The Washington herald., 1907-03-08
Amid Affecting Scenes Jury
Renders Its Verdict.
JUDGE SPEAKS SENTIMENTS
Tells Jurors That Precedent Is to
Not Punish Men Who XIII Those
Home-StrOthers Gratified Over the
ResuIt-DePnrt From CuIpeper.

b. staff Correspondent
Culpeper. Va. March Virginia is not
yet ready TO safeguard the homebrelker
or avenge his death by sending his out
ragged slayer to the gallows or pcniten-
tiary.
Twelve citizens Of this State. not so
much typical Virginians as typical Amer
leans, set their seal of approval to-day OF
the act of James and Philip Strother,
who shot 90 death their sisters betrayer,
William F. Byw,ters, by returning a YER
diet Of mot guilty"
Cold. dispassionate legal minds may
rail- puIpits may ring with condemnation
Of those who take the law into their own
hands. and musty calf-bound volumes Of
statutes may lay down correct doctrines.
but according 70 this verdict, the time has
not come when a jury of Americans will
lay their hands upon the unlawful re-
dresser Of grevious wrongs. except in
sympathy and gentleness. "Unwritten
law" that almost trite phrase by which
is meant the supposed moral right OF
every man to kill the willfuI malicious
destroyer OF his domestic happiness. still
reigns supreme in Virginia as elsewhere
The Strother jury refused to break the
! precedent.
Judge COBgrntuIates Jury.
| How deeply this principle is imbedded
4 in the hearts of the people Of the South
/ land could be no more strongly and viv-
/ idly manifested than by the tear-coursed
cheeks, trembling lips, and broken tones
I OF Judge Harrison as he leaned forward
| to congra tulate the jurors on their verdict
/ and their conduct during the trial. The
cool. impartial. dignifed jurist, whose
handling Of this case has evoked the un-
/ stinted praise of both prosecution and de-
fense, stripped himself Of his magisteriaI
mantle and barred his kindly soul. when
shaken by emotion, lie said:
! I don't care what the law books say
/ there Is d precedent followed by American
/ juries not to punish a man who kills
another, when that other by aggravatine
and damnable trcachery invades the sane.
I tity Of his home circle and destroys lis
peace. I have no censure for your YER
dict. May you have pleasant journey Il
/ your homes and find all we'll there"
Scene I'm Court Impressive.
/ Words cannot convey the impressive
ness of the scene enacted during thos'
| few brief moments between the return o
| the jury from their deliberations and tn,
departure from the courtroom OF tha
tearfully happy little family group o
/ Strothers. There had been moments O
! heartrending pathOs during the taking
of testimony, and periods of stirring in
/ tensity during the eloquent arguments O
| counsel, but nothing approaching IN,
closing scene of this tragedy 5las eve
been witnessed in a Virginia courtroom.
There were but few spectators. Judg,
| Harrison had ordered the sheriff to keel
the doors barred against the general pub
lie, and when the jury took its pIac
at the opening of the final session. onl,
the defendants and some of their imme
diate relatives and nearest friends, tn
Iattorneys and officers of the court. an,
! newspaper representatives were present
(! The jury was given the indictment in