Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-23
ON VERGE OF COLLAPSE
NAN PATTERSON SURPRISED
OVER DELAY IN A VERDICT.
Jury Remains Out All Night = Three
Members Said to Be Against
an Acquittal.

locked up at 11:26 o'clock last night, not
| having reached a verdict. At IL O'Clock
the announcement came from the jury
| room that no decision had been arrived at.
and Immediately following came a state
| ment that Judge Davis would give the jury
another half hour before locking them up.
The hope Of a verdict was dispelled, how
| ever, when few minutes before 1l:3O
Captain Lynch Of the court squad, said
| that .It was all off, and the jury would
| be locked up for the night.
| Miss Patterson heard the news in the
| ''pen," and it was so unexpected to her
| that she came near to collapse
| It was understood that the-3ury would
continue consideration of the case In the
| small jury room, containing only few
| tables and chairs, and the jurors will have
no opportunity to sleep unless they can
| nap in the small chairs.
Prisoners fearful Farewell.
AS soon as the jury was locked up for
| the night Miss Patterson babe her father
a fearful farewell and was escorted from
| the pen in the court building to her cell
| in the Tombs The girl who showed such
courage through the long trial is almost
| nervous wreck. The great strength she
formerly evinced has failed, and tonight
she repeatedly exclaimed, ooh, how can
those men doubt my word?'
Immediately after the announcement that
| the jury was locked UP for the night Off
| GERS cleared the corridors of the court
| building Of scores of newspaper men and
attorneys who had anxiously awaited news
| from the jury. Murmurs of disappoint-
ment were heard from the crowd, which
seemed convinced that the jury would
never reach decision.
Three Men Holding Out.
The latest rumor from the jury room
was that three men were holding out
against nine to acquit the defendant 1t was
| reported that the three jurors were at odds
as to the seriousness of the crime One
| juror is said to be holding out for convic-
ton for murder in the second degree, and
two others are reported to favor man
slaughter in the second degree. One rumor
was SO definite that it named juror who
had asked if he might fire the revolver as
the man who is holding out for the cony
viction of Miss Patterson for murder in the
second degree.
Disappointed crowds in the street heard
of the locking up of the jury for the night
and Joined in the wall of the persons who
had been privileged to stand in the court
building during the deliberations Of the
| jurors. A few women were in the crowd.
which stood in White street, and watched
the windows" of the jury room until the an
nouncement came. that the twelve men
must spend the night IN sdeliberation.
Predicted Disagreement.
THAT jury will never agree" was the
verdict of scores of men who followed the
| jury from the court building to neigh
boring cafe at 7:30 o'clock for dinner. AS
| they filed back into the jury room after
| dinner there was silence throughout the
great building and gloom seemed to fall
over the waiting crowd.
| AS the hours dragged on and no report
came from the jury room, the crowd in the
hIri11 JnQr ny76 In, cfrn h<a
| tent. At one time a small company of
men in TIN. corridors broke into song. Miss
| Patterson heard this sign of merriment and
| her nerves are said to have rebelled at the
indication that any one could be gay when
| question of such moment was under con-
sheraton
| The great interest which the trial has at
| tracted was never evidenced in a more pro-
nounced way than yesterday afternoon and
evening. Excluded from the corridors of
| the court building, several score of persons
! stood outside the main entrance in the
sluSh and snow and cold last night waiting
| for word that the jury had at last agreed
| In the corridors of the building near Judge
| Davis court were 100 newspaper men and
women, keeping a constant vigil and pick
| ing up here and there the scraps of infor-
| nation which filtered from no one knew
where concerning jury, defendant and at
| torneyS.
Witnessed Marriage.
Miss Patterson, after the jury retired,
spent the afternoon and evening between
| her cell in the Tombs and what is known
| as the "pen,' on the third floor of the
| court building.
~ Most Of the afternoon was spent in the
| Tombs. AS she was led from the court
| after the jury retired she witnessed mar
| riage ceremony between two prisoners, and
| congratulated them. For moment her
! face frightened, though she had for
| gotten her own troubles but soon after re-
| sumed its look Of sad calm. While she was
| In the Tombs she opened numerous tele-
grams and letters from relatives and
| friends, congratulating her upon her de-
Tense and expressing the hope and wish
| that her freedom was near at hand. One
| of the messages was from her mother. who
| has not been able to attend the trial It
| said she hoped to have her daughter home
| for Christmas
| Still Expected Verdict.
Last night, after her dinner, she was
| taken to the "pen,' where she was Joined
by her father, who has been constant in his
| support of his daughter since she was first
! accused Of the crime, and who has been her
| faithful ally and companion every day In
| court. No one else saw Miss Patterson
during the evening. and the fact that she
was taken from the Jail to the court indt-
| Gated that She still expected verdict, not
| withstanding that the jury had consumed
| hours in discussion without reaching find
! Ing One of her counsel was about the
1
| client.
| The abiding faith of the young woman
| was shown shortly after 6 o'clock last
| night, when she expressed the opinion that
| the jury would acquit her.
II almost feel sure will leave here to-
| night, for the jury, think, will not stay
| out all night"
Received a Letter From Mother.
| When she said this her face was tense
| with nervousness, and In her hand was the
missive she had just received from her
| mother. 1t read:
Dear Mamie: We look for you tomorrow.
| because father sent word that the jury
would set you free and send you to me to-
| night. l dreamed last night that you were
| with us again, and 1t was Christmas day.
! God grant that the dream comes true.
Mamie, and that Twill soon have my little
| girl again."
At 10 o'clock the crowd of morbidly I'm
terested people about the court house gath
| cred on the White street side of the build
ing, where they could see the little room tn