Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-03-31
NOT GUILTY
Jury in the Celebrated Horlocker
Case Returns Verdict Of
Acquittal.
Declares Accused Not Mentally Re-
sponsible for the Poisoning Of
Mrs. Morey.
Dramatic Scene in Court When Yer
dict is Read Story Of the
Crime

july vi ttiic IISl BdlioN, anu MUM
twenty minutes after they had retired,
word came from the room that the jury
Was ready TO report.
The promptness with which an agree
ment was reached induced the general
belief that it was verdict of acquittal.
and there was Immediately a husthng
TO get word to the court, the attorneys
and the defendant
All had left the court house. and 1T
was just an hour after adjournment
before all the interested parties We're on
hand, and the jury again filed into the
box
Tbs defendant had come in with her
sisters. Mrs. Cheever and Mrs. Hayes.
Both the latter Were unable to control
theiH feelings. The foi,her was in tears,
and the latter was weeping unrestrain-
cdly
The defendant alone was preserving
AN outward calmness tho it was evil
Edent that it was Only by marvellous
exhibition of concentrated viii power.
she looked fixedly al the floor as the
Jurors 'iisd past her, and they entered
The box without looking AT her
There was no delay. The court asked
an agreement had been reached. and
ZEN receiving an answer in the affirma-
tive. stepped over toward the box and
rseeived the verdict from the hand of
The foreman. II was passed over TO the
#olslk whose hand trembied violently as.
81 was extended TO receive it and note
the finding,
Judge ADAMS then read the form, bu.
as soon as the words Not guilty were
pronounced an interest was lost az to
the remainder Of it. The attorneys for
the dsferse sprang to congratulate
their client and she was unable longer
TO maintain her self restraint,
People crowded up to congratulate
her and her sisters rushed over TO the
jury box 70 clasp the hands of the jur-
ors and tearfuliy express their thanks
The defendant also turned 10 The jur-
ors they came from the box and ex-
claimed, amid her tears. God bless
you. every one of You after which she
took The hand OF each and thanked each
personally Even the attorneys and
Spectators We're unable TO keep dry eyes
ard turned away TO conceal their emo
tons until the defendant and her rela-
iives passed into the judges room TO.
regain their conposure.
The defendant was the first to regain
an appearance of composure. 1t was
not long until the YSrty had again left
| tiieacourt house.
/ Plans for the future are. Of course
as ye, uniformed, but II is stated that
Miss Horlocksr VIII be taken TO some
l.saritarium for rest and continued
4 treatment for physical ard mental ms
The verdict WAS not unexpected and
iits announcement seems to give sa,is-
! faction.
County Attorney Mccreary occupied
ijus an hour in concluding his argu-
lnent. which Was almost entirely de-
Voted 10 the question Of insanity, and
the testimony q ike experts.
IN charging the jury the court gave
i five Of the nineteen Instructions asked
feishG the state and twelve of the thir-
ty7niil9 requested by the defense. The
Ireaailg Of the instructions consumed
4 twenty-three minutes.
Miss Horiocker was quite calm dur
/ ing the morning but manifested some
nervousness as the jurors filed past her
ON their way out Of the court room.
4 a large crowd lined the walk Out side
4 the court house 10 see the defendant as
she passed out TO the closed carriage in
which she was driven to and from, the
\ residence of her sister during the trial.
1Ebut the little party avoided the curious
i throng by passing out al another exit
from the one generally used. and the
lcalriage MAS huifedly driven around
and the defendant was gone before this
i crowd could execute a change of base
THE c'RIMt,.
he crime Of which Miss Hor,ocke,
vas accused MAS that of attempting /,
poison Mrs. Anna AIorey. Wife of G. r
4 Mercy prominent attorney and junior
member Of Tie law firm of TibDets Bros
4 Morey. of this city and Lincoln. on
4 this 10th of April. 1899 wnen Mrs. More,
returned to nes arr studio in the Iincolr
1 avenue flats from the BostwiclS hotel
wnSse she and MIR Morey mad lust
dined, she found at the door box con.
tairing chocolate bonbons. With the
eandy was the visiting card of Miss
Nellie Kirby, on the reverse side ol
( which was Inscribed in a feminine hanc
4 the words. Homemade sweets" Dur.
ing the afternoon q number of ladies
4 prominent in local social circles, who
were pupils of Mrs. Morey, assembled
& for their lesson and the candy was pre-
sented to them. Miss Kirby happened
lin at this juncture and when Mrs More,
thanked her for the present she denied
q any knowledge of the box or its con
tents. This aroused suspicion. but Mrs
Morey remarked in u jocular way thai
If It was poisoned they would find Il
out and ate one Of the sweets, as die
Mrs. Gaslin. the other ladies foregoing
the pleasure.
Soon Mrs. Mercy and Mrs Gaslii
were taken violently i'll and a physician
was summoned. His attention wa.
called to the candy and when told ina
it tasted like prepared chalk said tina
was the way arsenic tasted and immedi
ately began administering antidotes TO
that poison. The ladies continued /,
grow worse and for several days lin
gered between life and death The can
dy was given 10 a local druggist fo
analysis and several pieces submitted t,
a test. The first, a chemical test, kav,
a brick dust precipitation. showint
plainly the presence of arsenic, and
second and more elaborate test devel
oped enough of the deadly drug to hav
poisoned a whole community The az
fair created great sensation and with
: in a couple of days evidence enough hat
J been secured to warrant the arrest o