Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-05-19
HOW VERDICT WAS REACHED
JURY IN FAMOUS HYDE CASE Oh
LIBERATED LONG.
First Vote Was Eight for AequlttaI
-Four for Conviction 5ut All Said
"Gullty" at Last.

Kansas City, Mo-, May 17.-Three
nights and two days the Jurors sifted
the testimony. the medical terms.
the chemical analyses. the final
oratory. slnoe ten o'clock Friday
night they had carried the burden Of
q mans life and liberty, some for &C.
Quittal, one or two for hanging. others
for life imprisonment.
Cyanide Convicted Him.
Cyanide was the rock on which the
conviction Jurors stood. They could
not forget that Clark Hyde could not
remember one drug store except
Bfecklein's, where he bought that poi,
son in the ten years he swore he had
used 1t. And In the end the last Juror
who held out for acquittal allowed the
cyanide doubt to convince him Of the
physlclan's guilt.
To the last moment Of the noted
trial, to the final instant when the
last word fell from the lips Of the
last Juror. "This is my verdict" Doc
tor Hyde was stolcal.
It may be the prisoners face was
trifie paler than ordinarily. He held
his mouth open and stared at the men
who had sealed his fate, he leaned
forward a few inches almost forgetful
Of the wife whose arms were on his
shoulders, he seemed to see no one
or nothing in the room except those
men. But his eyes were dry and when
he spoke a moment later in comfort.
ing his sobbing wife his voice was
steady, as steady as 1t has been
through the five weeks Of the trial
The first vote taken half hour at
ter the jury went to It's room last Fri.
day night was eight for acQuittal and
four for conviction.
Cyrus W. Whitehead, William Cur
ran, william W. Castle and Byron c.
Lillard voted for conviction on that
ballot. The others all voted for ac-
Quittal.
Whitehead assumed the leadership
Of the states side. He fought through
the long hours for conviction and fin.
ally brought the other eight to his
way Of thinking. Frank P. Hedges
was the first to change his vote. He
went from acquittal to conviction Sat
urday afternoon. The others went
over gradually until at 1880 o'clock
Saturday night, w. @. crone, whose
son is in the penltentiary, and Samuel
R. johnson, the sibley farmer, were
the only two voting for acQuittal
Then croHe Went Over.
It remained that way all day yesteF.
day until last night Crone said he
had reached a place where he was
Inclined to concur in q verdict Of
guilty at that time. He began talk.
Ing to Johnson, telling him that he
was not ready yet to vote Tor con.
viction, but that he was wAvering in
his Judgment.
It Was the first thing that tended
to weaken Johnson. He would listen
to the persuasion Of Crone. but not
to that Of any Of the others. When
the jurors left the hotel to 60 to the
courtroom this morning johnson was
sim holding out Crone was ready to
vote for conviction. When they reached
the jury room Johnson began 70 wav.
er. Crone talked to him again and
johnson said be was ready to vote for
conviction.
Only One Favored Hanging.
Il had long before been agreed that
II decision could Be reached On con,
vietion there would b no clubbing
ont he dealh penalty. ONLY one
nan had fsVorll hanging. Thors va
7rtt 1li4I1aiIg Cor conrlc,i1n re