The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-09-16
PRAYING JURIES

week ago it was announced
world wide that the jurors in the
Beattie case, after hearing the evil
dence, the arguments and the judges
charge, retired to their jury room,
knelt in prayer for divine guidance
and then came forth with an unani
nous verdict of guilty. And doubtless
most people who didn't stop to think
had their belief in the justice of the
verdict greatly strengthened by the
fact that prayer was offered before
it was pronounced.
About sixty years ago. either in
New York or one of the New England
states. a man was tried on circum
stantiaI evidence for murder The
evidence against him was about like
that in the Beattie case-strong, but
not entirely conclusive. The defend
ant was not what is considered a re-
ligious man, but he was of good char
acter, had lived all his life in the
community where he was tried, and
had established a reputation for hon
esty and sobriety. The trial was
closely contested, and up to the min
ute the verdict was pronounced, no
one could forecast the result, and it
was surprise to at least half the
people when the jurors said the de-
PENDANT was guilty of murder in the
first degree.
The jurors were all church members
and no sooner was the trial over than
it was stated by several of them that
they had passed the night before de-
livering their verdict in prayer; and
in the case of Beattie, this fact
seemed to strengthen the justice of
the decision.
The defendants lawyer didn't think
SO. and straightway took an appeal
on the ground that prayer was a re-
ligious act, and therefore under the
constitution an invasion of the rights
OF the defendant, who had a right to
be judged by evidence and not by SEN
timent. The appeal was granted and
a new trial ordered. but before ii
came off the defendant ded-died in
prison, and protesting his innocence
And several years later evidence came
to light proving beyond doubt that he
was innocent.
1t seems to the Star that the evil
dence against Beattie is strong as
circumstantial evidence can be, but
there exists. and always will exist, a
shadow of doubt of his guilt. II
was proved during his trial that his
life was that of a libertine, of a man
caring nothing for the rights and
feelings of others, so long as his owr
desires were gratified; and this evil
dence probably had more to do with
his conviction than the evidence of the
murder of his wife 1t would seen
that he was one of the men VIII,
should be executed on general prin
ciples. so IL he dies felon's death
justice will not be violated, and hi
fate will be mainly his own fault. II
almost every community there ar,
privileged libertines like Henry ella,
Beattie. men with a few SNOWY vr
tues. behind which are the most rot
ten vices: men to whom no virtue il
sacred; and if a good sized percentag,
of them were in every state to
day, the world would be an immens,
lot cleaner tomorrow. So the Star ha
no protest to make at the conviction o
Henry Beattie. But it doesn't thinl
prayer is a safe way of arriving a
verdicts. Few of us have lived t,
middle age without suffering seriou
injustice from some one who praye'
daily for guidance. The most awful
crimes in history We're committed b.
men and women who believed the,
had the blessings of the Lord on thei
actions If we could arrive at correc
conclusions by prayer. there would b
no need of witnesses, nor even o
Judges and juries