The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-28
JURORS PRAY TO
GOD FOR WISDOM
Ask for Divine Help to Guide
Them in Murder
Case.

CHICAGO, Jan. 27.-Twelve men,
charged with the responsibility of de-
Gliding the guilt or innocence of a fell
low man accused of murder, sank on
their knees in the jury room last night
and prayed.
Today they returned into court a
verdict of mot guilty" It was the
first time in the history Of the criminal
court, it is said, that such a thing ever
occurred, and when it became noised
about the building curious persons
thronged the court room to catch q
glimpse of the jurors and their fore
man, William H. Dietz, who led them
in prayer.
The defendant, Patrick Deehan. was
charged with cold blooded murder
When the verdict of acquittal was read
and he realized that he was a free man.
Deehan showed no emotion nor offered
to thank the jurors. He. did not know
until afterward that the jurors had
knelt down around a table in their
small jury room and, with bowed
heads, had murmured Amen to Fore
man Dietz's appeal for guidance.
Il did not know that" said Deehan,
as he emerged from the jail free. Il
am not a praying man, nor even a
Christian, but 1 am deeply thankful to
the Jurors, especially Mr.. Dietz, for
the result of their prayer If it led them
/
guilty OF the murder. / hope their
prayer will do more for me-that it
will lead me to the same God that Mr..
Dietz worShips"
Dietz is a quiet, unassuming man.
His kindly gray eyes are such as would
lead the most fearSome child to trust
him and go to him for assistance. He
is leader in the Auburn Park Metho-
dist church and has class in the Sun
day school. It was with freedom, yet
modesty, that he discussed his un-
precedented action of leading the jur-
ors in prayer.
II felt before we could do anything
In the matter of taking vote on Dee
hans guilt or innocence" said Mr.
DietZ, that personally 1 needed wis
dom. God has said to us when we
needed wisdom that we should pray
for it. 1 felt that the Holy Spirit
should be my guide in this matter be-
cause Of the evidence we had heard. /
therefore asked my brother jurors to
kneel down and ask God for wisdom
that we might look to Him for guild
ance. believed that every juror knew
there was a God, though there We're
many denominations represented At
my request not one refused to kneel"
Mr.. Dietz declared he could not re-
peat his prayer. 1T was just a simple
appeal to God for WISDOM" he said.
Another juryman told of the scene
in the secret chamber.
I'VE were surprised he said, when
Foreman Dietz asked US to kneel with
him in prayer, but 1 thought 1t right
and followed him in my heart l was
praying myself in my own words, but
as I remember his words they were:
"Our Heavenly Father, we pray to
Thee for guidance in this act we are
about to commit in deciding the fate
of the defendant. We ask Thee on
our Bonded knees to guide us in our
deliberations, that justice may be DONE
We ask Thee to guide us by Thine
omnipotent power in our deliberations
and give US the wisdom to decide be-
tween right and wrong, for Thine is
the kingdom, the power and the glory
for ever and ever. Amen"
What Judge Chetlain had tc say
could not be learned, as he was en-
gagged in another case Immediately.
Judge Brentano said: Ordinarily
would not favor a praying jury But
as the defendant was found not guilty
because of the insufficiency of the evil
dence l do not see that harm was
done. I know of one or two cases
where the reading of a Bible in the
secret jury room worked disaster to