Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-05-21
Roosevelt Case
in Jury's Hands
NO VERDICT AFTER SEVERAL
HOURS OF DELIBERATION.
LOCKED UP FOR NIGHT
Court Adjourned Until 10 a. n1.Today,
When a Verdict, If Found, Will Be
Reeeived-Courthous Deserted and
No Sound from Jury Room.

Syracuse, n. Y, May 2o.-The jury
chosen to determine whether Theodore
Roosevelt libelled William Barnes and,
if so, what sum is commensurate with
the damages sustained by the latter,
was locked up at 11.27 o'clock tonight
after it had deliberated for more than
seven hours and failed to reach a YER
dict.
A request involving politics was
made by one of the jurors on the sin
gle occasion when he and his compan-
ions were brought back into the court
room.
Jury Retired at a.45 p. m.
Juror No. 3, Walter J. Zuill, as pro-
gressive, asked Justice William s. An
drews, who has presided at the trial of
Mr.. Barnes suit, to reiterate that part
of his charge in which he said the
jurymen would not be performing
their sworn duty if they considered
politics or allowed their individual DO
litical beliefs to play any part in the
reaching of verdict. The jury re-
tired at 3.45 o'clock this afternoon af-
ter William NJ. WINS, chief counsel for
MIR. Barnes, had summed up the case
of the plaintiff and Justice Andrews
had delivered his charge The usual
time for adjourning court has been 4
o'clock, but Judge Andrews agreed to
remain an hour later so that he might
give the jurymen any additional in
structions they desired or answer any
questions they cared to ask about
evidence.
Justice Sends for Jury.
When at o'clock no word had come
from the jury room, Justice Andrews
sent for the twelve men. AS they
filed into court and took their seats
in the box their faces were solemn.
Justice Andrews asked whether they
had any suggestion to make. None of
the jurymen spoke for more than
minute. Then Juror No. 8 arose, hesi-
tated as if uncertain how to proceed,
and addressed the court in part as
follows:
'I don't know but what it would be
a good idea if you would repeat that
part of your charge in which you said
that no political opinion of our own
should in any way affect us in reach
ing a verdict; that we should over
come all personal prejudices;' that in
reachinngn decisio nwe should consid-
er nothing but the evidence and that
alone"
Justice Andrews replied that he
thought the jury surely must under
stand that it would not be performing
it's duty if it did otherwise.
Court Adjourned Until 10 This Morn
ing.
He then announced that he would
adjourn court Immediately until 10
o'clock tomorrow morning, when a
verdict, if found during the Interval,
would be received. He told the jury
that in case it failed to reach a verdict
by IL o'clock tonight it would be
taken to a dormitory in the Jail at
tached to the courthouse and locked up
until tomorrow. Should a verdict be
found before II o'clock, he said, the
jury might put it in writing, seal it,
and turn it over to representative of
the court. In that event, Justice An
drews continued, 'the jurymen might
go to their homes for the night and
report at the opening of court in the
morning. He warned each of the men,
however, that should they reach a YER
dict and thus escape being locked up
for the night, they must not mention
or even intimate to anyone the nature
of the finding.
Taken Out to Dinner.
The jury then filed back to its room
and remained there until o'clock. At
that time, under the watchful eye of
deputy sheriffs, the twelve men then
left the building for dinner. Upon
their return to the courthouse in half
an hour they Immediately retired to
their room and resumed their deliber
ations behind locked doors.
AS there was no prospect of a YER
dict, should one be found and sealed,
being made public until morning, the
courthouse was deserted tonight except
for a few deputy sheriffs and court at
tendants. No sound came from the
jury room.