The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-05-23
When Foreman Of Jury An
| nounces Verdict Men Weep
| From Sheer Nervousness, So
| Tense Was Strain
Becker.Holds Nerve
In Remarkable WAY
] lawyers and Defendant Stun
ned, So Confident Were They
Of AcquittA-Poll Jury Be-
fore Attorney Is Satisfied.
Sentence Set May 18th

NEW YORK. MAY 22-For the
yDecond time, Charles Becker was con-
|iTicted today of the murder Of Her
man Rosenthal, The 1uotnrs were in
absolute agreement on their one bal
lot after only forty minutes of actual
They could have saved
II Becker's life evn In finding him guilty
IL they had wanted to show mercy.
Justice Seahury had told them they
could choose among three degrees of
murder, and two of these degrees
would have meant Imprisonment. But
they believed that Jack Rose told the
truth when he said that Becker order
ed. arranged and paid for the assassi-
nation Of the gambler who was about
10 ruin him.
Bsckers counsel was shockingly dis
|iAppointed at todays verdict. They had
hoped for acquittal. They builded
positively upon a disagreement But
they never thought there was chance
In the world that twelve men. after
the Court OF APPEALS decision, would
Srer send Becker to the chair.
The swiftnesS Of the 3ury's action
was the thing that intensified the. con-
vtction. The men who had Becker's
fate In their hands were out OF the
court room for four hours and Ave
minutes-from 1851 r. NJ. until 4:5s
r. M.--but forty minutes was all they
needed for reviewing the evidence,
The Jury rode to the Murray Hill
hotel for luncheon In a big automobile.
The members Of the tnry observed
silence during the meal and on the
return trip their sciemnity awed the
veteran court officers. their at
tendants, who had never seen a Jury
= - hat tx4F nf
nccrs had guarded hundreds of jurles.
They went Into the jury room at
1858 r. NJ. and then for the frat time
the silence WAS broken. Mr. .BIagfen.
the foreman. asked them to gather
around the long table They sat close
[,ly- They talked--whtspered rather
with heads almost touching. There
was not the ghost of an argument, not
the suggestion of disagreement
Jury Agrees.
After forty minutes. the whispering
ended. They took a secret ballot,
This was at ass p. NJ, From numb Der
to number q they voted guilty as
charged In the indictment, Their
work was done, unalterahly DONE but
they did not desire to give an appear
lnce of haste.
In an hour and ten minutes that fol-
lowed. before the Jurors reached their
report to the court. they took their
minds OF tho case as much as they
possibly could. They talked business,
etc. But this conversation died away
Of itself. They fell into silence. When
the hands Of the clock pointed to 4:4s
the foreman asked Captain Lynch to
notify Justice Seabury that a verdict
had been agreed upon. The justice
was In his chambers adjoining the
trial room, ready for whatever request
or service the jury might suggest. The
district attorney and counsel for the
defense vera summoned instantly by
the Justice
the building the moment II was learn
ed that>th jury was about to come
In. Down In the well Of the build
Ing on the main floor, above the hub
bub q voice was heard exciaiming:
Murder In the first
This was a guess. no doubt. shot
In tho dark. The jurors hadn't left
stheir room. The justice himself did
not know what their verdict was. And
| set before the defendant was called
to the bar and before Foreman Blag-
aen answered the great question the
elevator men and the janitors were
anticipating the verdict
Return To Court.
Tho reporters who leaped for the
courtroom at the signal OF Justice
Sea burys attendant did not Know un-
I'll ten minutes later that the truth
had been guessed, and was echoing
through the building They swarmed
. into the courtroom at 1850 F. M a
rev moments later me door Leading
20 the Justices chambers ana me W.T.
ness room swung open martin s
Manton. Beckers chief counsel, walk
N rnnid1v in his associates at his
heels There was seriousness in their