The Indianapolis journal., 1896-03-06
SWEET SCENTED JURY
SELLERS SAYS MUCH TINE WAS
SPENT IN TELLING VILE STORIES.
The Murdered Woman Referred to I'm
Disgusting Way and Wit
nesses Traduced.

AS the days go by and the public ceases
to discuss the curious verdict returned in
the Rocker murder case more of the mi
mute details of the jury's deliberations be-
come known. 1t must have been a shame
full spectacle-that of the twelve men good
and true playing cards and traducing the
dead while the fate OF a human being hung
in the balance. If the assertion OF one Of
the men who tried the Rocker case can be
relied on. the conduct of some of the jurors
during those forty-eight hours of solemn
deliberations was monstrous. Richard Sell
ers, one Of the jurors. said yesterday:
Saturday night. after we went out, from
O'Clock until after breakfast Sunday
morning, no business was transacted. The
jury during this time played cards and told
vile stories"
Juror Sellers further declares that the
conduct of some Of the members of the
jury was Of the most shameful character
Vulgar stories and indecent anecdotes were
related by one juror after another. Jests
and low jokes were INDUCED in at the ex-
pense Of witnesses who had testified. The
reputation OF the murdered one was ar
raigned in indecent terms, and she was re-
ferred to in the fou,est language. Sellers
says that some of the men who stood out
for acquittal spoke of the States witnesses
in the same terms. Few of the women who
testified for the prosecution escaped. While
Sellers was i'll, he says, a number of the
other Jurors held a mock trial. They had
all the law books with the marked passages
pounded the others sat as trial court Sell
ers, from where he lay on a cot, could hear
references to Judge McCray and the law
yers for the State.
we M he ifr~xr
says Sellers, MIR. Connett drew up paper
obligating each juror to keep strict silence
to our proceedings. L signed IL and
afterward went to the foreman and asked
TO have my name taken Off.
why do you do this? Wycoff asked me-
is a put-up job .
A new story concerning the case came to
the ears of juror Sellers yesterday. A
day noon, before the case closed one of
the jurors was seen in a saloon near the
courthouse drinking beer with Rockers un-
cie- This story was reported to have orig
mated with woman who attended the trial
regularly and saw the men together as she
left the courthouse that day.. The state
ment could not De verified. Juror Brown
is quoted as denying that Sellers asked the
foreman to make the verdict more explicit
Sellers declares that If Brown makes this
statement he is guilty OF falsehood. 1t
may be that these repeated confessions of
different jurors VIII finally lead to the true
solution Of the affair.
with Judge McCray over the allowance de-
manded for the time court was not actually
in session This period continued for three
weeks, lacking one day. The vacation was
enforced on account Of the illness OF the
court, and 1t was not understood by Judge
McCray that the jury was to be paid for
these days Of idleness. However, the jurors
demand pay for the time. and yesterday q
committee composed OF Thomas Brown, AL
phonso Cotton and Jacob s. Wood called on
Judge McCray to get his final decision The
court informed the committee that they
would not be allowed to draw pay for the
three weeks. Feb. g. he claims, the bailiff
notified the jurors that their ser vices would
not be required until further notice, and
they were excused. The committee left the
court room. promising to appeal to the
County Commissioners. Judge McCray
based his decision in the matter on the
statutes, which provide for an allowance
of S2 day to Jurors while in actual at
tendance.
Alonzo Rocker, the wife murderer, has
since his trial and acquittal ii is said be-
come as gay as rabbit. He eats heartily
sleeps well and mingles with the other pris-
oners. Sheriff Womack, who has had daily
charge of the prisoner since his arrest
says that he is not insane.