The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-10
A VERDICT OF ACoUITTAL.
Sheriff Martin and His Deputies
Held GuiItIess by the Jury.

Wilkesbarre, March 9.-Virtually with
out leaving their seats in the jury box
the Jury in the trial of Sheriff Martin and
his deputies for the shooting of the
strikers at Lattimer on September 10 last,
has rendered a verdict of acquittal.
Court reconvened at the usual hour
this morning for the purpose of receiv-
ing the verdict amid the scenes which
have characterized the proceedings for
the past number OF days. Every seat in
the large court room was taken and
every inch of standing room was occu-
pied by men and women. anxious to hear
the result of the long trial
When the jury, seemingly more solemn
than usual. filed in and the judge had
taken his seat on the bench a hush fell
upon the assembly andlrthe stiffness in
teryened between the clerks question:
What say you, gentlemen of the jury,
is James Martin ct al guilty or not guilty,
as charged in the Indictment"
The reply came: Not guilty"
A murmur and whispering went
through the great crowd and there was
some suppressed hapdshqking. but other
wise there was no demonstration.
Sheriff Martins face which has borne
the impress of paleness and detection all
through the weary weeks of the. trial lit
up with a smile and he bent over and
kissed his wife, who sat beside him.
Then the deputies shook hands with each
other and their friends and lawyers
II am glad it is over" said Sheriff
Martin while l thought there should
Z. IL
strain on me"
When the noise and disorder following
the reading of the verdict had subsided
District Attorney Martin, addressing the
court said that while the defendants had
by the verdict been discharged from the
charge of killing Michael Czeslek and
therefore, from their bail, there were a
number Of other indictments against
them and he asked the court 10 make an
order that the defendants be required
to renew their bail upon these indct-
ments. The court so ordered and the de-
PENDANTS are. therefore bound over to
the next term of criminal court whica
will be held in the latter part OF April
under $1,000 bail each
Asked whether it was his intention to
try the defendants upon these inCict-
ments. Mr.. Martin replied:
AT present it is. but do not know yet
charges
Several jUrymen said that they would
have rendered a verdict of acquittal last
evening without leaving the box had ,hay
rot thought ii proper to al least take a
vote and for .sat reason only had they
proceeded to their room. There only one
vote was taken without any further talk
and every man replied TO the foreman's ;
question Not guilty" The trial has last
ed lust five weeks and over two hun
dred witnesses have been examined and
every point was stubboruly fought by the
lawyers engaged on either side
1t is said that the tria! would cost the
county almost $4,000 and the defense
nearly $780, 000. The lawyers engaged by
the prosecuting committee to assist the
district attorney were promised a fee of
$l000 each by that committee and have
so far each received 800 of it.
While Mr. Martin has declared th;5 he
win try the defendants on the o.Nar
charges, no one believes that he will rs
the evidence in their cases is no different
from that in the one uDon which the
jury found a verdict of acquittal today.