Atlanta age., 1900-01-13
JULIA MORRISON ACQUITTED
Jury Declared Her mot Guilty. of the rlur-
der of Frank Leiden.

Before O'Clock the courtroom was
again crowded to its utmost limits with
men and women, and among them
there was but one general expectation,
the verdict would be an acquittal, in
which events proved the belief was
we'll founded,
At 3 o'clock the prisoner arrived at
the courtroom and exhibited an air of
supreme confidence that she would
leave it free to go where she pleased,
instead of retracing the unhappy route
to the Hamilton county Jail.
While the jury was celebrating the
court was busy with other cases on the
regular docket.
At 4 o'clock the Morrison jury was
ushered in. A deathlike stiffness en-
sued and their faces were searched and
researched by hundreds of pairs of
eyes that the verdict might be read, if
possible, in the countenance. For
seven days that same group of twelve
men had been scrutinized by thous-
ands of spectators in Judge Estilps
court to note the effect, if any, upon
them by each telling piece of evidence
and each convincing point of logic
enunciatet by the lawyers who spoke
in justification or condemnation OF her
alleged crime.
Never perhaps in any courtroom did
more mobile, stole and expression
less set of human faces appear in
jury box. The best reader of char
acter was set at defiance, for not in
single instance did one of the twelve
faces in the jury circle betray the feel
| ing of the heart and head. So they
came through the aisle before the
Judge and when, after responding to
their names, Judge Estill said:
"Gentlemen, have you agreed upon
a verdictP"
1--WE have" replied Foreman Me-
Nabb.
"What is your verdict?" asked the
court
'Not guilty." was the answer.
Miss Morrison, who had leaned far
over in her chair, caught the low re-
sponse of the foreman, and the effect
of his words upon her were dramatic
in the extreme. Che leaned back III
her chair and closed her eyes, while
her face turned from the whiteness of
! death to almost a crimson hue.
The crowd in the court room cheer
ed and rush was made toward the
woman to congratulate her.
Advancing to A position just in
front of Judge Estill, Miss Morrison
delivered in most touching and elo'
quent manner q brief speech, which
she had evidently prepared, for she
spoke rather rapidly and without hes
itation. She said:
"May it please your honor, L wish
TO thank you and the gentlemen OF
the Jury and all who were instrumental
In my acquittal today for your just and
generous decision. May God in His
mercy be ever as just to You and yours
as you have been to me today. In the
same measure I wish to thank my
attorneys for their noble efforts in my
behalf As for the prosecution [ wish
to say that l fully forgive them aud
bear them no malice for their strenuous
efforts for my conviction.
Gas to my prosecutors (turning to-
ward Mrs. George j. ANTI, the beauti-
full sister of the dead actor, who was
overcome with emotion and suffused
in tears), 1 leave them to their con-
sciences and their God. To the poor
bereaved sister say that God knows
that were it in my power to restore
her brother to her l would certainly
do it."
Mr.. and Mrs. James at once repaired
to the Tschopik house. where they had
stopped on the first night of their ap-
pearance in Chattanooga, and where
they will remain for time.