The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-12
MRS. M'DONALD IS
 SET FREE BY JURY
Jury AcquitS Woman of Killing
 Webster Guerin
HEARS VERDICT UNMOvED
Mrs. Mcdonald Will Retire To Sani- tarium For Her Health, It Is Said, But No Hint Is Given of Pos
 sibIe Attack of Insanity.

Chicago. February 11.-Mrs. Dora Me- Donald, who has been on trial here since January 20 on the charge of murdering Webster Guerin, was acquitted by jury in the criminal court tonight. The yer dict was reached after six and a half hours deliberation. the jury having re- tired at l o'clock this afternoon.
 The defendant, who is the widow of Michael c. Mcdonald, formerly a polit- ieal leader in Chicago, received the yer dict without apparent emotion. During the trial she had frequently collapsed, and on several occasions the case has been interrupted in order that she might re- ceive medical attention. Tonight how ever, she was the least moved of any of the persons concerned in the defense, her attendant being so overcome that Mrs. Mcdonald was compelled to exchange roles with her and try to quiet the woman.
 Members of the jury took an oath be- fore reporting their finding not to reveal the history of their deliberations. The first ballot, they said, stood to for &C., quittal, but subsequent developments were carefully kept secret.
 After Mrs. Mcdonald had been dis charged she was taken to a hotel by rela- tives. It was announced later that she will retire to a sanitarium. Despite her nervous and physical condition during the trial, and the months following the trag edy. no hint of a possible attack of in- sanity was offered by the defense at the trial. The case was given to the jury after comparatively short closing address for the state by Assistant States Attorney Rittenhouse.
 Webster s. Guerin was shot and killed in his studio in the Omaha building, LaSalle and vanBuren streets, February 21, 1907. Mrs. Mcdonald was alone with him when the tragedy occurred, and was immediate ly arrested and charged with the murder. Her husband and Leopold Freeman, pres- dent of the Champion Chemical works, signed bail bonds for $50,OOO after her in- dictment March 30, 1907.
 The shock of the tragedy proved disas- trous to Mcdonald, and he died August 9, 1907, after an illness of several weeks. His fortune was left to the accused wom- an and his two sons. one the child of d former marriage Special provision was made in his will for Mrs. McDonald's de- fense, and the instrument was attacked In court by his former wife, Mrs. Mary Mcdonald, from whom he had obtained divorce. The suit Is still pending.
 It developed at the trial just concluded that Guerin and Mrs. Mcdonald had been more or less intimate for almost 10 years. their relations having begun when Guerin was less than IT years old. The state as- serted that Guerin had attempted to dis solve these relations and that the woman shot him in jealous rage.
 The defense attacked Guerins charac- ter, asserting that he had systematically blackmailed Mrs. Mcdonald for years and offered evidence tending to show that he had~ettacked her in his studio on the day of the tragedy. One of the dramatic incl dents of the trial was the acting out of this alleged struggle by two physicians, who showed how Mrs McDonald might have twisted the revolver in Guerin's hand until it pointed at his own breast, and how the trigger might have been pulled during the struggle.
 The trial attracted unusually large crowds, and on several occasions the po- lice and hailiffs had to unite forces to hold would-be spectators in check.