The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1908-01-11
PROSECUTIONS.
COME TO NAUGHT
PETTIBoNE IS ACQUITTED AZ.
TER DELIBERATION.
N0YER CASE DISMISSED

AAUS04uoo aAu4V VI 4u&ItO . AtteMpt
to Convict Western Federation
Leaders, Kidnapped and Hurried
Into That State on Special Train.
Boise, Ida.The end Of the prose.
cution Of the prosecution Of the men
charged with the murder Of ex-Gov.
Steunenberg, with the exception OF
the cases Of Harry Orchard and Jack
Simpkins, came today, with the ac-
quittal Of Geo. A. Pettibone.
Charles Fl. Meyer, president Of the
Western Federation Of Miners, who
was also indicted with Haywood, Pet
tibone and others, was released and
will return with Pettibone in a few
days to Denver.
The case of Orchard, the self-con--
fessed assassin of Steunenberg, is in
the hands Of Prosecuting Attorney
Vanduyn, of Canyon county. No state
ment as to the further procedure
in that case has been made, but it
will be called during the next term
of court at Caldwell, when it will be
finally disposed of.
Simpkins, another member of the
executive board Of the Western Fed
GRAFTON, who is charged with compile
ity in the crime, is a fugitive from
justice, and the charge against him
will stand.
When the Meyer case was called by
Judge Wood this afternoon, James
H. Haley, representing Prosecuting
Attorney Vanduyn, signified the de-
sire of the state to dismiss entirely.
"I am satisfied" said Judge Wood
"that the course taken by the dis
trict attorney land decided upon by
attorneys for the state, is the prop
er course to be taken in the matter.
"I have watched the evidence care
fully, so far as the connecting and
corroborating evidence under the sta
tute was concerned. in its application
to this defendant and there has GER
tainly nothing Developed in the two
cases that would Justify the court
in submitting the case against him to
q jury unless there was considerable
additional connecting testimony to
that which has been shown in the
two cases that have been tried, and
for that reason, the case will be dis
missed and an order exoneratlng the
bail Of the defendant. t."
At the request of the state, the
cases against DR.. Magee and c. W.
Aller, charged with perjury by rea-
son of the testimony given by them
in the Haywood case, were also dis
missed. Although the Pettibone jul
rors agree that their deliberation
should be kept secret, it has been
learned that on the first ballot the
vote was eight to four for acqultt-
al. The second ballot resulted in a
vote of nine to three. The third
stood ten to two and so it remained
all through the night. The two hold
ing out for a conviction were finally
won over. .a-
Pettibone and Meyer received many
kilograms of congratulations, chiefly
from Colorado friends, Pettibone al
though very i'll for the past two weeks
walked to the local headquarters OF
the Western Federation this after
noon.
Wife Wept For Joy.
After fourteen hours deliberation
a verdict was reached by the jury
trying George A. Pettibone charged
with completely in the murder OF Gov.
Frank A. Steunenberg. No demon
stration Of any kind marked the read
ing Of the verdict, which made Petit
bone a free man, after two years
awaiting trial. All night the ballot
ing Of the jury stood ten for acquist-
al and two for conviction. There was
no change until the final ballot was
reached when both Of the men who had
been holding out from voting gave
way at the same time.
The defendant, Pettibone, pale and
emaciated, because of his long illness,
merely smiled as he heard of his free
dom and moment later he was sur
rounded by his attorneys and friends.
His wife, who has been by his side at
every session of the court during the
trial, wept for joy.
Expressions from members Of the
Jury after their discharge showed
that from the start ten Of the jurors
maintained that the state had failed
to prove the defendant guilty Of the
crime charged. The verdict caused
little surprise in Boise in view OF the
verdict in the Haywood case.
The defense introduced practically
no evidence and did not argue the
case, simply maintaining that the
state entirely failed to connect the
defendant with the killing Of Steu-
FavOrs REORGANIZATION.