Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-05-15
SENSATIONAL CASE IS
DECIDED ON FIRST
BALLOT TODAY
VICTORY FOR SONS
ELEVEN ATTEMPTS MADE BIZ
FORE FINDING WAS REACHED
KNOCKING OUT DECEASED Ia
SALlEAN'S LAST TESTAMENT
GIVING WIDOW AND Her SON
BULK OF HIS ESTATE.

After deiberating for forty hours
over what their verdict should be the
twelve men constituting the jury
which heard the contest to break tn"
viii OF the late Alfred llartshorn
whose estate Of about S2o0,b0U was al
stake IN one OF the hardest fought
Circuit Court trials on record, feached
an agreement this morning that the
testament should be set aside the
verdict, a signal victory for the plain
titfs-1ieorge and Fred iiartShOrn,
sons of the testator was pronounced
in court at O'Clock this morning,
thereby bringing to close one OF the
most sensational trials OF recent years.
The findings OF the jury establishes
the two sons, who with beQueStS OF
$4,000 each We're virtually 'cut OH
by their father in a position to obtain
from the vast holdings possessed by
the late Alfred ilartshorn At the TIM"
of his death in La Sale. an equal
share with the son by his second mar
riage, who with his mother was made
rpsiduary heir
The case went to the jury at 1:Ul
O'Clock Thursday night and when the
twelve men were unable yesterday 10
reach verdict. fears were expressed
that a deadlock would cause miStrlal
bv forcing Judge Davis 10 dismiss the
men who had stood in a fair way to
report IA disagreement This morn
ing when knocN came on the door
Of the jury room, relief was felt 1ha'
a verdict had been reached
II is reported that Mrs. HaltShorn
and her son will take an appeal from
the findings Of the jury to the S''-
preme Court However. their attor-
news, John Coleman. II. NJ. Kelly and
Emmett Kelly have not made such a
motion before the court as yet,
Eleven ballots were required by the
Jurors before the decision was reach
ed to break the will The first three
ballots, which were taken before the
iurv adjourned for the night Thurs
day, stood nine for breaking the VIII
and three for confirming it, iester'
day morning when the first ballot was
taken ten stood for breaking the Will
and two for letting it stand. Last
night one Juror went over to the con
taken showing eleven jurors stood Tor
annulling the testament.
Reach Verdict this A. NJ.
This morning after the jurors went
in session ballot was taken Whirh
showed that unanimous decision was
reached to not allow the last testa-
ment of Alfred I. tIartshorn stand.
The verdict was handed to Judge
Davis by John r. Smith, the jury
foreman. 1t read. I'VE the jury ma
the instrument in writing purportlhg
TO be the last will and testament or
Alfred l. Hartshorn deceased, OF date
January Il. 1914, was not his last Will
and testament.
Principals Not in Court.
Not a single one of the principals
of the case. nor the attorneys lor
either side. were in the court room
at the time the verdict was read. me
attorneys for both sides were hotl-
fed that the jury was ready to return
their decision. but they were too buHy
TO come over to the court mousse
Neither Mrs Hartshorn nor her son
Asa, who were in the court room an
the time from the beginning OF the
trial until the jury took the verulet'
were present.
Juror Taken Sick.
Yesterday afternoon shortly after u
o'clock Roy Luce. one of the jurors
became i'll and Or. w. II. Jameson
had to be called to attend him, AFTER
receiving medical attention MI Luce
was able to continue his work. Before
permitting the sick man to see the
physician Judge Davis summoned A
!. O'Conor who represented the con
testants and II. VI. Kelly for the De
PENDANTS and asked if thoy offered
any objections to the physician seeing
the man They replied in the mega
tive
The twelve Jurors were: William
Wiggett. StreatOr. George KRAFT. re
ri: Mike Sabo, Streator, John T.
Smith, Ottawa; William Coultrip, lie
land; Dennis Connolly Ottawa; ID
Hoffman. Streator; Roy Forney Strea
tor; Eugene Long. Marseilles; Ol(
Thompson. Ottawa and Roy Luce
Marspilles