The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-05-03
the JURY AcQUI1s
WILLARD BOYD
Sensational Case Ends in Defeat for
the State-Jury Was Out for
Twelve Hours.


that has occupied the attention Of
the superior court for more than a
week on its last hearing, and has
probably cost the county more than
$4,000, ended in defeat for the pros
ecution when at 4:3O a. m. Sunday
the jury declared Willard Boyd mot
guilty. OF the murder OF Blanche
McCallum's illicit child. The case
will always stand out prominently
upon the court records of this county
not alone on account of the character
of the case, but because of the enor-
nous cost to the taxpayers of the
county as we'll. The trial just closed
marks the second attempt on the part
of the state to make out case
against the defendant, whose able
attorney, H. ]. Snively. succeeded at
last in acquitting him. The jury on
the first trial stood ten for acquittal
and two for conviction. In this case
the costs Appropriated $1,000. In
the last trial eighty-three witnesses
were subpoenaed. Two of these
came from Stevens county and three
from Spokane county. Most of these
witnesses received fees for seven and
eight days attendance ON court, in
addition to mileage. The Boyd trial
is probably the most expensive on
record in this county.
The last trial began last Monday
morning a week ago before Judge
Rigg, when the work Of getting q
jury commenced. As was anticipated,
much difficulty was experienced in
securing jury to try the case. Near
ly every one who was questioned had
formed some sort Of an opinion with
relation to the guilt or innocence Of
the defendant. The former trial had
not passed unnoticed by any of the
jurors. 1t required the exhaustion
of the regular and two special venires
in order to secure the twelfth man.
Those who were finally sworn in and
tried the case we're George Allen,
Miles Barrager, Warren Viles, Joe
Schreiner, George Rodman Jr., J. Ka-
Ter, c. C. Case, John Rodman, Willis
Baker. J. F. Courtwright. A. E. Good
win and John Goodwin.
Arrayed against Mr.. Snively, the
defending attorney. were Fred Park
er, leading counsel, Vestal Snyder,
Ira M. Krutz and VIM. Thompson.
The state opened its case by putting
Blanche McCallum on the stand. She
told very straight story, almost
Identical with her previous testimony
Of how Willard Boyd, whom she al
leges is the father of her illegitimate
child, smothered 1t to death in lodg-
ing house in this city, shortly after
it's birth, and afterwards took 1t in
a gunny sack and threw it in the
Schanno ditch. She swore that the
child was born at $3.50 o'clock in the
afternoon, on May 25th, 1908, and
that it lay at the foot of her bed I'M
der the covering. receiving no atten-
ton whatever from her or from any
one else; that at / l O'Clock that night
Boyd came into the room. and upon
hearing the child cry, at once smoth-
cred it to Death before her eyes. This
was the substance of the story told
by the prosecuting witness. She could
not swear as to the sex of the child
1t was on this point largely that
the jurors were able to get together
and arrive at verdict. The child
that was discovered in the Schanno
ditch was a male child. The child
alleged to have been murdered by
Boyd in the lodging house might
have been either a male or female,
according to the testimony Of
Blanche McCallum.
For ten hours the jury deliberated
on the question which held the life
or liberty of Willard Boyd at stake.
Was Blanche McCallum's child a
male? Is it possible that male
child born at $3.50 in the afternoon
could live in the conditions described
until II o'clock the same night to
be murdered in such manner? To
what extent should the expert tes-
timony offered influence the jurymen
in arriving at q decision? These
were the questions that raised the
reasonable doubt In the mind Of each,
and with which they had to wrestle.
At 2 o'clock Sunday morning court
was called to oraer. There were pre-
sent besides the Judge. clerk, Jurors
and bailifls. Attorneys Snively for the
defense and VIII Thompson for the
prosecution, the defendant and hin
father and Peter McCallum. father ~
the girl. A stiffness pervaded the
room In keeping with the seriousness
Of the occasion, ana the day and