The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-07-20
Jury Declares
Albert Geddes
is Ecc|es's Son
Various Estimates Place. Youths
Share Of Fortune at Between
100000 and 100000

Ogden, July 16.-By a decis or
that was unanimous but for the dis
sent OF one man jury in the Second
district court at noon today, declared
Albert Geddes Eccles to be a son of
the late David Eccles and heir 10 one
thirty-third of the millions left by
the sugar and lumber king of Utah.
According to the various estimates
OF the Eccles estate the boys for
tune as a result of the decis on may
be from 100000 to 100000.
In spite of the intense public sen.
tlment almost unanimously in favor
of Mrs. Margaret Geddes and her
son, the decision of the jury was not
without its surprise in view of the
many hours of deliberation by the
eight men who listened to the evi.
den2e during the four weeks of the
famous trial. The hunnreds who had
been in the court room for days were
at loss to understand the delay,
while the confidence of the defense
scared with every passing minute.
Out Seventeen Hours
seventeen hours and forty minutes
had elapsed from the time the case
was givento the jury until the yer.
dlct was rad in court at two minutes
after IL o'cloc ktoday. At least eight
hours, according to the estimates of
Jurors, was spent in actual delibera.
ton before majority was won over
to the boys side and more than an.
other hour was spent in attempting
to make the decision unanimous WI.
liam N. Baker, a fruit grower of
Roy, and one of the six Mormon mem
bers of the jury, was the only one
OF the eight to dissent from the yer.
dict.
when the first ballot was taken
last evening and until the delibera.
lions were renewed this morn ng the
jury was evenly divided four for the
estate and four for the boy. Those
Jurors originally in favor of a deci.
sion for Mrs. Geddes and her son
We're Nils Lofgren, foreman, Norm.
on; John Parry, Mormon; John L.
man, nonMormon. Those dissenting
Warren, Mormon; George Thinner.
man, nonMormon; Those dissenting
were II. II. McCool, nonMormon;
Robert o. Bybee, Mormon; John II.
Higley, Mormon, and William N.
Baker, Mormon.
during the early hours of the fore |
noon Jurors McCool, Bybee and H!g.
ley were won over to the side of |
those favoring a verdict for the plain.
TIN. All seven sought to change the |
opinion Of Juror Baker, who had
stood out determinedly for the es.
tate from first to last. and when 1t
was within five minutes Of the noon
hour they decided to return the sew. /
en- TO one decision.
No Demonstration
There were comparatively few per.
sons in the court room when the IN.
portant decision was read. There
was no demonstration such as roa.
tured the closing hours Of the trial.
Other than those directly interested
in the outcome of the case, there
were less than twenty spectators in
the court room.
Mrs, Geddes and her daughters,
Mrs. Maggie Head and Mrs. Hinnle
Nelson and her son, Albert, retained
their composure until all of the jur.
ors and nearly all Of the others had
departed. Then the woman burst in
to tears and embraced the son for
whose honor she has fought during /.
the weeks Of the memorable trial. Il
Mrs. Nielsen, the daughter, was sob.
bling as she was led from the court
room by her husband.
THE verdict is a just one" said
Mrs. Geddes with quivering lipe.
God has aided us in our fight and /
feel very grateful to Him and the
good men who have given us so much
assistance" She would have said
more but the tears welled in her
eyes and she turned away sobblng.
Albert Eccles sought to comfort his
mother as he was embraced in turn
by Mrs. Geddes and his aged grand.
mother, Mrs, Flora Nelson. The
David Nelson, was also
IN the court room when the verdict
was read.
Will Fight to the End
Neither Mrs. Bertha Eccles, nor
Mrs, Ellen stoddard Eccles and only
few of the heirs by the first two
wives were in the court when the
lnEN rntnrL.nA A...--..-- III