. Person:-The
jury cannot agree. Every vote has
been the same as the first one. GEORGE
LING, Foreman"
1t was generally known that an
agreement could not be expected, and
the court told the counsel for the de-
Tense and the prosecution that he
would summon the jury and see what
was best to be done. There was quite
a large gathering in the court room
when, after another four hours wait,
the Judge carried out his intention.
The attorneys seated themselves in
their usual places, among them being
the attorney-general, who calmly
awaited the result. The jury came in
looking fairly fresh after their long
imprisonment. They were polled, and
in reply to the courts inquiries, Fore
man George Ling answered for the IL
men.
In response to inquiries, Mr.. Ling
said there was no chance of an agree
ment being reached. The Judge then
asked the opinion of the attorneys,
and both sides thought it needless to
continue their endeavors. Judge Per-
son then dismissed the jury.
The jurors Immediately broke away
from their seats; some of them snatched
their hats and darted out of the court
room and into the open air like school
boys at recess. There was no show of
feeling on either side, and the partici-
pants in the case and the spectators
soon deserted the court room.
The jury when it first retired took
several ballots. All of them resulted
similarly There were seven votes for
acquittal and five for conviction. At
no period of the Al hours was there
any change in the standing of the jury.
That the jury was in this manner di-
vided and also that they voted, inten-
tionally or not, on party lines, was
figured out by people who knew all
the jurors and watched their move
ments from window opposite the
court room during their deliberations,
and many hours before the message of
hopelessness came from the Jury the
situation as it afterwards proved to be
had been pretty well circulated.
Immediately after the jury had been
discharged the prosecuting attorney
and the attorneys of Mr.. Ellis arranged
that the bonds of Mr.. Ellis should
hold good. Mr.. Kirchner asked the
prosecutor when he would be prepared
to take up the second trial of the case.
Mr.. Gardner stated that he could not
take it up until next term. Mr.. Kirch-
ner stated that he was going to- Europe
and would return September 90 and
that they would be ready.