The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-14
Mrs. Minnie Cummings Declares
Jury Should Not Have Con
victed Her of Murder.
VERDICT A GREAT SURPRISE.
Jurors. After Fixing Ten Years
Imprisonment as Punishment,
Appeal to Judge Douglas
for Leniencv.
Il do no; believe I got justice"

mis- -hiiiIile cummings III tiieSt re"
words Yesterday afternoon expressed her
opinion OF the verdict of the jury, which
fixed her Punishment for killing her hus-
"and. Dennis CUMMINGS. at ten years i'm
prlsonment in the Penitentiary.
Sui weak from the trying ordeal through
which she had passed MIS-. Cummings
stood near her cell door in the city jail yes
'erday afternoon and discussed for The Re-
public the result OF her trial.
As stated in The Republic yesterday
morning. the jury agreed on the verdict
about 80 o'clock Sunday evening. 1t was
sealed and delivered to Deputy Sheriff Jas.
McEnneny
Al lo O'Clock yesterday morning the
Twelve jurors filed into Judge Douglass
courtroom. The verdict was handed to
Deputy Clerk Adam Doerr lie read it as
follows:
Circuit Court Of the cit, Of St Louis. No 3
STAT" Of Missouri VS.. Mrs Minnie Cummings:
Jhha term. 1905. on Indictment for murder In
tar second degrec-We the Jury in the above on
In the second degree ms charged in the ind ct
ment. and assess the punishment at mprison-
'aent In the P"nitentary for ten years.
a. J. ALLEN. Foreman.
Mrs. Cummings had gone into court coa-
fidently expecting acquittal The verdict
consequently was hard blow to her. She
had speEt many anxious hours after her
ease went to the jury and many Of her
friends expressed the belief that she would
he acquitted
WOMEN SHED TEARS
AS Clerk Doerr finished reading thu YER
dict the defendant sank in her chair and
covering her face with her handkerchief
wept. Several women among the spectators
shed tears out of sympathy for the woman
After the jury was polled and 1t was found
that it was the verdict of the entire jury
Mrs. Cummings was led to an anteroom by
Mrs. c. o. Shanklin, who had been a wit
ness IN the defendants behalf and Mrs.
McKittrick
Clerk Doerr in searching through the
papers found note from the Jurors which
read:
To w. p. Douglas Judge Circuit Court St
Louis No S: Sir-In the case OF the State of
Missouri VS.. Minnie Cummings We, the under
signed Jurors In the aforesaid cause. plead for
ieniency II In the power of the court to grant
Judge Douglas read the appeal. He will
be powerless lawyers say. to comply with
it. The jury in its verdict has assessed
the minimum punishment for murder in
the second degree and Judge Douglas can
not undo 1t.
Mrs. Cummings only hope now lies in a
new trial or a reversal of the verdict by
the Supreme Court.
Colonel John l. Martin chief counsel for
the defendant, says he will file the motion
for new trial in the time prescribed by
law, four days. Failing in this. he declares
he will appeal to the Supreme Court
The chief ground for an appeal. 1t Is be-
lieved. will be that the defendant was
forced to trial when not prepared
MRS. CUMMINGSS STATEMENT.
Discussing the verdict, Mrs. Cummings
said:
Il do not think l got justice. I killed
Dennis Cummings in self-defense. 1t wa.
either his life o. mine. He advanced to.
ward me with an open knife in his hand
| and said. I'll kill YOU now
Il believe l should have n new trial Be.
fore better jury will be acquitted"
Mrs Cummings was unable to walk dowr
the stairs from the courtroom to the jai
| FOR more than half an hour after the YER
| dist was read. When she did return to he,
| cell she was assisted by Mrs. Shankin anG
| Mrs. Mckttrick. both OF whom held to he,
arms. She held her handkerchief over heI
| eyes and cried as she walked back to jail
| when l face a jury on the charge of kill
| ing my first husband. Mr.. Harris" sale
| Mrs. Cummings. II shall hold up my head
| He was different man. He was honest
| and true to me. I know in my own heart
| that did not kill him. He committed sui
| eide. But in the Cummings case 1t was
| different He had mIstreated me- He was
not good man. l had to shoot him or b.
| killed.
The verdict was a great surprise to per
| sons who had followed the case
| The Jurors decided before leaving the jur,
| room not TO give out any information as tc
how they stood on the different ballots L
| is said. hov ever. that but three favored ar
acquittal from the time they began ballot
| Ing.
| Fifty ballots were taken and much discus
| sion entered into before two cast their votes
| for conviction. 1t Is stated. and one juro,
| held out all Sunday afternoon before he
| finally agreed to the verdict giving the de
| PENDANT the lightest possible punishment I'M
der the charge.