The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-21
is STILL WAITING
Beers Jury Been Out Twenty
Four Hours.
No Intimation of How They're
BallOting.
ASK FOR NO INSTRUCTIONS
Just an Uncanny Silence From
Jury Room.
Lines Deeper on Preachers
Face While He Waits.
ASK FOR NO INSTRUCTIONS

At $3.50 this afternoon the Beers jury
was still out. No word has been re-
ceived as to how the jury stands on
this case. Only an oppressive silence
comes from the jury room
The judge will keep the jury until
Saturday night.
At 1890 O'Clock this afternoon the
jury was taken by Bailiff Mullen to
lunch without having reached a deci-
sion in the case of the Rev. w. l..
Beers, charged with the murder of his
Catholic wife. So far not an inkling
of how the jury stands has been made
known, and although there are a
score of theories and rumors as to
why they do not agree, nobody knows
anything-Bailim Mullen has seen to
that.
So far also Judge George H. Whit
comb has not called the jury into
court to sound them, and no hint OF
request for further Instructions or TO
hear any of the testimony over again,
has come from the jury room LasS
night the jury bell rang twice, and
the crowd waited with bated breath
for the third ring that meant a YER
dict. But it did not come. Two rings
simply meant the jury wanted water.
This morning shortly after O'Clock
a night in which some of them said
they had slept hardly at all = By
O'Clock they were back in their room
working on the verdict. From that
time until half past twelve not
sound came from the jury room
Last night also, when Judge Whit
comb ordered the jurors sent to bed
a request came down that they be per-
mitted to take another ballot before
retiring But the ballot seemingly did
not accomplish anything. AT least
they made up their beds and arranged
themselves for sleep and stopped their
work for the time being.
Among the rumorS is one that the
jury are having hard time to de-
termine why the minister, in asking
for a doctor at the Glenwood hotel the
afternoon of the tragedy, asked also
for a policeman. Another theory is
that some of the surors are insisting
if the minister really wanted to save
his wife's life he would not have wait
ed so long after she Sc -amed before
calling for help, as testified to by Wal
lace Mcdowell, the bellboy at the no
tel.
Still another theory is that Schenck,
in his scathing denuncia ton of the
Catholic church yesterday in his plea
for his client, aroused the passions and
prejudices of the jurors to the extent
that it will be difficult for them to
there may be a Catholic on the jury,
in spite of the vigilance of the de-
fense in preventing such thing hap
pening, and that the Catholic, who
ever he is may be standing out alone
against the others.
But this is regarded as unlikely, in
asmuch as there has been no DISPOSE
ton on the part of the jury to declare
they are unable to agree, and the more
plausible theory seems to be that they
are earnestly trying TO make up their
minds upon a verdict.
1t is reported, but this is pure rumor
any backing except some of
the theories advanced, that the jury
IS about evenly divided. However, as
has been stated nobody knows any
thing about the situation, and all that !
is being said is the purest kind of
guesswork, without any foundation /,
This afternoon at 1:30 o'clock the |
Jurors were back in their room again, !
once more working on the case. They |
have asked for no light of any kind on
the case, and their actions are deemed !
almost uncanny by some of those who
are interested in the outcome of the /
suit