The weekly soliphone., 1915-05-21
fFrom Saturdays Daily Press)

er-in-laW, Mrs. mary II. laws az
oord;ng TO the verdict of the jury
rendered at nine twenty-five this
morning.
The verdict had been under con
sideration since yesterday afternoon
at five minutes past three, wheh
the Jury retired. At five O'CLOCK
they reported to the court that they
,yaro unable to agree. A recess was
taken until seven O'Clock III the
evening and consideration was re-
snmed. At ten o'clock last night
the iursrs retired for the night.
This morning at eight O'Clock they
went into the jury room and again
took up the case. Ten minutes pc
fore they reached a verdict they
came into the court room and re-
ouested an explanation of the IN
structions about excluding the YER
dict of the jury at Osceola when
CARPENTER was acquitted OF the
charge of numbering his wife. Judge
Gautney wrote out an explanation
and handed it to ]. B. Kirchoff, the
foreman. At nine fifteen the jury
again retired and at nine twenty
five they returned to the court room
with verdict of not guilty.
1t is understood that the jury
stood seven for acquittal and five
for a life sentence at ten O'Clock
last night. This morning the five
who had held out for conviction
yielded and Joined the seven in
verdict of not guilty. 1t is stated
the verdict was based largely on
the Jurors Interpretation of the
courts instructions with reference
to excluding consideration of the
verdict reached by the Osceola
jury. Whether the jury here took
this to mean that evidence tending
to show Carpenter murdered Mrs.
Carpenter was to be excluded and
only such testimony as bore direct
ly on the charge of numbering Mrs.
Davis was to be considered, is not
known, but from a conversation had
this morning with one member of
the jury, this impression has left.
In stating yesterday afternoon
that additional argument was waiv-
ed by both sides and that the case
went to the jury upon an agree
ment between the opposing attor-
news, The Press was in error The
attorneys for the defense exercised
right given them under the
rules of procedure in Arkansas
courts by declining to argue the
case after an attorney representing
the state had addressed the jury.
Prosecuting Attorney Huddleston
had reserved his speech for the
close of the case, and by the action
Of attorneys for the defense in de-
clining to argue after Green for
the prosecution had concluded his
speech, the debate was brought to
an end. Senator Clyde Going pur-
sued the same plan in the Hughes
trial at Batesville recently, when
he let the case go to the jury after
the first speech had been made by
an attorney for the state. He thus
cut off the speech that would have
been made by Congressman Cara
way.
The verdict in the Carpenter case
brings to close series or ex-
pensive law suits that began with
the trial at Osceola in March, 1913,
when Carpenter was acquitted of
the charge of having murdered his
wife. He took change of venue
to Crittenden county. but when the
case was called it was found the
indictment was faulty. A new in
dictment was drawn at the next
term of court at Blytheville, and
change of venue was taken to this
county. At the December term,
1914, the case was tried and the
jury failed to agree. The trial at
that time consumed one week. At
this term of court the case was
called on Monday. May 8, and con-
tinued until this morning. Three
days were lost last week on &C
count of the illness of j. r. Diggs,
one of the jurors.
The case has been an expensive
one to Mississippi county. There
were nearly one hundred witness
es in the case with attendance run
ming from one day to more than
a week. The per diem and mileage,
supplemented by the jury cost and
other expenses incident to the liti-
CATION, will run into the thousands
of dollars.
While there is great diversity
of opinion as to the guilt or inno-
cence of Carpenter. no regret is ex-