The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-14
CHANCE FOR HIS NECK
SOME THINK SCOTT JACKSON MAY
ESCAPE THE DEATH PENALTY.
Question Of q "Reasonable Doubt,
strongly Brought Out I'm Col.
CrawforTs Closing Talk.
LOCKHART'S CLEAR ADDRESS
COURT ADJOURNED OVER NIGHT TO
GIVE EVERYBODY A REST.
One OF the Jurors Taken Suddenly HI,
and the Possibility Of n Mistrial
Presents Itself.
JACKSON BEARING UP WE'LL
KISSED HIS WEEPING MOTHER
WHEN HIS ATTORNEY FINISHED.
Mrs. jackson, Much Overcome, Re-
turned to Greencastle Last Night
to Await the Verdict To-Day.
One OF the Jurors Taken Suddenly III,
and the Possibility of n Mistrial
Presents Itself.
JACKSON BEARING UP WELL
KISSED HIS WEEPING MOTHER
WHEN HIS ATTORNEY FINISHED.
Mrs. jackson, Much Overcome, Re-
turned to Greencastle Last Night
to Await the Verdict To-day.
pecial to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
NEWPORT, KY, May 13.-The trial of
Scott Jackson, charged with the murder of
Pearl Bryan, is all but over. The verdict OF
the jury, admitted by all as exceptionally
intelligent, Is expected before noon to-mor-
row. Unless something unforeseen happen.
the case will be given to the jury tie first
thing tomorrow morning. Col. Crawford fin
ished his argument at noon to-day and
Commonwealth Attorney Lockhart made the
closing speech for the prosecution this after
noon The jurors have been patient for
twenty-three days with no sign Of ill-health
among them until the hour of adjournment
this afternoon. When Judge Helm announced
at the close OF Lockhart's speech that he
would defer turning the case over to the Jury
until tomorrow morning, Juryman Banner
was taken suddenly i'll and the court and
lawyers thrown into confusion. A physician
was sent for and juror Banners attack was
soon after pronounced to be the result of
over heating in the court room, and the con-
finement for more than three weeks
On the outcome of the jurors illness very
much depends. 1t might mean life or death
for Scott Jackson.
While it is the almost unanimous opinion in
Newport that Scott Jackson Is guilty of the
murder and ought to be punished by hang
ing, there are many who look for result to
the deliberations Of the jury other than that
of guilty OF murder. Public opinion every
where Is pretty unanimous in holding jack
son directly responsible for Pearl Bryan's
murder. but pubic opinion is not bound by
that legal phrase without a reasonable
doubt" and hence ii is that the jury's find
ing may be not what everyone expects. That
there is reasonable doubt from the evil
dence, many trained legal minds are willing
to admit. Scott Jacksop's. LAWYER has made
reputation in this case. The legal frater-
nifty admits he has done better than any
expected he would. Perhaps it would be
nearer the truth to say the prosecution has
done not so well as was expected. Many
links in the chain of evidence against jack
son are either missing or only clumsily
Joined together. The testimony for the State
was not as reputable in every case as the
prosecution would like AS was said before
there have been liars-monumental Larson
both sides. Men have testified for the S ate
because they wanted to ''stand in" with
the Cincinnati police, and knew if they did
not say what was desired their places in
Cincinnati would suffer. These points were
but the jury may not look at it that way.
Then there is the great point that Scott
/ Jackson, the accused murderer, took the
stand and was not cross-examined by the
State. He undoubtedly told straight story
as he far as he went, and his evidence. with
that of the alibi witnesses from his board
ing house, has cast serious reflection on
some of the States testimony
CHANCE FOR JACKSON.
Judge John d. Ellis said, when seen by a
Times-Star reporter Wednesday morning:
From the arguments of Colonel Crawford
and judging from the points in the evidence
he made clear 1 am inclined to believe that
there will be no verdict Of murder found by
this jury with the death penalty attached.
Jackson may get life sentence and he may
be so fortunate as to get less OF course, no
one looks for the absolute acquittal Of the
prisoner but looking at the case from le-
gal point OF view, can't see how murder
verdict can be returned. Aside from the
medical evidence, which is even conflicting.
there Is absolute proof that Pearl Bryan
died in Kentucky at all. There Is room for
reasonable doubt in the case and this is all
that Is needed in law"
Mr.. A. S. Bryan. father Of the murdered
girl, said: Il have, as you know. heard the
whole Of the evidence and argument, and I
look for verdict OF guilty. as do hundreds
of others. / don't think the jury will be
out very long. 1t won't take them long to
reach conclusion
This shows the difference between legal
opinion of the case and public opinion.
Colonel Crawford's argument Tuesday was
generally commented upon after adjournment
last night and when he came in this morn
ing he was complimented and congratulated
sides.
$40 o'clock and Colonel Crawford continued
his argument. He said. In substance:
Gentlemen of the jury when i concluded
last night we were discussing the medical
testimony. Expert witnesses have told you
that there are between ten and eleven pints
Of blood in the human body, yet there were
but two blood clots or spots near where the
body lay. Mr.. John Locke told you that the
blood on the privet bushes looked like some
thing bloody had been wiped over them.
Now, the formation of spots on the privet
leaves were made by the rain on the bushes.
The drops gathered the blood stains just the
same as water always does. That accounts
| for the blood drops on the bushes, and, gen
| tlemen OF the jury. take little stock in
medical testimony. Let me read you what
| Professor Draper, In a lecture before the
| Harvard Medical School, says of medical
| testimony. He says that the modern legal
medical testimony , is a s. scandal. M ruii OF CON
| fession Jack Locke says that il was his
| opinion that the girl was not killed on the
spot where the body, was found. and the tes-
| was not decapitated while in life on that
| spot. Then where did this girl die? The
| Judge tells you in his charge that you must
! find beyond a reasonable doubt that this girl
| was killed in Campbell county or You must
| acquit the defendant. II this girl did not die
| on that spot, where did she die? There is TO
| telling, but she was last seen In Cincinnati.
| And then the prosecution talks OF the
| bridge tickets which were found on this
| defendant. What were these tickets? They
| talked about them. but had TO offer them in
| evidence What We're they? Why, simply
| two foot-passage tickets over the Central
| bridge, which Jackson had purchased last
| fall TO come to this city. Gentlemen. these
| tickets are numbered. the officers of that
| bridge company can tell when these tickets
| were sold. Why didn't the prosecution bring
| them here II these tickets were purchased
recently? Because they knew that those
| tickets were sold last fall. as this defendant
| stated And where Is that privet leaf found
| in Jacksoris coat: why was X lost? Where