The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-26
GRANT FOUND GUILTY
TO PAY THE PENALTY FOR VOL
UNTARY GRANDDAUGHTER.
AFTER THIRTY-oNE HOURS
THE JURY FINALLY FOUND 1T POS
SIBLE TO AGREE.

The Twelve Men Had Been Strug-
CLING with the Question of Grants
Guilt or Innocence of the Murder
of Victor Rivers since Monday at
o'CIeck-Every Possible View of
Che Case Taken by the Twelve
Aen-Verdict Largely Induced by
Certainty Judge Barrow Would
Not Declare Mistrial-Senten nee
VIII he Imposed when Court Con-
venes To-day.
After being out 81 hours the jury in
the case OF Lump Grant, indicted and
tried in the Superior Court for the
murder of Victor Rivers, returned
verdict at 10 o'clock last night, of vol
untary manslaughter. The punishment
for this offense is Imprisonment in the
penitentiary at hard labor for not less
than one nor more than 20 years.
Judge Barrow did not Immediately
impose sentence, but announced that
he will do so when court convenes at
10 o'clock this morning. Mr.. Raiford
Falligant, who represented Grant. an
nounced that he would file a motion
for new trial
The charge of the court was con-
cluded at o'clock Monday afternoon
and the twelve men who composed the
jury had been struggling in vain eff
fort to agree ever since that time.
They were hopelessly tangled for the
greater part of the thirty-One hours,
their ideas as to the proper verdict to
be rendered ranging from murder,
without recommendation, to not guilty.
They slept on it Monday might without
reaching a decision and yesterday aft
ernoon seemed just as far away from
a verdict as they had been when they
first entered the room.
Disagreed on Facts
Shortly before o'clock Judge Bar
row called the jury down into the
court room and asked If it had agreed
I'VE have not" answered the fore
man.
well. is there any chance of your
agreeing" queried the court, and the
foreman answered that seemingly
there was none.
To further question from the court
the jury said that their disagreement
was upon a question of fact, and that
there was no doubt in their minds as
to the law.
Il can't help you, then" said Judge
Barrow. Il trust you have been made
as comfortable as circumstances will
permit in your room. SuppcD will be
served you this evening, and l shall
leave instructions where / am to be
found in the event you agree. You
may retire and consider your verdict"
Sent Back to Their Room.
With doleful signs the twelve men
filed out of the court room and up
stairs and sat down again to the effort
to reach an agreement. In the face of
the almost dead certainty that Judge
Barrow would not consent to declare a
mistrial the jurymen found it easier
to get together than they had before,
and at 9 o'clock or a little later il
was announced they had agreed Mes
sengers were sent for Judge Barrow
and Mr.. Falligant and when they ar
rived the verdict was returned. The
verdict of voluntary manslaughter was
a compromise of the conflicting views
that had been held by the members
of the jury.
There have been several instances in
the recent past where one hard-headed
juryman. who refused to listen to arg
ument or reason, has prevented an
agreement and forced a mistrial, there
by putting the county to the expense
of trying the case all over again. Judge
Barrow is very anxious that juries
should agree and that this expense
should be avoided, and this, IT is said.
accounts for his disinclination to dis
solve Il jury and declare a mistrial
after few hours elaboration.