Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-08
John A. 4 LINES
IS INSANE; JURY
out FIFTY HOURS
p.6v Reaches Verdict ut 4:2a Yester.
day Afternoon After Being Out
Since Tuesday.
FINDING FIELD As COMPROMISE
Jurcrs Deadlocked, Six Holding Out
for Conviction and Six for Acquit-
tai of Defendant.

Iohn A. Holmes was insane at the
time he shot Mrs. Emma Ghys and is
insane now
This is the verdict reached by the
,ury in the sensational East Moline
case after celebrating nearly fifty
hours. The verdict was returned at
ahs Yesterday afternoon, the jury hav-
ing been out since Tuesday afternoon
al 2:S5.
Holmes will either be sent to the
pepitentiary for criminal insane at
Chester. H.. or TO the Watertown hos
nital for insane. 1t is believed every
effort will be made to have Holmes
committed to Watertown, and it is
highly probable that if such action is
taken. the defense will be successful
in its demand.
The insanity verdict was reached by
the Jury as a compromise. The body
had been deadlocked for hours, six
holding out for conviction and six for
acouttal. Over hundred ballots
we're taken without altering this dead
lock-
Yesterday morning the jury sent
"feeler" to Judge w. T. Church an
nouncing that they had agreed to dis
agree. but the court gave no intima-
ton that it would accept such action
and the Jury was forced o go on with
its balloting.
Wednesday morning c. ]. Searle filed
a motion that the jury be further in
structed as to the form Of verdict to be
used in case the defendant was found
insane. that is insane at the time of
the shooting and sane now or insane
at the time of the shooting and insane
now. Judge Church at that time de-
MED the motion.
Yesterday afternoon the jury asked
for further light and was brought
into the court room and further in
structed. After that time the jury
made comparatively short work of it.,
reaching a verdict at APPS.
The record set by the jury in the
case of Clyde Stratton. which was out
4S hours before reaching verdict Of
guilty.. was shattered by the jury in
the Holmes case, the Jurors being out
nearly fiftv hours before reaching a
verdict. Stratton. was found guilty Of
the murder of Banker Crowder of Sill
Wis in 1913.
The Holmes trial was hard fought
from beginning to end and dragged
over a period of two and one-half
weeks before the case was finally Civ
en- to the jury. The defense had but
two courses open, inasnuch as Holmes
admitted the shooting. Consequently
ss'f-defense and insanity were intro
ICED Holmes claimed that Mrs.
c'vs grapDled with him at the ton of
ia stairs in the Ghvs fat on the fate,
fl night of May 2S, 1917. and that
she had a revolver in her hand. He
stated that he tried to shoot her
through the wrist to disarm her, but
that she turned as he fired and the
bullet went through her heart. The
state discredited all Of the statements.
Strange Actions Shown.
Then numerous so-called character
witnesses we're introduced for the de-
Tense Most of these witnesses testi-
fed as to Holmes strange actions for
weeks prior to the time of his shoot
ing. how he lost interest and how he
had become careless in his duties as
fire marshal at the Marseilles plant in
East Moline.
Holmes relations with Mrs. Alice
Garrison. his housekeeper, were gone
into at great length during the case.
The story was told how Holmes f2d
met Mrs. Garrison some five years
previous at Marseilles. H., and how
he had made every effort to reform
and cure her of the hope habit. Just
about the time his efforts seemed
crowned with success Mrs. Ghys broke
in upon their rome. After that time
II was claimed. the Garrison woman
freouented the Ghys fiat and went out
with other men Holmes unsuccess-
ful efforts to get the Garrison woman
away from Mrs. Ghys led up to the
shooting, the defense claimed.
Holmes presented rather striking
fgure in court. He is SO years old and
man Of education, having been for
mer school teacher.