The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-10-28
JURYMEN BASE
V|ND|CAT|0N ON
FIGHT EVIDENCE
Freed Man Breaks Down
When Court Reads Grand
Jury Report After Short
Deliberati0n. ,
BROWN WINS JURORS
Members of Probing Body
Placed Faith in Story
Friends Ask Conductors
Return to Old Run.

NCIuIN 10 OlU NuN.
INDICATED for the shooting Of Morris
Walker, Joseph Brown is today free
man.
At 1920 o'clock this morning the
grand jury brought to Judge Fox its
report of the finding. After a moment
of intense stiffness in the court room
while the judge opened the report,
Brown heard the words which set him
free, then broke down.
The legal point on which Brown is
vindicated is not in the fact that Wal
ker was in his home and that Mrs.
Brown was with him, but by reason of
the vicious attack the intruder made
upon him, and that Brown acted in
! self-defense.
Jury Takes One Vote.
The jury announced its intention of
deliberating on the case and retired.
! One vote was taken and it was unan-
| imously in favor of releasing the pris-
oner.
The report follows:
I'VE respectfully report to the court
that we have made full investigation
of the killing of Morris Walker on Oc-
tober 10, and find that Joseph II.
Brown. who killed Walker, acted in
self-defense. and therefore, we return
no indictment against Mr.. Brown.
! DANIEL o. CLEVENGER,
| Foreman,
WINFIELD S. ELIASON.
Clerk
MAXWELL c. LAMB.
"JOHN DIETZ,
EARL S. PIKE.
! "ROSS STEVENS"
! The jurors were as much touched as
the court attaches, who have been
Browns friends, when the man bowed
his head and sobbed silently He could
hardly thank those who congratulated
him few minutes afterward. He said
a few words or thanks to the jury. and
shook hands with each of the jurors
for their consideration
Jurors Trust Brown.
The jurors publicly stated that they
believed Prcwn to be an honest and
sincere man, and took in good faith
every word of the story he told when
he was before the jury late yesterday
and for an hour today. He was the
/ concluding witness.
! After the reading of the report. Pros
ecuting Attorney Keller congratulated
; Brown and said:
| Il am very we'll satisfied with the
report of the grand jury. The jury
was unanimous in its decision that
Brown acted in self-defense, and l
! personally feel the same. The evidence
! that he acted in self defense was borne
out not only in verbal testimony, but
by the mute testimony of the location
Of the bullets in the wall. the condi-
I tion of the room and the condition of
! Browns clothing.
} i,tr
against him. would have been. to my
, mind. a miscarriage of justice. and 1
believe it would have been impossible
to secure a conviction on any charge"
! Mr.. Brown returned to the Jail to
secure some of his belongings, after
which he went to the home of his
| brother, Edward Brown, on North Six
| teenth street. His son was there to
| meet him. Mrs. Brown did not appear,
| either in the court room or after the
| reading Of the report of the jury.
Talks in Spanish.
During the time between testifying
and the reading of the grand jurys
| report, Mr.. Brown conversed with
court attaches. and only by close OBJ
servation could any signs of nervous
ness be seen. He talked Spanish for
some time with the court reporter, J.
r. Holiday. MIR. Brown said he studied
! languages at his home on his nights
off duty.
| AS the jury entered the room and
the spectators squared around to face
the judge, Brown became tense in his
attitude. When he heard the report,
he did not seem at first to realize its
full meaning.
/ you are free" he was told.
! Thank Cod" was the reply.
| Browns friends Immediately an
nounced that they will take steps to
have Brown returned to his old run
on the Richmond division from Logans-
port to Cincinnati. although it was
said at the railroad shops that the
company authorities are in sympathy
with him and would not change his
position because of the act.
| Brown was the last witness before
| the grand jury. He had expressed
willingness to go before the grand jury
the first day the jury began its ses-
| sion, and after the jurors heard all
| the other testimony they expressed q
desire to hear Brown. 1t is said that
even if Brown had not testified the
Jury would have refused to indict him,
as it was satisfied that he was guilt
less.