The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-15
THREE JURORS HELD OUT
THEY KEPT MRS. MAUD GOODIN
FROM BEING CONVICTED.
Believed She Was the victim of a Plot
How the Evidence Was
Weighed.

Two days ana two nights the twelve men
who tried the vitriol-throwing case in which
Mrs. Maud Goodin. custodian of the Empire
block was charged with being the chief
conspirator in the plot that came near end
ing the life of DR.. Aimee Hasknson, were
discharged at $50 o'clock last night. being
unable to reach a verdict. The jurors were
out about fifty-one hours. and during that
entire time of their deliberations stood nine
to three for conviction. Judge McCray dis
charged the jury, after making up his mind
that there was no chance of verdict
Little business was transacted in the
Criminal Court yesterday, the officials in
teresting themselves chiefly in what was
going on in the jury room. Judge McCray
was about the courtroom almost all day.
States Attorney Wiltsie went to Martins
vile Thursday evening to try to regain his
strength. His deputy, Attorney Hadley
and Attorneys Blackledge and Rockford
who assisted the state in the prosecution
Of the case, were about the courtroom at
intervals, anxiously hoping that a verdict
Of some character would be reached. Yes
terday morning, when the judge was in
formed that the jury was no nearer de-
cision than it had been the night before,
he announced that he would keep the mem
bers together until evening. 1t was thought
probable that the court would call the
jurors down at o'clock and discharge
them, but at o'clock a message came from
the jury room that the twelve men would
like to be reinstructed. The judge sent for
the attorneys, and Messrs. Hornbrook and
Smith came for the defense. Mr.. Duncan is
out of the city. The court asked the attor-
neys whether they cared to have the jury
reinstructed. MIR. Duncan and Mr.. Horn
brook declined to take the responsibility of
advising the court on this point, and Attor-
ney Hadley said he thought it would be a
dangerous thing to give any other instruc-
lions save those that had already been
read. The court then reread the original
instructions and sent the jury out again.
MRS. GOODIN OUT RIDING.
Mrs. Goodin. the accused woman. was
present when the jury came down in the
afternoon. 1t was necessary that she be
there when the instructions were reread,
and her son-in-law volunteered to bring her
to the courthouse. He used the telephone
and found that his mother-in-law was out
taking an afternoon ride. Word sent
to the Empire block to have. her come to
the courthouse as soon as she returned.
She came with her daughter and w. P.
Kappes, the agent of the Empire block.
Before leaving the courtroom to go to his
supper Judge McCray talked with the at
torneys, who gave it as their opinion that
unless verdict was reached early in the
evening it would be useless to keep the jury
out another night. The judge came down
again at 7:90 o'clock. and when he learned
that there was no probability of an agree
ment, he resolved to discharge the jury. He
sent for the attorneys, but only Mr.. Black
ledge and Mr.. Hadley came in response. The
accused woman was not represented except
by her son-in-law He had arranged for her
to come to the courtroom at o'clock, as
it was not believed the jury would be
brought down before that hour The court
had the twelve men brought down about
$50 o'clock. George p Blank. of West New
ton, was the foreman He arose and am
nounced that a verdict had not been
reached and said there was not the slight
est proba bility of one being reached. Judge
McCray then addressed the jury in a few
words He said to the twelve men before
him that he did not deem ii advisable to
keep them out longer. They had then been
out fifty-one hours. and he feared if they
were kept longer closeted 1T might look as
if there was an attempt at coercion. He
said it was well-settled fact that the free
dom of the court and the freedom of Jurors
from undue influence was among the highest
principles of the Constitution. He said he
thought it best to discharge them, believ-
ing as he did that they had made every
jury then dispersed The men looked tired
and worn from their prolonged stay in the
Jury ror me ngh 1e Sad w no b eg
in their ROOM and only caught an occa-
sional nap sitting in their chairs.
HOW THE JURY STOOD.
The three men who stood out for acquittal
were ]. j. Cassidy, of 731 East McCarty
street; Daniel Huffman. of Perry township.
and William M. Boyd, of BIO East Twenty
fifth street. The other nine jurors were
John A. Endly 1903 Broadway; Charles
Fisher. 1919 Woodlawn avenue; George p.
Blank, West Newton; Amer A. Forsha,
West Newton; Edward Hudson, Southport;
Sylvester A. Sherman, 1928 Commerce street:
Joseph Dory, rs West Michigan street;
Lewis Station. Pike township; William H.
Roberts, Castleton The three men who APP
pear to believe in the innocence of the ac-
cused woman are we'll along in years. They
say they were convinced that Mrs. Goodin
was the victim of some kind of a plot from
the start. They voted for acquittal on the
first ballot, and voted the same way when
said last night that he had hard work to
Keep one OF the others from going over TO
the majority. This juror proposed on Thurs
nine" with the understanding that Mrs.
Goodin would be given light sentence.
the proposition was not well received by
the other two members of the trio. Il would
have stayed there. a week longer before I'd
voted to convict that woman. remarked
Juror Boyd. The three said they were
convinced that a plot had been worked up
against Mrs. Goodin. and one of them de-
clared the belief that James Van Malta was
at the bottom of it, He said he thought
Van Malta wanted to get rid of Mrs. Goodin
because he had grown tired of her and also
because of the fact that he owed her $500.
The nine who were in favor of convic-
ton labored hard with the contrary men,.
The nine seemed to attach particular i'm
portance 10 that part of the evidence which
dealt with the afternoon of May Is. This
was to be made on DIR. Haskinson's life in
house on West New York street. Mrs.
Gocdln, in trying to prove an alibi, produced
witnesses who testified that on that after
city with her daughter. The thine" could
not satisfy themselves as to that part of
the evidence which tended to show that the
two women, in taking an afternoon ride
about the city had driven five miles in
jury ROOM. said one of the three, was
just like this: The nine always insisted
that the states witnesses had told the
TRUTH and that Mrs. Goodins witnesses
were all liars.
Two OF the jurors who had voted for ac-
quittal fingered about the courtroom last
night after the others had gone. Mrs
Goodin, with her daughter and Mrs Sarah
Ewing, resident of the Empire block
came about o'clock. Mrs Goodin shook
hands with the two men who had stood out
for her. II fully expected an acquittal.
she said Il know nothing more of this
crime than any of YOU" Mrs Ewing also
spoke to the Jurors. II have prayed every
night that this jury might be able to reach
the right kind Of decision" she said.
DR.. Aimee Hasknson. the victim OF the
acid plot, did not hear of the verdict until
nearly 10 o'clock last night She sat In the
room where the murderouS attempt
nan ID On hor e fnxy M hpr