The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-26
No Verdict Reached
When Jury Is Locked
Up at 0o'Clock.
DEFENDANT IS IN
UTTER COLLAPSE
After Day Of Heavy sobbing,
Her Face Distorted Almost
Beyond Recognition, She Is
Led From Courtroom-Her
Attorney Confident Of
Acquittal.

u
After wrestling for four hours and
quarter. during an afternoon and night
session. with the evidence in the case u
Of Mrs Laura Farnsworth Schenk.
charged with poisoning her husband
John O.. Schenk. the jury was unable
to reach an agreement. and al 10
o'clock tonight Judge Jordan ordered
the members of the jury sent to their
hotel. to be locked up for the night
The jury will resume consideration
OF verdict at o'clock Thursday
morning. though 1t is possible nfor-
NAL consideration will be continued
during the night. In the event of an
agreement being reached, however. ila
will not be reported until the con-.
venng Of court to-morroN~ morning.
Predictions Of disagreement are gen
eral. though some followers OF the
case believe a verdict finally will be
reached
Crowds Rack street. #
After the jury had been excused for
the night crowd. numbering into
the thousands, packed the streets and
sidewalks in the vicinity OF the court
house. The crowd swarned from ri.
adjoining square. where it had stood
from $3.50 o'clock until 10. a sGuao
of police and all the available deputy
sheriffs had to be called upon to clear
the streets before the jury was taKe;iti
out of the court llouse.
Hundreds led the way OF the jurors
to their hotel, while many more
fianked the line OF deputies at either
side of the jurors. Many women We're
in the crowd. Counsel for both sides
made statements to the Associated
Press tonight
| ~ feel certain that we will get IL
conviction" said Prosecuting Attorney
| fIandian ~ believe the verdict will
be reached early tomorrow morn
ing
]. 7. P. o.Brien, counsel for Mrs.
Schenk said:
There is now no chance for con-
viction: every hour the jury is out
helps our cause We feel sure that the
jury will return Il verdict of innocent
within few more ii IFS"
When Prosecuting Attorney J., B.
lIandlan concluded his argument to
the jury at SIS this afternoon. the
end Of the trial OF Farnsworth Schenk
had been reached, and from that mo-
lnent her case was in the hands OF
the jury. which immediat civ retired
to consider a verdict.
At 5 o'clock the jury had not RE-
turned verdict. and when a deputy
sheriff went to the Jurors room
take them TO supper he found them
with their coats off. and apparently in
he height Of heated discussion. The
Jurors asked for a half All hour mora
before going to supper in which time
they expected to reach some decision
At the end Of the half-hour they had
no definite answer TO submit TO Tho
court and We're taken out to the even
Ing meal, with instructions from Judge
Jordan to return at 1870 and continue
Its deliberations. Judge Jordan an
nounced that he would wait until 1
y. NJ, at which tine. if no verdict
was reached, the jury should he locked
n n Il al har I irNf,cs
should be resumed in the morning.
In Utter Collapse. 'a
Just five minutes after Prosecutor
IIandlan finished his argument. and
as the jury was retiring, Mrs. Schenk
collapsed and was led from the court
| room between her attorney j. j. r.
o'Brien. and Deputy Sheriff Thomas
Kelly. Her face was swollen and DIS
torted almost beyond recognition by q
day OF constant heavy sobbing.
She gave way at the rain Of bitter
| invective and fierce arrangement OF
PROSECUTORS Handlan The accused wo-
man fell heavily forward on the table
early in his argument Shaken BY her
sobs. she presented a pitia Bile spec
tacle.
Mr.. Handlan asked the jury 10 show
no mercy to Il woman who had de-
liberately violated her marriage VOWS.
sharing young Dan Phillips with her
" liCS, anu Hdu lneH .COlQiV, calmly
plotted to kill by slow poison the hus-
band who had given her name, had
lavished upon her automobiles, costly
clothing and jewels. and everythi
which the heart OF woman could de-
sire.
Her heart is flint" he shouted ut
tcrly incapable OF human sympathy,
love or affection Give her back to
her children tina she may contami-
nate and degrade them With her pres
ence? My God, gentlemen, you know
this woman liz guilty as hell itself, and
there is but ono place for her. t
"One of the most horrible things It
has ever been my lot as a lawyer to
come in contact with was when thig
woman looked upon the murder or
her husband in the cold booded Light
OF simple business proposition.
When unsuccessful herself, she offered
another one $1,000 TO do her vile work
for her. when coldly, calmly. fendishlyH
she asked the woman OF whom she
would have made a tool to place tho
poisoned medicine beside her unsus-N
pecting husbands bedside that he
might reach out In the dir, OF the 81. k
room in the night and swallow It st-8
himself aS
Climax OF Fiendishness.
"But even this was not the climax
of the Tenhishncss OF thIt woman SIT
ting there, That came when she com
temptuously referred to the sisters
of Charity at the hospital where her
husband was lying at tho point OF
death. who were ping about on heir