The Detroit times., 1908-04-09

Of evidence against the accused, the
Jury IN the case OF Percy Bowtn,
charged with the murder OF Mrs. Cor
nelia WEIGH, found the defendant not
guilty In Judge Phelan's court, short
ly after IL o'clock Thursday
Following the announcement OF the
verdict the Jurors received scoring
at the hands OF Judge Phelan such a.
has never been heard in any court
In this city before.
1T is the vilest miscarriage OF JUS
tice ever perpetrated in this commune
ity." he declared. "you ought to be
ashamed to 60 back into the streets
of the city and admit that you were
on the Bowfn case"
Albert w. Fischer. Of No. 2sS
Grandy -ave.. the only member OF tho
regular panel who served on the
Bowin jury, was discharged from fur
Their service In the court and the court
declared that the citizens OF Detroit
should feel grateful that these IL men
are barred from further jury service
for at least three years.
Crowd Jeers Jurors.
AS soon as they could push their
way through the crowd the jurors left
the building and were soon lost to-
view. AS they passed out they were
greeted by such remarks as these from
bystanders:
They ought to be strung up. every
one OF EN-"
That's fine jury. don't think.
Six Ballots Taken.
Six ballots were taken by the jury
a majority being In favor OF acquittal
from the MIST sympathy for the
mother of Bowin, who sat behind him
throughout the trial and frequently
gave way TO tears. is understood to
have played an important part In
what the court terms miscarriage
OF justice. The youth OF the defend
ant, the sweatbox methods, the testi-
mony OF the defense, that Mrs. WEIGH
was seen alive after she was sup
posed TO have been killed. the charac-
ter OF the murdered woman aud the
other women with whom young Bowfn
associated--all these contributed In
part to the result and swayed the
jurors minds In the defendants ia
yor. The fact that the jurors were
confined to one OF two verdicts. MUIR
der In the first degree or acqufttal.
also had it's effect, IL is thought, for
under the law IL he had been con-
victed, the court would have been
compelled to send Bowin to prison
for life. He Is now only Is years
old
The Jury retired at exactly s:45.s
PAT 10 minutes after IL O'Clock, Judge
Phelan sent for the jurors 10 see y
they required further instruction and
was surprised to find that they had
reached verdict. They had just
taken the last ballot when they were
ordered In by the court and were get
ting their things together preparatory
to knocking on the door.
Under the circumstances, Judge Phe-,
Ian sent the jurors back TO their room
and a moment later came the formal
announcement that they had agreed
AS the 12 mon died In second
time. Bowin sat upright In the priS.
soner's dock aud looked steadily ct the
Jurors. His cheeks we're a deep criu~
son. showing excitement. and his brow
showed jusf the trace OF n frown. but
he did not lose his nerve. His mother:
sat beside the dock. with head down
and holding her boys hands In her
| own Not until the foreman said not
<afi5yp ala she look up.
Hnt even then she did not eunilP.|
She wfs still suffering from the e<<Aiu)
OF suspense and did not seem 10 reA>
Iire Tie full Significance OF the Verdict
IT first She a. act eYon k1c1 NJ
(csnsinn<d sn n>ssa>n ruu13