The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-08-01
Acquitted Oh The Charge of Murd.ria!
Ills Sister
PEOPLE PlEASEJ WITH VERDICT
Close Of Very Sensational Trial ir
Which Young Fosbergh Stood
Charged With the Hurder of His
Sister.


of Robert Stewart Fosburgh for the
alleged killing of his sister May, vas
brought to an abrupt close Friday
when the jury. under instructions
from the court. returned verdict o.
not guilty. When the court convened
| the chamber was crowded and a large
number of members of the Berkshire
| bar occupied seats which had been re
served for them. Many women whe
had attended the trial at every ses
sion. carrying their luncheons with
them, were there again with theil
| lunch baskets. The Fosburgh family
came into the court room in body
and passed to their accustomed seats
1t was just 9:15 o'clock when Judge
! Stevens entered, and Immediately
upon the opening of court his honor
arose. faced the jury and directed
| them that a verdict Of acquittal be
given for the defendant. Judge Stevens
said: Foreman and gentlemen: Dur
ing six days we have listened to a
painful recital of one Of the saddest
tragedies ever presented to jury. A
beautiful girl just budding into wo'
manhood was shot down and her
brother has been accused OF the
crime. The government has endeav.
ored to prove first, that the girl was
not shot by burglars; second, it has
endeavored to exclude all other mem
bers of the family from the affair, and
third, to prove that the shot was fired
| by her brother. Robert S. Fosburgh.
THE trial has proceeded some
what 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 desire to
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. l think | ought also
to say to you that it is due to the
chief of police who has stood behind
this prosecution, that in view OF the
court, he has tried to do his duty
with a single eye to ascertaining the
truth Now. Mr.. Foreman, and gen.
tlemen. a motion has been made that
| this case be taken from the jury and
it becomes my duty to say to you that
| in the opinion of the court. the gov
ernment has not furnished proof su1l'
cient to sustain a verdict Of guilty
against the defendant, and, therefore.
under the direction Of the court, IN
the indictment of Robert S. Fos-
burgh. for killing his sister you will
return a verdict of not guilty"
AS the Judge concluded his remarks
the people in the court room began
clapping their hands, but the judge
Immediately ordered that the applause
! be suppressed and this was done py
the court officers. The defendant
stood while the foreman of the jury
replied to the question: What is your
verdict" The reply was, Not gull
ty."
The defendant was then formally
discharged by order of the court.
Judge Stevens then dismissed the
iurv but before doing so, he thanked
them warmly for their services and
congratulated them because they had
not shirked the responsibility that
fell upon them Immediately after
this. the Foshburgh family was given
an opportunity to leave the court
chamber in advance Of the rest OF the
people and they did so. passing down
private stairway. They proceeded
at once to the Wendell House, where
reception was held and where hun
dreds of people took advantage OF the
opportunity to shake hands with
young Robert Foshburgh.
AS soon as the jury was dismissed
the foreman called them together in
his private room and for the hrst
time there was a conference as TO
what the jurors believed. Without
exception they declared that they
would have returned a verdict OF not
guilty within 10 minutes. even had
they not been instructed By the court