The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1908-current, 1910-07-22
WIDOW ACQUITTED
OF MURDER CHARGE
MRS. DELONEY NOT GUILTY
PULLEN ADMITS UNTRUTH-
FULNESS OF STATEMENTS
AGAINST WOMAN.

Ashdown, July 22.-The jury in the
case of Mrs. Ella Deloney, charged
wi,s ,he murder of ner husband, re-
turned verdict OF not guilty at 4 10
o'clock yesterday afternoon, after de-
lberating for Is hours.
Mrs. Deloney, apparently unmoved,
and without a word of thanks to law
yers, jurors or judge, arose and walk
ed out of the court room. There was
not a murmur from the crowd that
had packed the courthouse when the
news that the jury had reached a
verdict spread through the town.
1t is the opinion of many people in
Ashdown and at least one of the jury
men, Foreman j. X. Davis, that Pull
len killed his victim single-handed
and that his confession and story of
Mrs. Deloney's part in the crime were
part of a scheme to get revenge on
the woman for jilting him. Some of
the testimony introduced in the case
lends strength to this theory.
The air of suppressed excitement
and suspense pervaded Ashdown
throughout the day. At 10 o'clock
word came from the courthouse that
the jury was ready to report and cit
izens flocked to hear the verdict. But
the jurors merely wanted to get in
structions on some technical point of
law. After listening to Judge Steele's
remarks theey silently filed back into
the jury room.
Several hundred people remained
n the courthouse yard during the re-
mainder of the morning and after
noon. Shortly after o'clock word
was sent to Judge Steele that the
jurors had reached a verdict.
Again stores and houses were de
serted and the whole town rushed
to the court room. In a few minutes
the hall was iammed with people and
a crowd stood outside, each person
straining his ears to hear the verdict.
Mrs. Deloney, as cool and self-possess-
ed as at the beginning of the trial
was taken by deputies from her quar-
ters in a private residence near the
courthouse. She took her customary
seat in the court room and eyed the
jury expectantly as the II men seated
themselves in the jury box.
Hundreds of people were watching
her and they all swear there was not
the slightest change in her express
sion when Foreman Davis announced
the jury's findings:
I'VE, the jury. find the defendant
not guilty"
Seth C. Reynolds, chief counsel for
Mrs. Deloney, sprang to his feet and
rushed to the side of Mrs. Deloney.
He Shook her hand warmly, but she
said nothing. Mr.. Reynolds then
shook hands with each of the jurors
and thanked Judge Steele for his fair
ness in the case.
Mrs. Deloney still said nothing. She
merely knotted the strings of her sun
bonnet under her chin, arose and
started for the doorway.
In absolute silence the crowd made
way for her and she passed down the
steps into the court yard, unaccompa-
MED except by two women. They at
tempted to speak to her, but Mrs. De
loney ignored them. To newspaper
representative who asked her for a
statement, Mrs. Deloney said;
Il have nothing to say"
Foreman Davis afterward said that
when the jury retired the IL men
seemed hopelessly divided. The first
ballot resulted in vote of four for
conviction and eight for acquittal.
The evidence was discussed at length
and at | o'clock in the morning the ju
rors retired with the vote remaining
the same.
Yesterday morning the jurors
resumed their deliberations and the
eight men bent on acquittal began try
ing to win the others over to their
view. They argued that the only evil
dence against Mrs. Deloney was that
given by Pullen, a self-confessed
criminal. They finally won their point.