The Detroit times., 1908-03-14
MY CONDUCT WILL
SHOW VERDICT
is JUSTIFIED
scantinued from FiTs' rage.,

the chubby. baby face remained As
the Jury was fling cut OF the cour;
room in the early morning. one OF
them. John A. Byrne, stepped up 70
MRS. Miller and said;
'You and little Harry opened the
oates OF heaven for Pcter.
Turning 10 Schlaf. the juror added:
Peter, show us by your future con
duct that the confidence we have
placed IN you has not been mis-
placed
Schlaf expresses himself as deeply
grateful 20 his attorney. Philip Nc
Hugh, and both are loud in the praises
OF Judge Connolly's charge TO the
Jury.
..gf was the fairest criminal charge
l. ever heard Ia my life" said Me
Hugh. 1T was Simply magnificent"
Incidentally this is the first time In
the history OF the local criminal courts
that an attorney has acquitted eli
cnt while in contempt cf the very court
8 which conducts the trial
Peter Schlaf, charged with the MUIR
ger OF his wife on Jan. 25. 1907. was
fosnd not guilty by jury in Judge
4 Cnnnoily's court early Saturday morn
1ng. and the accused left the court
room a free man. accompanied by his
,danehter, Katie. and his sister. The
Z Jury retired at 1880 Friday afternoon
and the verdict was announced shortly
after 2 O'clock The verdict was some
thing Of surprise in view OF the
strong case presented by the prosecu-
ton
Schlafs daughter. Katie, who is now
K Mrs. Edward Bertram. had been wait
"A Ing In the court room for hours, and
on learning the verdict threw her
AIMS about her fathers neck and kiss
X Ell him repeatedly. They left for home
(. AZ once.
In his charge. Judge Connolly told
1he jurx~><fat Schlaf could not be
funndy81lry Of murder In the first de-
gree. holding that the prosecution had
faiied TO show generalization. Three
other yerdicts were possible. murde.
in the second degree. manslanghter, or
roi guilty.
About 1 o'clock Saturday morning
& Judge Connolly called the jury in and
asked IL there was any prospect OF an
agreement. Foreman Doty replied
\ that there might be, and asked tina.
portion of the testimony be read.
For this purpose Stenographer Doug
las Cochrane was routed out OF bed
and few minutes after the jury again
\ retired the verdict was announced.
Disagreement in First Trial.
The trial just closed was the second
through which Schlaf has passed. The
X FIRST resulted In disagreement. and
y VAS attended by many sensational fea-
4 lures. notable among which was the
trial or Schlafs lawyers, Philip Nc
\ Hugh and Charles r. O'Neil. for con-
tempt OF court ONeil was fined $3.50
+ oil 80 days In Jail. while McHngh drew
\ both the fine and imprisonment. but
1.-THE Judgment OF the court was sus-
I pened by an appeal which is still pend
& Ing in the supreme court. Since then
S O'Ne1l and McHugh have dissolved
Y partnership. and Schlaf was represent
B &C IN. the last trial by MeHugh alone.
The killing OF Mrs. Schlaf followed
y violent quarrel on the previous even
irg. which was resumed in the morn
ing while Mr. apd Mrs. Schlaf were
still in bed The prosecutions conten-
ton. was that Schlaf procured a re-
z yoiyer from under the pillow during
4 the quarrel and shot his wife. The de-
fensc was that the revolver was dis
charged during the struggle between
man knd wife while II was in the
6xRAs AZ Mrs. Schlaf.
Ks y result OF discrepancies between
fhd) testimony given by Katie Schaf
and Peter Schlaf Jr., on the first trial
Htnd theiE police court stories, both
we're charged with perjury by Judge
y Connolly The cases are still pend