Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-10-25


the benefit Of this record before they
decide this case" urged Mcintyre.
Justice Golf, solemn and impressive,
denied the motion.
All eyes thereupon were turned
upon the jurors. The eyes of half OF
them dropped under, the scrutiny to
which they were subjected. Signs OF
intense strain and deep feeling were
manifest on the faces of them all
When the roll was called they an
swered but family to their names.
1t was apparently with a supreme
effort that juror No. 6. Dow ]. Becker,
answered at all.
Then came the age-old formula:
Gentlemen of the jury, have you
agreed upon a verdict?'
I'VE have" said Foreman Skinner.
Becker was ordered to arise. His
manner indicated that he feared the
worst. AS he dragged himself to his
feet his body swayed. He looked upon
the jurors and. pityingly, they looked
upon him.
How say you, gentlemen OF the
jury?'
Guilty in the first degree" almost
whispered the foreman.
BeclSer's chest sunk in, with a sigh
that shook his whole frame. His
mouth twitched, and all the muscles
of his face knotted in an anguislhed
spasm. A deep drawn sigh swept over
the courtroom.
Whitman, in the hour Of his tri-
umph, gazed steadily ahead. as did
H.. Me- I.4- .,.;rt,,,f .HI,1-.. ...n-
erful plea drove the final shot in the
case home. Then came a rustlins Of
feet and a rush towards the doors as
the reporters hurried to. the waiting
telephones.
Mcintyre, solicitiously whispering
to his client, who had fallen limp in
his chair, demanded that the jury be
polled, and then came one of the most
dramatic incidents Of the entire case.
These twelve men, after eight
hours' battling with their conscious
ness having pronounced the defend
ant guilty, turned from judges to
sympathizers and there was scarcely
a man of the twelve who did not
falter and whose voice did not catch
with a sol as he individually re-
tOIutu lliD Dtiiti III liz 6tit VI 49,
accused
Dow ]. Becker, juror No. 6, sobbed
aloud and had to repeat in. broken
tones his whispered yes"
And then Becker was summoned
to the rail again. lie trembled in
every muscle. Gone, his nerve, his
strength, his vitality. his hope. His
face was haggard. He had to hold
fast to The railing to keep from
falling. For the first time since the
trial began he showed signs of break
ing down.
The clock had just finished striking
IL as he took his place there at the
bar, a convicted murderer, to give his
pedigree.
lie seemed to realize his position
and yet to be dazed, crushed, ami
hilated. His answers to the questions
put to him by the clerk were almost
inaudible. Once he turned, as IL to
see whether the faithful wife who
had stood by him throughout was
there to see the md. A merciful court
attendant, however, fearing the YER
dict. or forcseeing it, had barred her
from the court, and even at that in
slant her fainting form was being
carried from the corridor by ready
friends.
Becker gave his age as ~, Ger
many as his place of birth, his bust
ness a lieutenant Of police, his re-
ligion Protestant, his mothers name
Lizzie.
These details over Mcintyre
fully asked that sentence be post
poned one week. Justice Golf an
nounced that he would not sentence
the convicted man until Wednesday.
Mcintyre vainly tried to have put on
the record the nature OF a request
WHICH the jury made, but which was
not granted by the court. Golf do
clared that nothing more could be
added to the record and in a few
words dismissed the jury with the
thanks of the court.
Mr.. Mcintyre announced immedi-
ately after Becker had been con-
Quoted to the tombs that he would
take an appeal at once.
Harold b. Skinner, foreman of the
jury, living at 601 West 1S5th street,
declared Immediately after the jury
had been discharged that an agree
ment had been reached among the
jurors that they would not discuss
the matter of their deliberations or
talk about the case in any form.
mot one word shall be said by a
single one of U.S. he said.
In a statement to the newspaper
reporters after the jury had rendered
it's verdict John F. Mcintyre, of Beck
er's counsel, said.
II was very much surprised at the
attitude of the court towards the tes-
timony of Schepps at Hot Springs.
Before the verdict was rendered | re-
quested the court to allow the jurors
to look over this testimony. The re-
quest vas denied, and l took excep-
tion to the courts ruling.
II called the courts attention then
to a letter that l had written to the
court regarding this matter, but even
my request that this letter be made
part of the record was denied. This
testimony of Schepps, l am sure,
played a vital part in the determine
ton of the verdict against my client.
l will at once prepare for further
proceedings to gain my clients lib
erty."
Hard as the blow was to Becker,
it apparently fell with no less force
upon John +. Mcintyre, his chief
counsel. HIS face became absolutely