Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-07-23

and he writes: After taking two bot
ties was wholly cured. A trial proves
its matchless merit for all stomach, liy-
er and kidney troubles. Only so cents.
Sold by George P. Powers. druggist.
cRAzED THE JNRoR.
HE HELD OUT FIFTEEN DAYS AGAINST
a VERDICT OF MURDER.
The Awful Strain Dethroned His
Reason. and In His Wild DelIriun,
He Charged His Own SON With
Having Committed the Crime.
| An old lawyer was talking aaoul juries
that disagree, and he declared that per-
Eecution ina jury room is not rare and
said that usually it is only question of
/ time when the obstinate juror is bullied
into surrcndering.
"One case TINT was decidedly dramatic,
not to say tragic" he continued, hap
I pened in Iowa about the time the war Of
the rebellion began. My father was the
judge. lie believed in juries doing the
work they Ner. selected to do, and rarely
would he consent to g disagreement.
This was a murder trial. The victim
was a harmless German, who had saved
up few thousand dollars which he kept.
| in gold coin under his bed. The accused
man was 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 fcregone 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, man Of the name OF Seth Var
nun. 1t was late in the afternoon OF the
closing day Of the trial when the jury
started to deliberate upon its verdict.
THE spectators fingered in the court
room, expecting to hear the verdict be-
fore supper time. 1t was in the summer,
and the weather was intensely hot. Save
| Narnum, all the jurors were farmers.
They had their crops to attend to and
were driven with work, so it was to 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 hung jury began to Aoat
i through the town. Hot arguments went
4 on in the jury room. MY father denied
a written request made by the jury for
i its dismissal. He maintained that the
i jllrymen could and must agree on a YER
t dict
Eight days passed. and it began to be
| said that Narnum 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,
Tall except Narnum. He walked alone in
the renr. with down hanging head and
drawn features. At that and subsequent
meals the other jurors ignored him. They
forced the sheriff to provide separate
table for him. .Afterward we found out
/ that Narnum strenuously insisted upon
the innocence of the matchmaker.
can't tell you why. said he. but ]
am as certain that that man did not kill
| the German as / am OF the existence Of q
supreme being And they could not
/ bulge him.
All this time the weather continued
hot. The nerves and health Of the jury
nc. suffered under the strain. Varnunl
felt the racking most OF oil. He was an
elderly man, and his son, boy of 20,
had started for the war the second day
the jury wpe out. The judge refused to
allow the father 20 bid the son farewell.
"On the tenth day the eleven jurymen
who favored 4 verdict of guilty divided
themselves into relays and commenced
/ to attack Narnu,:l by continual argument.
While two argued with him the others
slept. Day and night they kept it up,
allowing the wretched nam no sleep or
respite from their abuse and scornful mp
penls
The end came upon the night Of the.
fifteenth day. 1t 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 Yarnum leaped up and
shrielsel at the jurvsnen. His hands We're
raised above his head. and his gray HAIR
hung about his shoulders. There was q
commotion. I'rctts soon tie shs.;h; sped
from the courthouse 70 the Ectsl srd got
my father oatzce bed. 1t vas Midnight.
but there Were $50 people jammed in
the little courtroom. NR-nu,n led in the
jury. None Of them looked sQrsre!y ut
him. but covert rlagces were da-tcd ut
his fsce from under knitted bsows.
Your honor, began Na:ilEm, this
jury cannot agree. An event has taken
place which makes it impossible. r.
Here the mans voice sank. and he sway
ed. An attendant eased him back in his
seat Ean,m motioned 10 the man next
to him to tell what he could not.
The reason. your honor, why we cam
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 pandemonium in the
courtroom. Narnum WINS taken home raw
ing with brain fever. Hc 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 In
Their and confessed. Pride induced the old
man to keep the secret and permit the
suspicion to foil upon the matchmaker.
when he was drawn on the jury, he
dared not refuse to serve, but he deter
mined to hold out fos the mans acquittal.
Before young varnuu 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 aftcrward. Before he died he
Erpte . letter to my father. lathe halter