Newspaper Page Text
Juryman
He Had Just Time to Serve
Before Taking a Train
By ELLSWORTH TOWNSEND
I like to talk with John Atlurton, a
retired detective frieud of mine, for he
has a fund of iucidenta that occurred
during tbe days of bis active aervice
that I find intereating. Some of them
happened to bim personally. and (ionic
were told him by bta fellow craftsmen
during idle boura. This ia one of Ath
erton's stories that eapccially pleased
me from tbe ingenuity and assurance
iH>n>etrated by a rogue:
Tbere ure two ways by wnlcb crooks
work, tbe one with, tbe other without
confederates. Both ways have their
advantages. A man who works alone
doesn't have tbe fear of being betrayed
by his pal. for where one Is offered an
easy letting off from a hard sentence
if he will squeal he is pretty liable to
squeal. But a man who has a con
federate can do what one man can’t do
alone.
In one way crook pals will usually
stand by each other. When one is in
danger the other will do all in his [tow
er and take considerable risks to help
him out 1 was once put on a job to
track down a man called .Jerry Wilson,
who was in the confidence department
of roguery. Wilson usually worked
countrymen. He was one of the most
accomplished swindlers 1 ever met
lie had been an actor and was profi
dent In tbe art of making up. We
would hear of him one day passing as
a stockbroker, at another as a clergy
man and again as a cotton planter
with a perfect southern dialect. Of
course we didn’t know at the time that
these were one and tbe same man. but
we often suspected it and in time learn
ed it from Wilson himself.
One day a countryman reported at
police headquarters that be had been
victimized by a man who passed him
self off for an Englishman. The Coun
tryman had come from England twen
ty years before and had never become
Americanized. Englishmen seldom be
come naturalized. Von will find thou
sands of them in this country, and oth
er countries for that matter, who have
become old men and not seen England
since they were children and are still
British subjects.
The man who picked him up doubtless
heard him speak with his British lingo,
had stepped up to him and hailed him
as a fellow countryman. One born,
he said, under the British flag and
once accustomed to the home accent
could always be placed as an English
man. Then he launched out on the de
merits of this "bloody country” and
won the farmer’s heart completely.
A confidence man becomes very ex
pert In drawing out information from
a greenhorn, and the new acquaintance
—Henderson he called himself—was
evidently an adept at this work, for
the farmer soon learned that they both
came from the same county in Eng
land and from the same town and
knew the same persons. Henderson,
being a later arrival, gave bis former
fellow townsman lots of information
as to what had become of many of liis
old friends—who were living and who
were dead and who had married. The
result was a friendly drink at a "pub
lic,” as they call a saloon in England,
followed by a friendly game, with the
consequent transfer of several hundred
dollars of the farmer’s money to the
[lockets of Mr Henderson, who. when
he had drained his fellow country
man’s resources, slipped out through a
back door.
Well, we pot on to Mr. Henderson,
but were deficient In proof. The farm
er’s testimony might have been met
by an alibi and other subterfuges, and
I decided to capture him at his own
game. Having located him. I stood
near him and. adopting the British ac
cent. began to talk about dear old
Merrle England. The fellow chimed
in. and we were soon hobnobbing to
gether. 1 had my pocketbook stuffed
with marked bills, which passed into
my countryman's possession. Then 1
tipped a confederate the wink, and to
pettier we took him in.
There couldn't have been a surer
case against a man than that, could
there? From facts 1 gathered and the
man's ability to personate different
characters l believe* 1 I had got the
slippery Wilson, and I intended to put
him where lie would trouble the public
no longer. In making up a jury to try
him we got nine good men. when
somehow we couldn’t get any further
Some were exempt and some had suffi
cient excuses. When we got the elev
enth man so much time had been lost
that the judge was getting impatient
A gentlemanly looking man In the
courtroom said that if the trial would
not occupy much time he would help us
out. lie was Immediately served with
s summons, accepted and sworn in.
>***. *- i mieihft
• • ■ ■** '
nnteered to serve on the case provided
he would not l>e long detained. After
be had been sworn in he told the Judge
that he was really exempt, but would
not claim exemption provided he wns
assured that he would in every proba
bility I** discharged within a collide of
hours since be was waiting for a train
that would leave at the expiration of
that time I think the judge must
have had ac engagement himself, for
he seemed to tie in a burry. He held
a consultation with the prisoner's at
torney—whom he hud assigned to de
feud him—who said thut be had little
or no evidence for the prisoner and did
Dot think what he had would require
ten minutes to bring it out U|*m this
the Judge told the obliging Juryman
that he was very sure he would have
plenty of time to make his train.
"I'm glad of thut. your honor." said
the gentleman "There’s nothing I
dread so much as waiting for any
thing. esiiecially for a truin."
Tbe judge's opinion as to the period
of the trial proved quite correct For
awhile it seemed thut it would tie put
through at railroad speed. The charge
was read to the prisoner, and he was
asked to plead. He said he was a Brit
ish subject and asked if that would
make any difference. When told that
it would not lie pleaded not guilty.
I gave my account of how I had trap
ped him. and his victim testified
against him. The accused declared
that he was a British subject from
Australia and if his home were not so
far away he could easily prove his re
spectability. Tbe twelfth Juryman im
paneled asked him a few questions
about Australia, which he answered
evidently to the Juryman’s satisfac
tion. lint this didn’t cut any figure
because it didn’t matter where'be came
from. We had the dead wood on him.
We expected tin* jury to convict him
without leaving their seats, but they
didn’t. Then we thought they might
be half an hour, but tbe half hour
passed, and they didu’t come back.
The judge went home to dinner, leav
ing instructions to be called when a
verdict was reached. He wasn’t called.
The jury remained out the rest of
the day and all night, in tbe morning
they sent word that they would like to
be discharged since they Asmldn’t
agree. This made the judge angry,
and he sent back word that tbe evi
dence was absolutely convincing and
they must agree. Indeed, they were
given to understand that they must
bring in a verdict or they would be
kept where they were till the crack of
doom. They stood out till about 10
o’clock the second night, then sent
word that they had come to an agree
ment. The judge was summoned, and
they tiled into court. The judge asked
the customary questions.
“Have you arrived at a verdict?”
"We have, your honor."
"Do you find the prisoner guilty or
not guilty of tbe charge?”
“Not guilty.”
"What!"
"Not guilty, your honor.”
There was nothing to do in ac
cordance with tlie law except to dis
charge them. Convinced that there
had been some rascality practiced. 1
stationed myself at the door and scru
tinized every man as he went out. 1
noticed that the twelfth juryman, who
had volunteered, led the rest out of
tiie courtroom, and 1 heard him de
scending the stairs three steps at a
time.
I was convinced that he had Imposed
on us all with a view to getting on the
jury, then standing out for an acquittal.
I learned that he had told his fellow
Jurymen that he had lived in Australia
and had known the prisoner tbere and
could vouch for his being a respected
citizen of Melbourne. He was sure
that he had been mistaken for some
one else and would not on any account
vote for a conviction. Not until tlie
others became convinced that the man
was not to be moved did they conclude
to bring in a verdict of not guilty rath
er than disagree and subject the state
to the expense of another trial.
There was no way of holding the
man who had been tried. He had been
acquitted of the charge of which he
was accused and could not be tried
again for that crime. So we made a
virtue of necessity and let him go.
Six months after this two men were
arrested for confidence work. 1 went
to the trial for information and a look
at the prisoners, since it was my cus
tom to keep track of the rogues
brought in. The moment I looked at
the prisoners 1 recognized both of
them. One was the man who had
swindled the farmer and whom I had
supposed to be Jerry Wilson. The oth
er—would you believe it? —was the
twelfth juryman who had forced hie
acquittal.
But this was not all of my surprise.
At the trial of the two men it came
out that tiiis twelfth juryman, who
was willing to help us out if it didn't
rake too long, was none other than
Jerry Wilson. He and the other man.
Tom Murphy (and other names), had
long worked confidence games togeth
er. and when his pal was in trouble
Wilson had made himself up for a geu
tleman. had gone into the courtroom to
‘for jtefe' pViTcgc'’caVr!y ot’ju- j~ ' lien
jT rover knew a cieaier case of one
rogue standing by another Wilson
ran an awful risk Had I known when
he left the conn room tnal ne UaU sin
gle Handed "hung' Hie jury 1 should
have kept him in sight, trumped up a
charge against him and held bim till 1
could find out who be wns That he
feared something of the kind was evi
dent from the haste with which he got
away.
After the conviction of the two men
(they were 6ent up for twenty years! I
visited Wilson in Jail, and he told me
much nltout bis o[erations. He said
that when he played the twelfth Jury
man trick he was more afraid of my
getting od to it than any one else, for
I bad completely outwitted bis pal
with my marked bills. When be saw
roe station myself at tbe courtroom
door to watch tbe outgoing of tbe jury
men be thought it was all np with
him. The moment be reached the:
street be ran like a deer, entered an
alley and was soon beyoDd capture.
Now Well
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STOP IN ATLANTA
AT HOTEL EMPIRE
Oposite Onion Depot on Pryor
St. Renovated and refurnished
thruout. Reservations made on
application. Ilot and gold water,
private baths, electric lights and
elevator.
First class accommodations at
extremely moderate rates. Euro
pean plan 7oc up.
JOHN L. EDMONSON
Proprietor.
PROFESSIONAL CARDS
B. E. PATRICK.
Watchmaker J
Winder Banking Cos. Bldg.
Second Floor. \
G. A. JOHNS,
Attorney at Law.
Winder, Ga.
Office over Smith & Carithers’
Bank. Practice in all the court*
except City Court of Jefferson.
W. 11. QC APTEKMAN.
Attorney at Law
Winder, Ga.
Practice in all the Courts
Commercial law a specialty.
SPURGEON WILLIAMS
Dentist,
Winder, Georgia
Of lice over Smith & Carithers
hank. All work done satisfac
oriiy, Phone 81.
W T . L. DeLaPEPRIERE
Dental Surgery.
Winder, ----- Georgia
Fillings, Bridge and Plate-work
lone in most scientific and satis
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For Weakness and Loss of Appetite
The Old Standard peneral strentfhening tonic;
GROVE'S TASTELESS chili TONIC, drives out
Malaria and builds up the svftem. A true tonic
and sure Appetizer. For adults and chutuea.
it necessarily tc'.icwe that ito farmers c> ?■ ‘■■wv,
|W £t -TV —xtcvaCH p?' sj J
reeling 1/
W- . since I took n
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CONUM NO HABIT FORMING DRUGS 1
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CHASTAIN & ROSS, Proprietors.
LANIER, ROSS & COMPANY
. REAL. ESTATE.
Farms and City property in South,
Middle and North Georgia for sale.
List your farms with us and let us
find you a purchase. -----
ADDRESS
J. L. LANIER, Manager
Room 304 Winder Bank Bldg., Winder, Georgia.
Insurance! Insurance!
ft
Kilgore & Radford
Winder, Georgia.
SCHEDULE
Gainesville Midland Railroad Effective Aug.
25, 1913.
South Bound.
(Daily Except Sunday.)
No. 21— A. M
Arrive Winder, 10:34
Leave Winder, 11:00
No. 23 P. >l
- Winder, 6:05
Leave Winder 6:20
(Sunday Only.)
No. 25 A. M.
Arrive Winder, 10:82
Leave Winder, 10:23
No. 27 P. M.
Arrive Winder 6:08
Leave Winder, 6:09
Nos. 22 and 26 connect at Winder with Seaboard for Atlan
ta, at Belmont for Gainesville and Athens. No. 24 with Sea
board going North and South, at Belmont for Gainesville
and Athens. advt
ELMIRA, N. Y.
E. D. Grover, 414 Spaulding St., ssys:
“Recently while having a spell of kidney
trouble I took Foiey Kidney Pills and
got the very best of results. Their actian.
was prompt and effective. I had back
ache and pains in tbe right side, my
kidneys were congested and their action
irregular. Since using Foley Kidney Pills;
I have had no more backache and no
trace of my former kidney trouble.”
For Sale by All Dealers.
North Bound.
(Daily Except Sunday )*
No. 22 A. M
Arrive Winder 6 :49
Leave Winder, 7:05
No. 24 P. M
Ariive Winder, 2:25
Leave Winder, 2:35
No. 26 (Sunday Only.) A. M
Arrive Winder, 7:19
Leave Winder, 7:20-
No. 28— P. V
Arrive Winder, 2:50
Leave Winder, 2:51