The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-08-02
|FOSB|JRC IS ACQUITTED.
The Pitts6eld, Mass, Manslaughte'
Case Comes to an Abrupt
Termination.
JURY wERE INSTRUCTED 10 AcQuIr.
The Court Held That the Govern
ment Had Not Furnished Proof
sunacient 10 Sustain = Verdict oi
Guilty-A Remarkable Demon
stratiOn tn Court.

otratiOn In Court.
Pittsfield, Mass. July 27.--At thu
opening OF court in the Fosburgl
trial, Judge Stevens instructed the
jury to bring in a verdict of not
guilty and this was done, ending the
trial.
The jurymen did not leave their
seats. The verdict was received with
shouts of applause which the court
soon suppressed The demonstra-
ton, however, was one of the most
remarkable that has ever occurred in
court of justice.
The Courts Remarks.
Judge Stevens in ordering a YER.
diet of acquittal said;
Mr.. Foreman and gentlemen: Dur
ing six days we have listened TO a
painful recital of one of the saddest
tragedies ever presented to a jury. a
beautiful girl just budding into
womanhood was shot down, and her
crime. The government has endeav-
ored to prove that the girl was not
shot by burglars; it has endeavored
TO exclude all other members of the
family from the affair, and tried to
prove that the shot was fired by heI
brother, Robert S. Fosburgh.
More In Form Of Inquest.
"The trial has proceeded somewhat
In the form of an inquest, and has
been tried with great pains on the
part of the government and the de
Tense. There has been a desire &c
obtain proof, and so a great deal Of
evidence has been introduced and ad.
mitted without objection which might
have been excluded under the strict
rule of the law. i think l ought also
TO say to you that it is due to the
chief of police, who has stood behind
this prosecution, that in the view OF
the court he has tried TO do his duty
with single eye to ascertaining the
truth.
Not Sufficient Proof.
Now Mr.. Foreman and gentlemen
q motion has been made that this case
be taken from the jury, and il be.
comes my duty 10 say to you that in
the opinion of the court the govern.
ment has not furnished proof suf !
ficient TO sustain a verdict of guilty |
against the defendant, and. therefore
under the direction of the court, in
the indictment of Robert S. Eos,
burgh for killing his sister, you will
return verdict of not guilty"
Demonstration in Court.
The crowd in the courtroom. which |
included hundreds of friends of the
defendant, broke into loud applause,
which the court Immediately quellci
by sternly raising his finger and com.
the sheriff to see that the
demonstration was not repeated.
Robert Stewart Fosburgh, the de
fendant, was then ordered to stand
while the foreman of the jury was
asked: What is your verdict?" The
reply was Not guilty"
Thanked the Jury.
Judge Stevens then in n few words
his thanks to the jurymen
Tor their careful consideration Of the
ease during its presentation to them.
Young Robert Fosburgh was then
discharged from custody and couri
was adjourned.
The crowd then rushed as one per.
non to shake the hand of the smiling
young man and it was several min.
ltes before the courtroom wa
cleared.
Held q Reception.
Immediately after his discharge
7oung Robert Fosburgh, accompanied
~ the members of his family, went
% the Wendell house, where a recep.
ion was held, and where hundreds OF
people shook hands with the young
nan.
Jury Was Of One Kind.
As soon as the jury was dismissed
he foreman called them together In
lis private room, and for the first
line there was a conference as 10
What the jurors believed. Without cx.
option they declared that they would
ave returned a verdict Of not guilty