The Mount Holly news., 1914-07-21

IluNeStlRdJlOuS ludue ny Jue duIuOfiUle
is which they thought justified them i
y causing Murphy's arrest. The man wa
er brought to jail and after he had bee
rs there few days he said he wanted
d hearing. Squire Ziegler, of Riverside
y was sent for. Murphy was told tha
s. anything he might say would be use'
1t against him and he was cautioned no
l. to make any statement that would il
e any way incriminate him. He was ais
,r told that whatever he said must be tolt
Y voluntarily. The warrant had beer
/ served by Deputy Sheriff Fleetwood ant
d when Murphy was brought to the Office
d the complaint was read to him. Asked
o how he pleaded he said guilty. He ther
i made clean breast of the entire affail
Z, and confessed to the murder. On cross
e examination by Mr.. Hillman Sheriff
t Jordan said he was not sure whether
e Murphy was warned before or after the
g commitment was read.
This concluded the testimony and
/ | Prosecutor Atkinson said: Edgar Muir
: lphy, you are charged with the murder
e of Herman Fisher. 1t is your privilege
7 to make any statement you desire,
S but it is my duty to warn you that any
S thing you say will be used against you
/ in the event of your being tried for the
2 crime with which you are charged
With this explanation do you wish to
say anything to this jury?" BY advice
OF his counsel Murphy said No"
: Prosecutor Atkinson then addressed
, the jury and told them that he felt there
was sufficient evidence for them to re-
turn verdict duplicating Murphy. He
explained that their finding would not
J nave any bearing on future proceed
lngs, that their verdict would not be
) conviction of the man and could not
possibly have any effect with the grand
Jury, which body would have to hear all
the testimony.
coroner Bisbing then charged the jury
as to their duty and the six men retired.
With the evidence that had been pro-
duced there was every reason to expect
speedy return of the jury, but to the sur
prise OF all there was long delay and it
was over an hour before the jury returned
and then there was another surprise at
the verdict which they rendered. 1t
was to the effect that 1--WE find that
Herman Fisher came to his death at
Iayior's lane on July IL, by gunshot
wounds at the hand or hands of parties
unknown, but one witness has testified
that Edgar Murphy has pleaded guilty
to the crime"
| Ihis perfectly idlotic verdict took the
breath of all who heard it and the feel
ing that had been against Murphy was
turned to the jury. How six men who
appeared to have ordinary intelligence
could return such presentment was in
comprehensive to all who heard it. The !
Prosecutor looked astounded and the |
Coroner had the appearance of wonder
ment how he ever selected six men of
such calibre.
After getting his breath Coroner Bis |
bing asked the jurors what they meant |
by returning such a verdict, to which |
they replied they thought they had
brought in just such finding as the
evidence warranted. 'Why, you heard
what Sheriff Jordan said, did you not?'
asked the Coroner, to which there was
an affirmative reply. "Well then,'
said Bisbing, you have not returned
verdict in accordance with the evidence, "
but the jurors never winked an eye.
Finally Prosecutor Atkinson took a |
hand in the matter and suggested that
possibly the jurors did not understand
the case. Perhaps they thought they
would be convicting the man if they
brought in a verdict other than that
which they did return. But it was of no
use. The jurors evidently thought they
knew it all and declined to change their
opinion. Then the Coroner took another
hitch at it. He asked each juror if he
did not understand Sheriff Jordan to
testify that Murphy had confessed.
Each man acknowledged that he did.
but one or two of them gave the Coroner
to understand that they were the per
sons who were to render the verdict and
1t would not make any difference what
he or any one else said, they would not
change their minds.
AT first the Coroner was inclined to
send them back, but he came to the con-
clusion that the jury had the right to
render any verdict which they con-
scientiously believed to be in accordance
with the evidence, so he paid the jurors
and allowed them to go.
The whole thing was a farce from the
time that Bisbing got the idea that he
had been sighted. Prosecutor Atkinson
and Sheriff Jordan entered the complaint
on which Murphy was arrested and af-
yer the latter confessed his crime there
was not the slightest necessity for an in
quest. But BiSbing felt that the other
oAicials had gone over his head and he
insisted upon his right to hold an in
quest, in which he was perfectly justifi-
able. 1t was his first case of any great
magnitude and there was natural de-
sire to appear before the public. The
jury he selected was composed of men
who stand high in the community in
wfsch they live, but the fact remains
they fell down badly on this case. BY
their verdict they have shown that they :,
do not know evidence when they hear it I
or they stamp Sheriff Jordan as a per-
jurer, and nobody will for moment be-
lieve that
The jurors were paid one dollar each,
showing that Bisbing does not know the
law or else ignored it. The statute al
lows each member of Coroner's jury 25 |
cents, and that is about what the jury in |
question was worth. If there are extra |
services the Board of Freeholders and |
the Prosecutor of the Pleas may recon- |
mend more compensation. Bisbing also |
showed lack of knowledge when he re-
fused to allow the reporters to see the
written verdict of the jury. He was
told it was matter of record as soon as
it was put into his hands, to which he
asked "How long SINGER He might
have been told that such was the case
ever since cOoners' juries have been in
existence.
The Coroner got somewhat mixed up
in his statements. Before the jury came
in he told the newspaper men that he
was higher in authority than Justice
of the Peace, and when the fool verdict