The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-03-08
&c Al.RTkluR YosT yERDlcT.

Yost Of Manning ton district, who
vas indicted for one 81 the most m.
human, low down and degrading
crimes that could be charged against
man or beast, was acquitted by the
Jury. who heard the case and who
upon oath said they would hear said
case and render q verdict according
10 the oath administered to them and
the evidence given in the case. Since
the acquIttal Of said Yost there has
been some talk IN the vas Of eensus
ing the jury and aome, who claim 10
bellaw abiding citizens, even say that
the jury should have found him guilty
on general principles. If a man is IN
dfcted on general principles and the
court instructs that he should be tried
on the same, the jury should not hest.
tate in the least to do 50. Otherwise
quite likely the uaual way is the
proper way to proceed, unless a juror.
for the qualification Of some one
else's ideas wants to carry the weight
OF perjury on his conscience. when he
can do SO perhaps without the kuowl-
edge Of the public or danger Of prose
cution, and according to the way some
are talking all they want is a chance
to do SO.
The writer for one never saw Yost
until he was brought into court nor
never knew there was such case to
be tried and is Of the opinion taat
threefourths of the jury could and
would say the same thing, perhaps a
greater number; hut in weighing the
evidence and after balloting three
times a verdict of not guilty was re-
turned according to the weight of the
evidence giving the prisoner the BEN
eft Of a reasonable doubt
One gentleman said he heard the
evidence and would have found him
guilty. This gentleman sat at least
seven rows of seats from the jury
box or witness stand and it was a very
difficult matter for the Judge and jury
to hear some OF the evidence and the
Judge and attorney both called more
than once for some of the witnesses
to speak louder. The gentleman above
referred to was a general principle
man and said he had Yost down fine.
The writer lid not ask to what de-
gree.
Since the trial and acqulttal Of said
Yost, the jury has become quite well
acquainted with him much from hear
say to theirlIsgust and as well as sur
prise that he las not been sent to
states prison on general principles
long ago from the amount Of evidence
there seems to be against him, previ-
GUS to his last trial before the jury
wnich is being censured had a chance
at him at ALL The writer was shown
the little crippled follow who was sd
shamefully abused by the villain re.
fered to and we believe it, and,a gen
eral principle feeling at once arises,
but not to such an extent as to carry
a weight Of perjury. to crafty our
own or any one else's general princI.
pie feelings but for some one to catch
the 'big feeling tramp" as we learn
he is called and hold him while the
little cripple tires himself out apply.
ing and wearing out twenty-five cent
buggy whips on his Insignificant hide
every time be comes into Fairmont
for the next ten years. But that gen
eral principle telling don't extend to
giving a verdict for or against the
said man referred to Tor some other
crime under the instructions of the
court and upon the oath administered
and taken by us that said Instructions
will no carried out.
But true enough, from what We
have heard since the trial and acquit.
tai Of the subject Of this article, g very
bad character has been given his lib.
erty. But for any intelligent lawyer
or citizen to say that a jury ought to
convict a man on general principles
and rumor 1t among the ignorant or
unlearned class, should introduce him,
self to himself, Just once anyhow
One Of the reasons that this article
lis written is simply because on en-.
tering the Office at the Marietta Ho.
lei Wednesday morning last, a gen.
leman Of honor and high standing in
ilaw circles handed the writer a paper
noting the trial and acqulttal Of Ar
thur Yost, alsd the cutting remarks
OF the Judge, etc.