The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-03-09
NO VERDICT
 REACHED AT
 NOON TO-DAY

The twelve men and women who will decide the fate of George liar rison Meeks in his rial for the al- legged murder of Clarence Campbell last December had arrived at no verdict by noon today.
 The jury has been locked up since receiving the case at 4:40 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The jury retired for the night at about o'clock this morning. Taken to the Gastineau Hotel they had late lunch before being locked up for the night in the jury room in the custody of one man and one woman baliff.
 Their day started this morning at 6:30 o'clock when they break lasted, then returned to the jury chambers in the Federal Building to resume their consideration of the case. When court opened at 10 o'clock they had not yet reached verdict, nor had any decision been reached when they were taken out for lunch at 11:30 o'clock this fore noon.
 AS they entered the courtroom this morning at 10 o'clock, the defendant who had been watching intently the door through which the jurors would enter. gave notice able start.
 Meeks appeared highly nervous and apprehensive. He sat flanked by his lawyers. breathing heavily as the jury filed in. His eyes were strained and haggard. as though Ee had not slept since the court recessed yesterday. He licked his lips nervously as the jury announc- ed they had not yet reached a yer dict, then relaxed heavily in his seat.
 Goes To Jury
 The case of the United States Government vs. George Harrison Meeks in the murder last Decem- Der of Clarence Campbell was giv- en into the hands of the jury at 4:40 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
 Locked in jury chambers on the top floor of the Federal Building they will remain segregated from all other persons until they have reached a verdict or until the court has dismissed them. As they en- tered the jury room to decide the fate of Meeks. the defendant. they were cautioned against any att tempts to communicate with tEe outside world.
 Until they file into the courtroom for last time, their one duty is to determine whether Meeks will be set at libery. die on the gallows or face a long term of imprisonment.
 The case was given to the jury following a day devoted to argu- ment by counsel and instructions from the bench.
 Closing Arguments
 Tn their closing arguments the prosecution likened the evidence given to the jurors to a jigsaw pug gle Admitting that the evidence was purely circumstantial they held. nevertheless, that events prior to and after the Campbell murder pointed to Meeks as the guilty man.
 Tn his closing argument District Attorney Patrick Gilmore condemn ed the defense argument as a maze of surmise which did nothing to clear the defendant from suspic- ion.
 Earlier, seizing upon the jigsaw comparison, the defense argued that the government had failed to prove case and had filled in the blank spots in the evidence with matter confusing but unrelated to the mur- der of Campbell
 Once again testimony given by Kelso Hartness came under attack. Speaking heatedly for the defen- dant, Defense Counsel Willim L. Paul, Jr., accused Hardness of per- jury in his testimoney concerning Meeks.
 Prosecution Rebuttal
 Tn rebuttal the prosecution point ed out that the defense had seized upon the Hartness testimony but had failed to shake that given by other prosecution witnesses, And said Prosecutor Gilmore, the other evidence is sufficiently damning in itself"
 At the conclusion of argument Judge J. w. Kehce instructed the jury as to the verdicts they might reach in the case. Five choices of verdict included first degree murder as charged in the indict- ment, first degree murder with