The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1913-07-10

UT no eNlueuCe IUT tne pTlSODeT anu ulu
not think what he had would require
ten minutes to bring 1t out. Upon this
the judge told the obliging jurymaD
that he was very sure be would have
plenty of time to make his train.
I'm glad of that. your honor" said
fhe gentleman. There's nothing
dread so much as waiting for any
thing. especially for a train"
The judges opinion as to the period
of the trial proved quite correct For
awhile II seemed that il would be put
through at railroad speed. The charge
was read to the prisoner. and he was
asked to plead. He said he was Brit
ish subject and asked If that would
make any difference. When told that
it would not he pleaded not guilty.
gave my account of how had trap
ped him. and his victim testified
against him The accused declared
that he was British subject from
Australia and If his home were not so
far away he could easily prove his re-
specta bility. The twelfth juryman i'm
paneled asked him a few questions
about Australia which he answered
evidently to the juryman's satisfac-
ton. But this didn't cut any figure
because it didn't matter where he came
from. We had the deadwood on him
We expected the jury to convict him
without leaving their seats, but they
didn't. Then we thought they might
be half an hour. but the half hour
passed. and they didn't come back.
The Judge went home to dinner. leav-
ing instructions to be called when a
verdict was reached. He wasn't called.
I The jury remained out the rest of
the day and all night In the morning
they sent w<,rd that they would like to
be discharged since they couldn't
agree. This made the judge angry.
and he sent back word that the evil
dence was absolutely convincing and
they must agree. Indeed, they were
given to understand that they must
bring in a verdict or they would be
kept where they were till the crack of
doom. They stood out till about 10
O'Clock the second night, then sent
word that they had come to an agree
ment. The judge was summoned, and
they filed into court, The judge asked
the customary questions.
Have you arrived at verdict?"
I'VE have. your honor"
do you find the prisoner guilty or
not guilty Of the charger
Not guilty"
what
Not guilty. your honor"
There was nothing to do In ac-
cordance with the law except to dis
charge them. Convinced that there
had been some rascality practiced. |
stationed myself at the door and scru.
tinized every man as he went out. |
noticed that the twelfth juryman, who
had volunteered. led the rest out of
the courtroom. and | heard him de-
scending the stairs three steps at a
time.
was convinced that he had imposed
on us all with IA view to getting on the
jury. then standing out for an acquittai
] learned that he had told his fellow
jurymen that he had lived in Australia
and had known the prisoner there and
could vouch for his being a respected
citizen of Melbourne. He was sure
that he had been mistaken for some
one else and would not on any account
vote for conviction. Not until the
others became convinced that the man
was not to he moved did they conclude
to bring in verdict of not guilty rath-
er than disagree and subject the state
to the expense of another trial.
There was no way of holding the
man who had been tried. He had been
acquitted of the charge Of which he
was accused and could not be tried
again for that crime. So we made a
virtue Of necessity and let him 60
Six months after this two men We're
arrested for confidence work. went
to the trial for information and a look
at the prisoners, since it was my Gus
tom to keep track Of the rogues
brought in. The moment | looked at
the prisoners | recognized both of
them. One was the man who had
swindled the farmer and whom | had
supposed to be Jerry Wilson. The 9th
err would you believe it?-was the
twelfth jury yman who had forced his
acQulttal.
But this was not all of my surprise
At the trial Of the two men 1t came
out that this twelfth juryman. who
was willing to help us out If it didn't
take too long was none other than
Jerry Wilson. He and the other man.
Tom Murphy (and other names). had
long worked confidence games togeth-
er, and when his pal was in trouble
Wilson had made himself up for a gen,
tleman, had gone into the courtroom to
watch the impaneling of the jury and
in the nick of time had offered himself
TO help us out,
! / confess that in all my experience
never knew clearer case of one
rogue standing by another. Wilson
ran an awful risk, Had known when
he left the courtroom that he had sin
| gle handed hung" the jury ! should
have kept him in sight, trumped up II
charge against him and held him till /
| could find out who he was That he