The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-12
CHANDLER FREED
 FROM THE CHARGE Jury Finds Him Not Guilty of
 Murder HARD FOUGHT CASE ENDS Argument By Counsel Is Brilliant and Lengthy and Consumes Most of the Day-The Court Room In Up
 roar over Announcement.
HARD FOUGHT CASE ENDS

Chandler has been declared not guilty
 by jury of his peers.
 Mir. Chandler now faces the world
 man among men, and the verdict appears
 to have met with general approval.
 The case has attracted considerable at -tention, not only from the fact of the
 prominence of the parties involved, but
 also because it was known from the start
 that it would be one of the hardest fought
 legal battles that has ever been waged in
 the Bessemer city court.
 No stone was left unturned by either
 the attorneys for the state or those for
 the defense. Every inch of ground was
 bitterly contested. and it became neces-
 sary several times for the court to call
 the attorneys attention to the fact that
 they were arguing case of man on
 trial for his life, and not one of person.
 alties.
 When court was adjourned last after
 noon at o'clock it was thought that
 the entire day today would be con sumed in finishing the trial, but sucs
 was not the case. The case was given
 to the jury earlier than was expected, and
 the room was clear at o'clock
 Mr Bell had the closing argument for
 the defense and he commenced to speak
 shortly after o'clock this morning. His speech was one of the most eloquent
 that has been heard in the city court of
 Bessemer in many day, and he was aft
 erwards warmly congratulated on his
 masterly effort. He spoke until II clock.
 Solicitor White, for the state, began
 his argument, and spoke until F 80, when a1i
 Promptly al 1:9O MT White again took
 up his argument and continued until 330.
 MT. Whites argument for the state was d good one, and that he did his best for the prosecution, there is no doubt. MT. White
 called upon the jury as men to do what they had obligated themselves to do when
 they took the oath as jurymen. He told
 them if they wanted to be considered as
 men, they would do their duty as they
 saw it and would not allow anything that had transpired since they had been sworn to conflict. He asked the jury whether they wanted to be classed as Mollycoddles
 or men. and he stated that if they wanted to be classed IS Molycoddles. they would allow themselves to be influenced by good many things, among others their l sentiment for the wife of the man that 1 was on trial and for his two little chill dren. He told them that if they wanted 1 to be classed as men. to stand among
 men, they would do their utmost to see the matter in a fair light He told them that it was not a matter
 of men being swayed by emotions, but one that required good judgment and sound consideration.
 In conclusion he stated that he had per- i formed his duty as he saw it without | fear or favor, and in courageous man
 ner. and would leave it to the jury to do | their part.
 Judge Jackson's charge to the jury was 1 one of the most eloquent and forceful | ever heard in the court room, and he ln- | structed them to weigh each ounce of 1 evidence carefully and not be guided by 1 anything that had transpired during the | trial except the testimony of sworn wit ] nesses.
 l He instructed them specially that they 1 should not take into consideration any ar 1 guments that had arisen between the at | torneys for the state or those for the de- l fense, and that they were to arrive at a 1 verdict strictly from the evidence that
 had been obtained from the witnesses. The jury retired at o'clock and at 4:35
 they notified Sheriff Jones that they were | ready to render their verdict. l The verdict was delivered to Clerk
 
 l jury. find the defendant not guilty" | When the jury filed into the court room | the stiffness of death was upon everyone, | and each word as it fell from the lips | of Clerk Dudly was listened to with rapt | attention.
 | Immediately after the reading of the | verdict the court room was in an uproar, and it was only quieted when Sheriff Jones ordered that there be quiet in the | court.
 | Mrs. Chandler, the wife of the man that | was acquitted of the charge of murder, | was noticeably affected, and the scene was indeed pathetic one. She had | stuck by the man on trial night and day | during the entire time, never leaving him i for even little minute, and the suspense | during the time had almost unnerved her. The widow of the man that lost his life was also in court most of the time, and 1 the scene throughout the entire trial was a very sad. one.
 The jury that liberated Mir Chandler was composed of the following gentle mem o. NJ. Walls of Jonesboro, foreman; l J. w. Crook, $. A. Rhodes, M. Denton, | B. P. Holmes, Jonesboro; E. A. Ellers, l.. r, Ryan, Birmingham; w. Brewer, Avon- | dale; S. K Franklin, Mineral Springs; C.. | S. Price. Mount Pinson; J. P. Hunnicutt, | Trussville J. H. Lawson, Belle Sumter. John Jacob McCabe. an erstwhile res ident of Kilkenny, Ireland, town of | Sligo, parish No. 16, arrived in this | country one day last week and is now residing among the miners and coal beavers of this city.
 | Mr. McCabe is in this country on | visit to his brother, Roger Jonah Me l Cabe and it is needless to say that ] when he leaves he will take most Of l Rogers money with him. Mr. McCabe came over on the Lusi- | tania when she was trying for | record run, and he was even man | enough to admit that that was the ! fastest trip he had ever taken in his ! life. even if he did come over as 1 steerage passenger.
 The funny part about the trip hap pened when the good ship arrived off i Sandy Hook, and the custom house of- | fieials boarded her.
 Just before the custom officers got | to MT. McCabe the quarantine officer | happened to be walking by and he told him that he was the finest looking spe- 1 cinan for a vagrant he had ever seen. Mr. McCabe stated that he was on a visit to the south of Alabama, and he never expected to be caught in New York again. alive. He said he had worked in the bogs of Ireland for the past forty years, and he was tired of working and had been told that it was all play and no work way down in Bessemer. Ala.
 The quarantine finally passed him up, with the understanding that he would stand perfectly still while he was be- ing shod.
 Then the custom officer came back