New Britain herald., 1917-07-13
Judge Greene, in Charge, Says Verdict Must Be Based on Death of An- drews and No Other.

Hartford, July 13.-The jury which for nearly three weeks has listened to the evidence in the case of the state vs. Mrs. Amy E. Archer -Gilli gan, charged with murder of Frank lin R. Andrews, contract inmate of her home for elderly people, in Windsor, retired to consider a yer dict at 12:07 this noon. The charge by Judge Gardiner Greene extended through two hours and three minutes. The court room was crowded to the doors, some spectators filling the prisoners box. Judge w. s. Case sat on the bench during the charge.
 Judge Greene gave an exposition of the law of homicide, and also at length reviewed the evidence. He instructed the jury that fou1s terdicts were possible under the indictment: First degree murder secoud degree murder, manslaughter and that of mot guilty"
 The only count in the indictment to be considered was that charging the murder of Andrews. The other counts were not evidence, and the state only used them as a means to indicate a possible motive for a crime.
 The court explained the weight to be given circumstantial evidence. He said it was not possible to determine the actual way in which poison had been used but as it was necessary to define the presence of the substance in the body of the deceased the tes- timony of experts on the effect of poison had been introduced The court said that the law of homicide places a death by use of poison as in the manner here charged, in the first degree. The state claims that the murder was deliberately and premed- itatedly done. If this has been proved the murder would be in the first degree.
 The court cautioned the jury not to be swayed by sympathy or by the fact of the sex of the defendant That the accused did not take the stand was not to be taken as assail- ing her claims of innocence.
 Referring to the white crystals found in Andrews stomach, the court said he was unable to understand what the defence implied, but did not state outright, by saying that white crystals were found only in the stom- ach of Andrews. which Dr. Wolff had taken charge of. Tn view of the lack of direct statement the jury was to de- eide if the white crystals were planted in the stomach of Andrews after death; whether the implied charge was that Dr. Wolff had made the evil dence and whether Dr. Wolff had come into court and perjured himself The court said that experts had agreed that there was a poison in the body, but disagreed as to how 1t got there. The defense claimed that the poison came there through the embalming fluid. while the state offered evidence to show that the fluid did not contain the poison found in the body.
 The court referred to the testimony of Eugene Shea, assistant to the em- palmer, noting that he was not asked as to the embalming fluid and 1t was for the jury to determine what the answer would have been.
 On many points the court reviewed the evidence and explained the law. Throughout the charge Mrs. Gilligan sat with listless air. At its conclusion she appeared greatly agitated and was comforted by her daughter.
 At 2:30 the jury came into the court room and asked that 1t might see some of the states exhibits. These had to be sent for. When the Jury sent in word that it wished to come in Mrs Gilligan was taken into the court room. The spectators an ticipated a verdict.