Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-11-22
BURKE FREE
CONTINUED from PAGE One,

! ~ 4VAA4 u Ae4AN
Continued from Page one)
1919. three days after the State
claims he met his death.
Practically Unanimous Vote
| The jury of this second trial was
charged Saturday morning by Judge
Scott Wilson of Portland and retired
to their room at 1880 "A. NJ. being
in elaboration five hours and 10 min
utes. The vote for acquittal was
practically unanimous according to
one of the jurymen.
| Al 3.15 Saturday afternoon a knock
was heard from the inside of the jury
| room and the word was passed
| through that the jury wanted to come
out Judge Wilson came from his
| chambers. A deputy sheriff was sent
! to the Jail to conduct over the pris-
orer,' Jack Burke. and the word
was going to report and soon the al
most deserted court room was filled.
Fail to Curb Rejoicing
Before the jury filed in Judge Will
son asked that there be no demon
stration ca the part of anyone re-
! CARELESS of what the jury might say.
But when the solemn faced jury filed
| in deathIy silence was upon the
place. Burke from his chair at the
bar looked into the faces of each of
| the lurymen as If to read in them
the answer to his fate. There was
not an expression on a single face
impressive and unanswering.
| Not guilty" were the words which
| fel. from the lips of Foreman Walter
jacobs. Instantly the court room was
in a stir as if an electrical current
| had swept over the hum1n beings
there. Loud hand clapping and other
sign: of rejoicing made the building
ring so that the sounds reached far
out The rappings of the officials
was without avail. Then after a SUBJ
| siding of PIC noise, Ehe prisoner was
! formally a. scharged by CT ERIK OF Court
Seekins.
| Sister First at Side
First TO reach John Burke was his
| sister, Mrs. William Morrissette of
Fairfield. who has been in daily at
tendance at the trial. Then William
! II. Pattangail, his chief counsel
| through two long trials went to him.
placed one hand on his shoulder and
with the other grasped the right hand
of John. Thomas Leigh, associate
| counsel. was close to his partner in
congratulating.
| John Burke and William Pattangall
Ii ade their way down stairs by way
of the rear exit and out into the late
afternoon. The air never smelled
| better before than it did when
| stepped out of that court ROOM" John
! said. Their quick steps led them to
] the Iaine Central house where Mrs.
Burne was already aware of the
news. IL having been brought to her
Through the open windows of her
room. by the friends who joyfully
/ s; read thu news along the streets.
Friends Gather About Burke
Friends and others fiocked behind
the procession led by the free man
and his friend and clustered about the
| happy reunited couple. 1t is safe to
say that the old Maine Central House
never witnessed more joyful scene
than that of the meeting between
Jack Burke and his wife.
| On Saturday night at the Maine
| Central house there was a big party
| for Jack Burke and his wife, the
bride and the groom they were call
| ed. And the ones who attended the
parties were the relatives and. the
nearer friends. 1t was a gay party,
one of the thanksgiving of joyful
ness.
| Plans Uncertain
Sunday morning, Jack Burke, now
a citizen of the country again. breath
the fresh, clear air of announcement.
! Their plans are not certain. Their
| home in Jackman is just as they left
| it. I'VE could go there tonight and
get our supper if we wanted to- said
the fair haired Flossie and there was
a tone of usefulness and tone of
supreme. happiness in her voice They
will not return to Jackman for the
present at least. On Monday Jack
and Flossie will go to Fairfield. where
| they will visit his sister and her hus-
band, Mr.. and Mrs. Morrissette. Then
there is his younger sister who will
be visited. And Flossie's aunt, who
lives in Vermont wants them to come
and visit her.
Federal Charge Expires
! The Federal charge which has been
| hanging over him and which was the
! reason for a Federal officer being on
the scene during the last days of the
first trial. has expired. The time was
marked by last Monday and John
| Burke is now a free man.
| The matter of the questioned notes
will be something beside the present
| issue. If they are presented and if
the BARLEY estate contests them,
then that will be another case, indie
pendent of anything gone before.
Jury Scatters
! The members of the jury started
Sunday morning for their homes in
various parts of the county Practi-
cally every juryman was armed with
a mounted picture of the jury and