The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-20

Tho Jury In the big suit Of John b.
Wright against F. J. Burns. a. admins
traitor OF the estate Of Capt. Samuel Blair.
failed TO agree after twenty-four hours Of
fru.tless elaboration. and was discharged
yesterday afternoon, TO the intense dis
appointment Of Wright, who was con-
fidens OF q verdict in his favor. His hope
his attorneys. who announce that they
VIII 1t once cause the suit TO be brought
on for trial again. The attorneys for the
Blair estate regard the result with COM
piacency. 1t is 10 certain extent . VIC
tory for them.
The jury from the first regular ballot
to the last stood six for the plaintiff and
six for the defendant, and one OF the
Jurors is reported to have said that had the
jury been locked up until the Fourth OF
July the result would have been the same.
When the jury first retired an informal SCI
cret ballot was taken. il Is said. and on that
occasion seven were for the plaintiff and
five for the defense. When the first reg
ular ballot was taken. however. one juror
changed his vote from the plaintiff TO the
defendant. 1t is said that tho jurors made
every effort TO learn the name OF the one
OF Their number who had changed his
mind. but without success Each OF the
six jurors voting for the defendant stoutly
denied having voted for the plaintiff on
the informal ballot.
The jury was brought before Judge ia
cehs yesterday morning at $50 O'Clock
and asked il verdict had been agreed
upon. Foreman Blackburn replied IN the
negative. The situation. he stated. was
the same then, as X had been upon the
first ballot. Juror Lynch made a similar
statement, also intimating that the proba-
bilities Of an agreement were remote.
Judge Jacobs evidently thought. however.
that the jurors only needed q little more
time for he sent them back TO their de-
liberations again, after reinssructing thsm
On the law in the case. The instructions
were repeated at the request Of several
OF the jurors. who stated that they were
uncertain on some OF the instructions.
From time to time during the day .
bailiff brought reports from the jury to the
effect that the deadlock was still on and
at last Judge Jacobs informed the attor-
neys in the case that the jury would be
discharged before court adjourned II an
agreement had not been reached. At 40
O'clock he had the jury called in again
and Foreman Blackburn, again stating
that no agreement had been reached, tbs
judge inquired whether there was prob
ability Of such an outcome. Blackburn re-
piled that there was not: that there had
been no change since the first ballot Up
on hearing this statement the judge tod
the jurors they might consider themselves
discharged from In-ther consideration OF
the case. but should hold themselves In
readiness to serve as jurors in the Phil
lips murder case. in which a Jury
was then being impaneled. The jurors
were plainly not entirely pleased with the
prospect OF further jury service without
q rest. and INDUCED in considerable banter
among themselves over the subject.
The trial OF the Blair Wright case was
one OF the longest ever had in King coun-
ty. 1t was begun on Thursday. March 81,
and continued without intermission, ex-
cept for Sundays. until last Monday after
noon at $50 o'clock. when the jury re-
tired. The expense TO the Ltigants has
been very heavy.