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NOT GUILTY” DECLARES JURY
JULIA MORRISON-JAriES ACQUITTED OF
THE MURDER OF FRANK LEIDEN.
When Verdict Was Announced Courtroom
Applauded—Miss Morrison Speaks.
The Julia Morrison case, which has
been on trial in the circuit court at
Chattanooga, was given to the jury at
noon Wednesday in an exhaustive
-charge from the court. Great inter¬
est was taken in the closing scenes of
the celebrated trial. The courtroom
was long packed with curious humanity
before the judge called the law¬
yers to attention and ordered the trial
to proceed.
The morning hour was taken up
■with the concluding argument of coun¬
sel, two for the defense and one for the
state. The first speaker was William
Cuinming, lowed for the defense, pursued who fol¬
the same lines by his
associate counsel of the day before.
The great speech for the defense was
made by Colonel Joe Clift, the patri¬
arch of the Chattanooga bar, aud in
his time one of the most powerful
criminal pleaders in the state.
The entire interest of the morning
centered in this speech, and when
Colonel Clift arose to begin his argu¬
ment, he was greeted by loud and pro¬
longed applause, which brought an
order from the judge to the sheriff to
arrest the men applauding.
“I will have to arreat the whole
court room,” answered the sheriff, and
there was another burst of applause.
After a brief exordial, Colonel Clift
proceeded to a review of the evidence
which he brought out into powerful
light, and the jury was at all times at¬
tentive and thoroughly impressed.
He began with the company at Peeks
kill, N. Y., where they started on
their tour and followed them to Chat¬
tanooga; recited the daily insults and
foul epithets Leiden had applied to
the woman; his threats to do her bod¬
ily harm, and finally at Chattanooga
his knocking her down and threaten¬
ing to kill her.
And then when she was going to the
stage to appear in her part, though
late on account of sickness, to which
several witnesses had testified, he ad¬
vanced upon her with a drawn stick as
if to strike her. She had no pistol in
her hand as was testified by several
witnesses, and no one saw the pistol
until after Leiden 'had cursed her and
threatened her with his cane.
Then it was, goaded to desperation,
in fear of her life or great bodily inju¬
ry, that her mind became surcharged
with the weight of her injuries, she
lost control of herself, and drawing
her revolver, which she always carried
for protection, she instinctively as even
the dumb brute would do, used it to
save herself. No proof had been ad¬
duced to show that she was a violent
woman; all the testimony was to the
contrary, and this was to be taken in
her favor.
At the conclusion of Colonel Clift’s
speech Samuel B. Smith closed for the
state, summing up the evidence, and
making application of the law in such
cases provided. He made no new
points, but argued the case purely on
the provisions of the law.
He made a strong arraignment of
the accused, and made an effort to
show by the testimony that Miss Mor¬
rison knew what she was doing; that
she had gone to the opera house on
the fatal night to kill Leiden; that she
had bided in the lower part of the
for an opportunity to kill him
it would not be witnessed, but
no opportunity coming to her she had
gone to the stage with murder in her
and the instrument for carrying
her purpose in her hand; that
warning or a word she had
upon a defenseless man and had
him.
At the conclusion of Mr. Smith’s
Judge Estill, although the
hour had arrived, proceeded to
the jury, which occupied about
hour. The charge was long and
given to the jury in writing after
had been read at 12:50.
Court then adjourned until 3 o'clock.
AflERlCAN FLOUR RELEASED.
English Government Decided Food
Stuff as Not Contraband of War.
A London special says: The Amer
can flour seized off Delagoa bay has
been released.
United States Ambassador Choate
had an interview with the Marquis of
Salisbury Wednesday afternoon and
received a verbal reply to .the repre¬
sentations of the Washington govern¬
ment. The British note on this sub¬
ject was sent later to the United
States embassy. The gist of it was
cabled to Washington. In brief, food¬
stuffs are not considered contraband
of war unless intended for the enemy.
Before 1 o’clock the courtroom was
again crowded to its utmost limits with
men aud women, and among them
there was but one general expectation,
the verdict would, be an acquittal, in
which events proved the belief was
well founded,
At 3 o’clock the prisoner arrived at
the courtroom and exhibited an air of
supreme confidence that she would
leave it free to go where she pleased,
instead of retracing the unhappy route
to the Hamilton county jail.
While the jury was deliberating the
court was busy with other cases oxi the
regular docket.
At 4 o’clock the Morrison jury was
ushered in. A deathlike stillness en¬
sued and their faces were searched and
researched by hundreds of pairs of
eyes that the verdict might be read, if
possible, in the countenance. For
seven days that same group of twelve
men had been scrutinized by thous¬
ands of spectators in Judge Estill’s
court to note the effect, if any, upon
them by each telling piece of evidence
and each convincing point of logic
enunciated by the lawyers who spoke
in justification or condemnation of her
alleged crime.
Never perhaps in any courtroom did
a more mobile, stoic and expression¬
less set of human faces appear in a
jury box. The best reader of char¬
acter was set at defiance, for not in a
single instance did one of the twelve
faces in the jury circle betray the feel¬
ing of the heart and head. So they
came through the aisle before the
judge and when, after responding to
their names, Judge Estill said:
“Gentlemen, have you agreed upon
a verdict?”
“We have," replied Foreman Mc
Nabb.
“What is your verdict?” 1 asked the
court
“Not guilty,” was the answer.
Miss Morrison, who had leaned far
over in her chair, caught the low re¬
sponse of the foreman, and the effect
of his words upon her were dramatic
in the extreme. She leaned back in
her chair and closed her eyes, while
her face turned from the whiteness of
death to almost a crimson hue.
The crowd in the court room cheer¬
ed and a rush was made toward the
woman to congratulate her.
Advancing to a position just in
front of Judge Estill, Miss Morrison
delivered in a most touching and elo¬
quent manner a brief speech, which
she had evidently prepared, for she
spoke rather rapidly and without hes¬
itation. She said:
“May it please your honor, I wish
to thank you and the gentlemen of
the jury and all who were instrumental
in my acquittal today for your just and
generous decision. May God in His
mercy be ever as just to you and yours
as you have been to me today. In the
same measure I wish to thank my
attorneys for their noble efforts in my
behalf. As for the prosecution I wish
to say that I fully forgive them and
bear them no malice for their strenuous
efforts for my conviction.
“As to my persecutors (turning to¬
ward Mrs. George J. Antz, the beauti¬
ful sister of the dead atitor, who was
overcome with emotion and suffused
in tears), I leave them to their con¬
sciences and their God. To the poor
bereaved sister I say that God knows
that were it in my power to restore
her brother to her I would certainly
do it.”
Mr. and Mrs. James at once repaired
to the Tschopik house, where they had
stopped on the first night of their ap¬
in Chattanooga, and where
they will remain for a time.
LORD ROBERTS ARRIVES.
Britons Hope Status of Affairs WiH
Now Be Changed.
A London special soys: During the
of apparent military inactiv¬
and official secrecy, Lord Roberts
Lord Kitchener have arrived at
seat of war. It is assumed that
clear vision, supported by 30,000
nun who are due to arrive in
Africa within thirty days, will
the situation and that the fourth
of the campaign will witness
beginning of victories for the
arms.
DONS NOT WANTED.
English Government Refuses Profer
Of 3,ooo Spanish Soldiers.
The Gibraltar correspondent of The
London Daily Telegraph says: “Three
thousand time-expired Spanish soldiers
frorp the Cuban war have offered their
services to Great Britain in South
Africa. The government has informed
their agent that he is not authorized
to enlist foreigners.”
Senator Mallory May Resign.
It is reported in Tampa, Fla., that
on account of ill health Senator Mal¬
lory will resign his seat in the senate,
and that Congressman S.M. Sparkman
will be nominated to fill the place.
FAVORABLE REPORT
OH CABAL BILL
Committee Recommends the Hepburn
Pleasure to House.
CALLS FOR MANY MILLIONS
Committee Did Not Wait For Re¬
port of Walker Commission.
A Washington special says: The
house committee on interstate and for¬
eign commerce ordered 1 a favorable
report upon the Hepburn bill for the
construction of the Nicaraguan canal.
The bill is practically the same one
reported by this committee in the last
congress.
The committee made some changes
in the original bill, inserting a new
section, 3, and making verbal altera¬
tions.
FULL TEXT OF BILL.
As finally agreed to, the bill is as
follows:
To provide for the construction of a
canal connecting the waters of the At¬
lantic and Pacific oceans.
Be it enacted, That the president of
the United States is hereby author¬
ized to acquire from the states of
Costa Rica and Nicaragua for and iu
behalf of the United States control of
such territory now belonging to Costa
Rica and Nicaragua as may be desira¬
ble and necessary in which to excavate,
construct and defend a canal of such
depth and capacity as will be sufficient
for the movements of ships of the
greatest tonnage and draft now in
use, from a point near Georgetown,
on the Carribean sea, via Lake Nica¬
ragua to Breto, on the Pacific ocean;
and such sums as may be necessary
to secure such control are hereby ap¬
propriated out of any money in the
treasury not otherwise appropriated.
Section 2—That after the president
has secured full control over the ter¬
ritory iu the section referred to, he
shall direct the secretary of war to ex¬
cavate and construct a canal waterway
from a point on the shore of the Carib¬
bean sea near Grey town, by way of
Lake Nicaragua, to a point near Breto
on the Pacific ocean. Such canal shall
be of sufficient capacity and depth as
that it may be used by vessels of the
largest tonnage and greatest depth now
in use and shall be supplied with all
necessary locks and other appliances
to meet the necessities of vessels pass¬
ing from Greytown to Breto, and the
Beoretary of war shall also construct
such safe and commodious harbors at
the termiui of said canal and such for¬
tifications for defense as will be re¬
quired for safety and protection of said
canal and harbors.
Section 3. That the president shall
cause such surveys as may be neces¬
sary for said canal and harbors and
in the constructing of the same. .
Section 4. That in the excavation
and const! uction of said canal, the
San Juan river and Lake Nicaragua,
or such parts of each as may be made
available, shall be used.
Section 5. That in any negotiations
with the other states of Costa Rica or
Nicaragua, the president may have,
the president is authorized to guaran¬
tee to said states the use of said canal
and harbors upon such terms as may
be agreed upon, for all vessels owned
by said states or citizes thereof.
Sec. 6. That the sum of $140,000,000,
or so mnch thereof as may be necessa¬
ry, is hereby appropriated out of any
money in the treasury not otherwise
appropriated for the completion of the
work herein authorized, said money to
be drawn from the treasury from time
to time as the same shall be needed,
upon the warrants of- the president,
based on estimates made and verified
by the chief engineer in charge of the
work, and approved by the secretary
of war.
BUTLER SENDS NEWS.
Informs War Office That He Has
Crossed Tugefta River.
The London war office Friday morn¬
ing received the following dispatch
from General Buller,dated Springfield,
Thursday, January 11, at 9:29, even¬
ing:
“I occupied the south bank of the
Tugela river at Potgieter’s drift this
morning and seized Pont. The river
is in flood. The enemy is strongly
entrenched about four and a half miles
to the north.”
COTTON fllLLS IN MEXICO.
During the Past Year Twenty»Six
Were Built In That Country.
Twenty-six cotton mills have been
built in Old Mexico during the last
year and new mills are being pushed
to completion. There is mudh inter
terest in prospecting for tin since that
metal has risen in price, and some tin
properties in the state of Durango give
good promise, according to the reports
of experts now on the ground.
New Road In Florida.
A new railroad is soon to be built
from White Springs, Fla., on the
Suwannee river, to Wellborn, which
will open up a fine farming section.
DEWEY S REPORT
Received From Manila Last Year
Is Presented andiRead
In the Senate.
Responding to the senate’s resol ution
of inquiry, the secretary of the navy
sent to the senate Thursday a copy of
Admiral Dewey’s report from Hong
Kong, dated March 31, 1898, relative
to the capture of Manila, then under
Consideration. He stated that his
own squadron was in a high state of
efficiency. Speaking of the Spanish
forces he said it numbered about 15,
000 soldiers of all arms in all the is¬
lands, of which half were in the vicin¬
ity of Manila.
“The islands,” says the report, “are
now in a state of insurrection, and
my informant states that even the
Spanish soldiers, who constitute only
a small part of the whole, are disaffect¬
ed. Both ships and forts are in need
of ammunition. I believe I am not over¬
confident in stating that with the
squadron under my command the ves¬
sels could be taken and the defense of
Manila reduced in one day.
“There is every reason to believe
that with Manila taken, or even block¬
aded, the rest of the islands would fall
either to the insurgents or ourselves,
as they are only held now through the
support of the navy, and are depend¬
ent upon Manila for supplies. Infor¬
mation has just reached me that there
are 5,000 armed rebels in camp near
Manila, who are willing to assist me.”
WILL RECALL flETHUEN. -
Report Current That Mental Condi*
tion of General Is Unbalanced.
A special cable to The Chicago
Tribune from London says Lieutenant
General Lord Methuen,’ commanding
the column advancing to the relief of
Kimberley, is to be relieved of his
command within two weeks. Later
he will be sent to Cape Town and
eventually ordered home. "When he
reaches England he will be retired.
These facts have been confirmed by
an official of the war office.
Lord Methuen’s case -is a sad one.
Always a man of rather frail physique
—although a clever boxer and all-round
sportsman—his constitution began to
show signs of breaking down almost
immediately after he took command
of his division.
Three days after the battle of Bel¬
mont, General Wolseley suggested to
the war office that Methuen be reliev¬
ed. His advice was not needed. The
wisdom of the aged but keen com¬
mander-in-cheif of the British army
is now realized by the war office who
scoffed at his suggestion.
Friends of Lord Methuen insist he
is only in broken health; that the
strain of many campaigns has shatter¬
ed his naturally nervous system.
Those who know the circumstances
and the situation on Modder river
equally well and who are willing to
state facts plainly, say that Methuen’s
mind is unbalanced.
SATISFACTORY SO FAR.
Ambassador Choate Cables Reply of
Britain Regarding Flour Seizures.
The answer of the British govern¬
ment to Mr. Choate’s representations
respecting the seizures of American
flour and other goods on the three ves¬
sels, Beatrice, Mashona and Madeira,
has been received.
Just as the officials of the state de¬
partment anticipated, it amounted to
a partial answer and is very satisfac¬
tory so far as it goes, disposing of the
character of some of the goods seized,
but not finally deciding broadly
whether or not foodstuffs are to be re¬
garded as contraband of war. In brief
Mr. Choate reports as follows.
“That the answer is highly satisfac¬
tory; that it is broad and liberal in
terms. The position assumed by the
British government is that foodstuffs
in transit to a hostile destination can
be regarded as contraband of war only
when they ore supplies for She enemy’s
forces. It is not sufficient they are
oapable of being used' for the benefit
of the enemy; it must be shown that
they are so in fact through their desti¬
nation at the time of the seizure.
“The British government doss not
that any of the American goods
the German bark Maria and the
bark Mashona were contra¬
of war. The British government
investigating the fact in connection
the goods seized on the third ves¬
the Beatrice.”
TAYLOR ENTERS PROTEST.
Says Contest Committee Is
Partial to Goebel Faction.
A dispatch from Frankfort, Ky.,
Governor Taylor, through his
filed, with the contest com¬
a motion to require the Demo¬
members now serving on the
committee to vacate. The
was in the nature of a protest.
is supported by an affidavit charg¬
that the names were fraudulently
by the clerk, and the Demo¬
members now serving are all
by reason of partiality for
contestant, alleged evidence of
which is mentioned specifically as to
PLAIN TALK
BY PETTIGREW
Dakota Senator Delivers
Sensational Speech.
AIMED AT THE PRESIDENT
Says Philippine Policy Is One of “Con¬
cealment and Duplicity” On Part
of the Administration.
A spirited and at times sensational
debate was precipitated in the senate
Thursday on the ^Philippine question
over the resolutions of inquiry. Mr.
Pettigrew, of South Dakota, attacked
the administration’s polioy in the Phil¬
ippines and also made some startling
charges against those who were sup¬
porting the administration.
Mr. Pettigrew declared that a sys¬
tematic effort was being made to pre¬
vent accurate information from reach¬
ing the people of the United States
and that it was a political scheme to
further the candidacy of Mr. McKin¬
ley for renomination and re-election.
Before adjournment the senate, after
prolonged debate, passed the bill con¬
ferring additional powers upon the
director of the census. At the open¬
ing the Pettigrew resolution and the
Lodge substitute, both seeking from
the president all information regard¬
ing the Philippine insurrection, were
laid before the senate. Mr. Lodge
suggested that both be withdrawn and
the Hoar resolution be adopted as a
substitute.
Mr. Lpdge said he wanted informa¬
tion especially as to the effect of the
encouragement the Filipipos received
from the United States. Mr. Hoar
agreed with Mr. Lodge.
Mr. Pettigrew objected. He want¬
ed specifiio information, regardless of
whether the president wanted it known
or not.
“The trouble with the imperial¬
ists,” said Mr. Pettigrew, “is that
they have confounded the interests of
the people of the United States with
the political desires and ambitions of
their puny president and regarded
him and his success as more import¬
ant: than a rightful treatment of the
Filipinos,. The fact ^“irfis ' whole
business is bound up in the presi¬
dent’s desire to again be a candidate
of his party for president.”
Mr. Pettigrew discussed the censor¬
ing of dispatches from the Philip¬
pines. He declared that important
and significant facts had been stricken
from news dispatches from Manila and
* rom official reports.
“As an instance of this work,” said
he, “the Sulu treaty was mangled and
partly suppressed until after the elec¬
tion in Ohio.”
Mr. Pettigrew declared the procla¬
mation issued by the president was,
on the recommendation of General
Otis, altered materially by the presi¬
dent before it was published to the
Philippine natives. As originally
drawn it was, to his mind, a flat decla¬
ration of war, and when Aguinaldo
and his leaders came iwto possession
of the original they so regarded it.
“The 'whole wretched business, ,f
declared Mr. Pettigrew vehemently,
“was one of concealment and duplicity,
intended to deceive not only the peo¬
ple of the United States, but also the
islanders themselves.”
In substantiation of his charge that
the dispatches from the Philippines
were censored in the interests of the
administration, Mr. Pettigrew quoted
from a letter written by Robert M.
Collins, Associated Press representa¬
tive at Manila. In this letter Mr.
Collins related the substance of an in¬
terview upon the subject of censoring
dispatches which he had had with
General Otis. Mr. Pettigrew read the
statements of Mr. Collins, in which he
said it was the evident desire of the
officials to prevent certain information
from reaching the people of the
United States.
When he (Collins) had filed a dis¬
patch containing information which
he thought was proper to send to the
United States he had been informed
by the censor that he had been in¬
structed to cut out anything that
might hurt the administration.
CASUALTIES AT LADYSMITH. ■»
British War Office Finally Receives
Correct List of Dead.
The London war office announces
that the British casualties at Lady¬
smith January 6 among the rank and
file were 135 killed and 242 wounded.
Lady Methuen has issued an abso¬
lute contradiction of the rumors that
Lord Methuen is ill, or that he was
injured by the falling of his horAe at
the battle of Magerafontein.
To Fight Cigarettes. •
In the South Carolina house of rep¬
resentatives a bill has been introduced
to prohibit the sale of cigarettes.