Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1923-12-21
NO VERDICT In
FOX CASE HAS
Been RETURNED
Jury Still Weighing Evidence
Submitted i'm Case Which
Was Turned Over to Them
Late Last Night

fBy The ASSocldfcd treHS-I
ATLANTA, Ga. Dec. 20.--Hundreds Ct
persons were in the court room and In
corridors Of the court building today
awaiting a verdict in the case O. Philip
T.. Fox, former Ku Klux Khan editor.
charged with the murder Of William q.
Coturn. Klnn attorney. The case went
To the jury late last night.
When court rec0nvencd at o'clock
nll exhibits placed in evidence NV both
sides were carried ~ the jury room.
These included the pistol used by chic
defendant when ~ shot Cohurn, Che
clcthing worn by the attorney at che
time h. was shot, showing nm alleged
bullet hole In the back Or the coat and
q long-bIaded knife taken from Fox nf-
ter he was arrested.
TIE jury trying the case Of Philip l.
Fox. former head of the publicity de-
partment Of the Ku Klux Klan. charged
with murder as a result Of the shooting
70 death OF William s. Coburn. Khan at
torney today began consideration Of the
mass Of evidence introduced during the
eight days OF the trial.
The issue 0f insanity brought into
the cass in the early stages of the trial,
virtually was the principal matter hu-
fore The jury Judge G. H Howard, pre-
siding al the trial. stressed Che rules
of court relating 40 the testimony qf
witnesses regarding tine sanity rr en-
sanity NJ the defendant
The conclusion OK the arguments last
night marked the end cf one OF the Bit
terest legal battles In the annals of
southern criminal court procedure.
Solicitor John A. Boykin, heading the
staff Of attorneys for the prosecution,
completed the closing argument shortly
after ten o'clock last night Judge How
ard began his charge to the jury immc-
diately. The case was given to the jury
at 1924 o'clock.
There was considerable speculation as
tc the length cf time the jury would
take in reaching IA decision. if " agrees.
It was considered unlikely by court at-
tachcs and newspaper men that my an-
nouncmecnt would hc forthcoming be-
fore late this afternoon.
There are four possible outcomes:
"A verdict 0f guilty. which provides
hanging; verdict ~ guilty with rec
rmmcdati0n for mercy, which automatic
-aIIy fixes the penalty at life imprison-
ment: an acquitsal and mistrial.
Great interest has been manifested
in the case. There was scarcely min
ute during the time court was in ses-
sion that seat was available in the
court room. Last night with the end Of
the trial in sight, II was estimated that
nearly 5000 persons were crowded IN
the court room and In the corridors cf
tho court house.
Interest had not abated this morning
and many were present 20 await tha
jury's decision
At noon the jury was informed tospre-
pare for lunch. the hailiffs being in-
structed To take the Jurors 10 hotel nt
1915. III was not known at noon huw
the ballcting on the verdict stood.
Fox was taken back To the tower,
the Fulton county prison for lunch. and
he will remain there until n verdit has
been reached II was stated.
The jurors filed out Of their room al
1915 pm. and II was announced BY
court officials that they would not
start celebrating again until 1880 pm.