The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-22
FOR NEW TRIAL
IN GOODMAN CASE
INCONSISTENCY OF VERDICT
THE GROUND ON WHICH RUMOR
SAYS NEW TRIAL WILL BE SOUGHT.

Sensational Ending to the Trial
Subject of COmment-Public Opin-
ion says 1t Was Either Murder or
SeIf-Defensc-AttOrn Appear
Divided on the QuestiOn-Charge
as to MansIaughter-StOri From
the Jury ROOm-JurOr Tells Cause
of the Tie Up.
Contrary to all expectations, Will
liam c. Goodman was not sentenced
yesterday morning. A large crowd
had assembled in the court room to
listen to Judge Cam and also in the
half expectancy that there would be
some further developments in the case.
They were doomed to disappointment,
however, and sentence will probably
not be pronounced before Monday.
The case and it's somewhat sensa-
tional ending was the chief subject of
discussion in Savannah yesterday. The
very unusual proceedings which
marked the close of the trial, a full
account of which was given in the
Morning News, were everywhere dis
of the case was widely divided.
Later in the day came the announce
ment that in all probability the at
torneys for the defendant would make
motion for a new trial, advancing
the usual grounds and also Directing
to the verdict on the ground that it
could not be reached under the cir
cumstances. There were also rumors
that it would be claimed that the court
had erred in several particulars.
This served to give spice to the ar
guments that were heard everywhere
and especially among the members of
the legal profession was there increas>
ed interest. 1t was urged in some
quarters that the court had erred in
asking counsel for the defense if it
would accept the verdict or if it had
any objection to it. One of the most
prominent criminal lawyers in the city,
however, maintained that the course
of Judge Cam in this regard was alb
solutely correct.
Opinions of the Verdict.
The opinion outside of the bar in
regard to the finding of the jury and
the action of Judge Cam in declining
to accept manslaughter verdict, was
that the jury had erred and that the
court had acted properly.
Attorneys held that the court erred
in not giving the manslaughter
charge at first 1t was urged by sew
eral prominent criminal lawyers that
in all murder charges the law gov
erning manslaughter must be given
to the jury. Several, however. took
just the opposite view and upheld the
action of Judge Cam in every par
ticular.
Stories From the Jury Room.
AS is customary in cases in which a
jury is tied up for any considera Bile
length of time, all manner of ru-
morS were afioat as to what trans
| pired in the jury room. One of the
| most persistent of these was to the
| effect that the defendant had sue
ceeded in getting a friend on the jury
and that he had held out until he
| forced compromise verdict.
A Question of Degree.
1t was stated by one of the Jurors
| that the tie up had been a question
as to the degree of the crime. The
majority claimed it was murder,
/ though they were willing to recon-
mend to life Imprisonment, The mi
nority contended that it was only vol
| ullldIy IIldHSlduSHleIs anu persisted III
| having a recommendation to mercy
| added.
Gradually they won to them from
the majority and at last a manslaugh-
| ter verdict was returned. The rejec-
ton of the verdict was construed to
mean that the court had decided with
what the majority had at first claim
3D. though the later charge on man
| slaughter counteracted this belief.
| The compromise verdict was then re-