Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1900-10-04
CRAZED THE JUROR.
HE HELD OUT FIFTEEN DAYS AGAINST
A VERDICT OF MURDER.
The Awful Strain Dethroned His
Reason, and In His wild DeIIrium
He Charged His Own Son with
Having Committed the Crime.

He Charged His Own Son with
Having Committed the Crime.
An old lawyer was talking about juries
that disagree, and he declared that per-
secution in a jury room is not rare and
kaid that usually il Is only n question Of
time when the obstinate juror is bullied
into surrendering.
"One case that was decidedly dramatic,
not to say tragic" he continued, hap
pened in Iowa about the time the war Of
the rebellion began. My father was the
judge. He believed in juries doing the
work they were selected to do, and rarely
would he consent TO q disagreement.
This was a murder trial. The victim
was harmless German, who had saved
up n few thousand dollars which he kept
in gold coin under his bed. The accused
man was a travelling matchmaker.
Against him was arrayed an exception
ally strong case Of circumstantial evi-
dence.
''The prisoners counsel did the best he
could, but it was a foregone conclusion
when the jury went out what the verdict
would be. The foreman Of the jury was
the owner Of the principal store in the
town, n man Of the name Of Seth Var
mum. 1t was late in the afternoon Of the
closing day Of the trial when the jury
started 10 deliberate upon It's verdict.
THE spectators fingered in the court
room, expecting TO hear the verdict be-
fore supper time. II was in the summer,
and the weather was intensely hot. Save
Varnum, all the jurors were farmers.
They had their crops 20 attend 10 and
were driven with work, so it was 10 their
interest TO conclude their task and get
home as quickly as possible.
''The jury didn't come in that night.
or the next, or the third night either
Rumors OF a hung jury began TO float
through the town. Hot arguments went
on in the jury room. Ny father denied
n written request made by the jury for
its dismissal. He maintained that the
jurymen could and must agree on a YER
dict.
Eight days passed, and il began to be
said that Varnum was the man who was
standing out for the acquittal OF the pris-
oner. This was confirmed on the ninth
day when the jurors appeared for break
fast. Three men, side by side, led the
line, with the remaining jurors paired,
all except Varnum. He walked alone in
the rear, with down hanging head and
drawn features. At that and subsequent
meals the other jurors ignored him They
forced the sheriff TO provide n separate
table for him. Afterward we found out
that Varnum strenuously insisted upon
the innocence Of the matchmaker.
81 can't tell you why said he. but I
am as certain that that man did not kill
he \ - h.. -
supreme being And they could not
bulge him.
"All this time the weather continued
hot. The nerves and health OF the jury
men suffered under the strain. Narnun
felt the racking most Of all. lie was an
elderly man. and his son. boy Of 20.
had started for the war the second day
the jury was out. The Judge refused To
allow the father to bid the son farewell.
'On the tenth day the eleven jurymen
who favored n verdict OF guilty divided
themselves into relays and commenced
TO attack Varnum by continual argument.
While two argued with him the others
slept. Day and night they kept il up.
allowing the wretched man no sleep or
respite from their abuse and scornful ap-
peals.
''The end came upon the night Of the
fifteenth day. IL was bright moonlight.
and the grass plot about the courthouse
was covered with people gazing up at the
lighted windows Of the jury room. Var
mum sat by the easement, his head hid
den in his hands. Over him stood two
men. We could not hear their words,
but their gestures told what they were
doing.
Suddenly Vnrnum leaped up and
shrieked at the jurymen. His hands were
raised above his head. and his gray hair
hung about his shoulders. There was a
commotion. Pretty soon the sheriff sped
from the courthouse to the hotel and got
my father out OF bed. IL was midnight,
but there were 1000 people jammed in
the little courtroom. Narnum led in the
jury. None OF them looked squarely al
him, but covert glances were darted at
his face from under knitted brows.
"'Your honor began Varnum, this
jury cannot agree. An event has taken
place which makes il impossible. T.
Here the mans voice sank. and he sway
cd. An attendant eased him back In his
seat. Varnum motioned TO the man next
to him to tell what he could not.
1.-The reason. your honor, why we can
not agree said the juror. is because the
foreman has just told US that the muir
derer of the German was his SON.
"There was a pandemonium in the
courtroom. Varnum was taken home raw
ing with brain fever. He had told the ju-
rymen that his son had been surprised in
the act of robbing the German and had
killed him. Afterward he sought his IA
ther and confessed. Pride induced the old
man TO keep the secret and permit the
suspicion to fall upon the matchmaker.
"When he was drawn on the jury. he
dared not refuse 20 serve, but he deter
mined TO hold out for the mans acquittal.
Before young Varnum could be arrest
ed he was killed In one Of the early bat
ties of the war. Three years later the
matchmaker was run over by train near
Washington and injured so badly that he
died soon afterward. Before he died be
wrote n letter 10 my father. In the letter
he confessed that he had killed the Ger
man and told where he had hidden the
gold. He had not dared to return for IL.
When search was made. the gold was
found.
"Old man Varnum was clearly insane
when he fastened the crime upon his son.
The ordeal Of the jury room had wrecked
his mind. North Ameri-
can.
But He Was Hot.
"Gnorpe dpnr"-