Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-11-26
JURY j|SAGR[[S
IN SWIFT Trial
No Verdict in the Hearing Of
Winterset Pastor in Fed
eral Court
JUDGE SCORES THE DEFENDANT
Minister Charged With Attempt to Ex-
tort Money From Wealthy Banker
and Member Of His Flock Gets on
mercifuI Drubbins From Court and
States Attorney.
Special to Times-Repubican.

Special to Ttmes-RepubIican.
Des Moines, Nov 26-The jury in the
case Of Rev. John Swift, the minister
on trial in the federal court on a
charge of attempt to extort money by
use Of threatening letter, resulted in
a disagreement. The jury reported its
inability to agree in federal court this
morning, after having been out since
Saturday afternoon. and was dis
charged.
In quandary as to whether Swift
was guilty of criminal intent in send
ing the letters. the jury almost from
the start, stood nine for conviction and
three for acquittal. This was reported
to the court.
Il don't want to dictate a verdict"
said Judge Mcpherson to the jury, "and,
yet you can see that want you to
agree upon decision. I want you to
keep this in mind. I don't want to
keep you up here all night Go home
and take your rest, return here at S:3O
o'clock and believe you will feel lit
tie more friendly toward each other"
The jury was composed Of men all of
whom are members of the church. Ten
belong to the Methodist denominati ton,
one to the Presbyterian and one to the
Baptist. It was thought when the case
was given into the hands Of the jury,
that if there ever was a chance for q
fair trial, Swift had it.
The case went before the jury at 1
o'clock Saturday afternoon. In his in-
structions to the jury, the judge took
occasion to administer to the pastor an
additional scoring to that he had re-
ceived from the attorneys for the gov
ernment. 80
II very much doubt whether a pastor
is trying very hard to reform his
church when he says of a respectable
woman, member of his church, Poor
old Net. She got her tail over the lines
and how she did kick said Judge Nc
Pherson in his instructions.
The court explained to the jury,
however, that it was up to them to de-
eide whether the evidence was suffi-
cient to warrant a verdict of guilty.
United States Attorney Lewis Miles
closed the argument for the govern
ment. Mr.. Miles bitterly denounced
Swift as stencil in the nostrils of an
honest man. He reviewed his past, and
his work at Winterset, calling him un-
speakably vile and contemplate.
Swift sat glowering upon his assail-
ant. His face became red and white
by turns, as he listened to the awful
epithets and anathemas hurled at him
by Mr.. Miles. He gripped the table in
front of him and leaned back restlessly
in his chair as his dark eyes flashed
back defiance at the statements
against him.
"That man Swift is a stencil in the
nestrils of an honest man. shouted
Attorney Miles to the jury, as he point
ed an accusing hand at the minister.
"There is man who would soil the
name Of good wife and mother" he
dramatically continued There is
man who upon oath is an admitted liar,
yNlo DETAINED the flower Of womanhood
and who is unspeakably vile and con-
temptible. His very soul is fostering
sore of unspeakable vileness. He is a
disgrace to civilization, and there is no
place on earth for such moral mon-
ster."
Attracted by the sensational reports
of the case, the court room was crowd
ed as the hearing began yesterday. Ex-
citement was tense, as the denuncia-
ton was hurled against the follower
Of the lowly Nazarere.
Rev. John H. Swift was accused of
attempting to extort money from W..
J. Cornell, banker, by threatening to
spread story Of his attentions to a
pretty choir girl. The jury at the last
stood II to 1 for conviction. Swift will
be tried again at the next term Of
court.