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FREEJtVerdict of JuryTIio Twelve Men Took l»nt aFew Minutes to Make TlieiiDecision — Defendant Keceives Congratulations.On the convening of court on SaturdaymorningthepeoplIT * / •c;Skinneruse of thewasresumed and the testimony ofWilbur Palmer was concluded. Hr.J 11 Spencer, coroner of the county,■was tin; next .witness. Ills testimony was to the elfeet. that he heldan inquest on the body of Nora Harris. dispensed, and had a post mortem examination mad'lie alsostated that the body had become sowhilemuch decomposed that no evidenceas to whether artificial meanshad been used to cause a miscarriage was be obtainable. IVarline May Harris. Sister of thedeceased, was next placed on thestand. She was with her sister Nora when she died. She heard her sister say that she hoped she would live one day longer. Did not heara ™her sister mention the name of Dr.Skinner. .Mrs Iona Large. mother• yof the deceased, was then called but revealed nothing new. Adam Largewas sworn and said lie was at thebedside of the deceased frequently. She asked him several times if he thought she was going to die. She said. 1 wish I could live one more day. She said nothing in regard to the cause of her deathto him or in his presence. He said he came to this city with Nora on the morning of Aug. 24. •'We went to dinner and afterwards she staved at the hotel and 1 went4-across the street from the opera house and looked up to see if i could sec an v one in the doctor s ollicc. 1saw Mr. Skinner, the defendant inthe ease, at a window in the secondMoor. 1 went back and got Nora and went to the opera house block. Nora went into the building. I went across the street anlt; waiting there 1 saw a man come oul of the building and get on a bicycleand ride through the square. In ashort, time the same man came backand enter the building. 1 looked up and saw Nora sitting near tin* window. Then they went into the roomeast of the otlieo and the blind was pulled down. lt;11 the outside ol the window I believe there was a sign, but from my position 1 could not read what was on it. The blind was down probably ten minutes. Nora rame down onto the sidewalk in about a minute and a half. 1 could tell from themotion of his lips that they were conversing. Have been in thebuilding on several ditferent ocra-,sions. once to see Mr Lewis on business. Think there is no outside entrance to the east room occupied byDr Skinner. When Nora came out of the building 1 met her at the op-• 1 4era house corner. 1 gave her money.4She hail a package in her hands and gave it to me and I placed it in my pocket. We then went to the stable and had the horse hitched up. She waited while 1 went to the square and got a quart of whisky. Then we got in the buggv and sturte.l* ■ f. ) «home. (Mi arriving at home Win*Hobson assisted Nora out of the buggv. Next saw Nora about a half-hour after arriving at home.The package which me at the operacontained twoanNever saw Nora take anv mederin*from either bottle, but did see hei take some of the tablets. AfteiN i ira t lt;tok t * her bet I sin an upstairs room for about tour davs. when she was moved down4stairs. 1 helped to nurse her while she was sick, but not on the night of her arrival home. ( Mi tin* sri*iui night she was suffering considerable pain ami the next morning the child was born. My wife and myself were both present when the child was born. ( Mi the forehead wert1 two or three raised places of apurple color, they resembled injuries made b\ a blow which would raise bumps. As 1 remember oneminp was over each eye and one inthe center of the forehead. I saw no other injuries on the ehiid. Thechild would probably weigh two or three pounds. The child did notShe was in bed. Nora handed tolm use blockbottles andenvelopti K'fii | tieddarki■ee pounds. The eopen its mouth or eyes, but 1 saw itbreathe a few times judging fromthe movement of its body. The■attorneys then took the witnessand*after the cross examination the court adjourned for dinner.A FT Kit NOON.one containing aThereIona Large was sworn and said:4 .When mv daughter. Nora Harris.■ ccame home from .Jacksonville she had two bottles, dark liquid and a label on it. was no nanx* on the label. Tht other bottle was smaller than that one and had a label pasted on itwith directions written in ink.When Nora arrived at home shethe contents of the About one half the the smaller bottle at various times.I gave Nora none of the tablets but saw her take some of them herself. When the child was born it was in a bad condition and showed marks on its forehead as if it had been marked up by au instrument. Think there was one mark on its side. Adam Large was recalled by tliee... 4.defense and stated that lie did not remember telling Iioss Warfield, awhilesheriff, last Friday— * *■riding in a buggy with him that he never saw Fritz Skinner until he saw him in the jail.At this point the jury were sent to their room, after which Judge Barnes for the defendant made the following motion: The court instructs the jury that the evidence for the people in this case fails tomake a case, and the jury should find a verdict declaring the defendantt..i‘not guiltvg and the form of your' ? 4' ‘ 4-verdict should be. We. the jury, find the defendant not guilty. Ar-1 1 4.*gumont was made by Judge Barnes and M. T. Lavman in favor of thewmotion, and against the allowing ofit by State's Attorney J. M. Miiler.%■ 4.Judge Thompson overruled the motion.The first witness called for the defendant was Ross .Mayfield, who said in substance that Adam Largei .jtold him yesterday that ho could• 4not tell whether it was Fritz Skinner lit; saw in the opera house or not.Frederick Emmett Skinner, the defendant, was sworn and said: “1did not know Nora Harris. The first time I ever saw Adam Large and Wm. Hobson was when they were brought to the county jail.Mv father. Dr. H. 11. Skinner, died • •last May. He had been practicing medicine in this city for the past 14 years. 11 is of'tirc for the past six years has been in the opera house building. My age is 27 vears andI 41 ? * %mv home is with my mother4 «•in this city. Since the death of mv■/ 'father i hav** had rhar^i* of his books and have boon settlinif up hisbusiness. I know Miss Klla Burov,who had a miliinorv establishment*in this city. 1 was at home and4had gone t o bed, A ug. 21th. Bet ween the hoursof 1 and If o'clock in the morning 1 was called up to go to Miss Burge's residence. I drove there in a buggy remained there some hours. 1 then went home by wav of the opera4 4- tandhouse and arrived home about !* o'clock. Then I drove to the squareand returned home at about 10o’clock'. After dinner ! laid down and went to sleep. About 4 o clo.-k I went, to Miss Burge’s and left there at 0 o'clock. 1 was not. in thehouse building at anv timeopt'i•aduring ther-upon her foiday excepting afew minutes in tlx* forenoon.1 never saw Nora Harris to give her medicine or use anv instruments4any purpose.(Yoss-exaininat ion. 1 occupied my father's old oilier, where 1 have been st udving medicine. 1 am not4 . -a practicing physician. 1 gave MissBurge medicine when 1 was called to see her. I think it was medicine which my father had prescribed for her before his death. It was a nervetonic, which she was taking for ncr-.votts oro.-q ration.1 fixed the date from the fact, that Miss Burge was on the train which1 „ * ’ ' kmtook some of small bottlecontents ofwas takened a man while the train was coining to this citv from Roodhouse' - 4and that was the beginning of Miss Burge's illness. 1 also fix the date by the iekuess of a horse.Miss Caroline Skinner, sister of the defendant-, was sworn. ShesaidI remember mv brother being called4. CTout earlv on the morning of Aug.4 I « 'lib and came home about M o'clock. After working at home fora while lie left saving he4 *was going to see Miss Burge. He returned home about noon and spent most of tin* afternoon sleeping. 1 recall the time when MissBurge came home from Roodhouse.Mv brother has no bievele and never4. 4owned or was on onethat I know of.Mr- Martha Skinner mother of Mr Skinner said On the morningof Aug 21 at about lO.fcloek mv sou4was called for and got up and went a wav. I It* ret unit'd home about 114.o'clock in the morning and spentmost of tlx* day sleeping at home.He has no bievele and never had or*rode one that ! know of. 1 do not know who it was that called tor mv4son but heard it was Charles Oraub-ner.W’m. T. Ellis, janitor of the OperaHouse building, was sworn and said ho did not remember seeing Mr. Skinner A ug. 2!*t h.Charles (,;ruber was next calledand in substance said: 1 live in thiseitv and for three vears have beenlt;4. *.dEving- a wagon for Anderson A■ ,Son. 1 live in tlx* first ward andreside near the home of Miss Ella Burge. At about half past two o’clock in the morning one Tuesday* . 4 ■1 was called upon to go after Fritz Skinner. 1 went, and we came down town together; he went to see Miss Burge, and i came up town. It was a week after the county fair4-was held.Arthur C Reid testified to having seen Fritz Skin net’ about 10 minutes of 2 o'clock on the afternoon of Aug. 24th. at his home.Miss Emma Burge was called and said: I have known Fritz Skinnerabout seven vears and remember4his being at mv house on the morn-'• 4ing of Tuesday. Aug. 24th.* • ■ rzjHe arrived at our house about 2o minutes before 2 o’clock. He was again at our house at about 1 1 o’clock and again at about a o’clock. 1 remember tlx* date, as itwas tin* first Tuesday after fix* fair.Miss Ella Burge was sworn and said: I remember Fritz Skinney being at my house at about 20 minuteslefort* 2 o eloclc on tlx* first Tuesday«after the fair. 1 have been suffering from nervous prostration forseveral vears and Dr. B. If. Skin-«ner and Fritz both knew my condi-4.tion and I thought best to send forFritz instead of a strangerThis ended the evidence in theease and the attorneys for both sides«agreed to waive addresses to the jury and the instructions were read by Judge Thompson and tlx* jury retired to their room at 4:20 o’clock.I1Iel:Si\THE VERDICT.SICK HEADACHEAfter being out exactly ten minutes the jury was brought back into the jury box and a poll taken. Theforeman announced that they had•.-found a verdict and it was We. thejury, lind the defendant not guilty. ” Signed: J. F. Woodmausce. foreman.After the announcement- of theverdict there was a mild clapping of hands heard which was promptlycalled down by the judge who ordered the sheriff to find the offenders if they could be located and bring them in front of the court, but theywere not to be found. Crowds gathered around Skinner and congratulated him and his family upon the result of the verdict.Idiallfa.di.thhoin;rusoMiIlit*bodv4etreoonJ lisalPositively cured by theseLittle Pills.BEST REMEDY FOR CROUP.COLDS AND BRONCHITIS.Indigestion and Too Hearty Eating. A per. feet remedy for Dizziness, Nausea, Drowri-ness, Bad Taste in the Mouth, Coated Tongue Pain in the Side, TORPID LIVER. TheyRegulate the Bowels, Purely Vegetable,The best remedy for croup, colds and bronchitis that I have been able to find. ” says Mr. Henry Otto, ofIndianapolis, Ind.. is Chamberlin'sCough Remedy. For family use it has no equal on the market. I glad-YttotallSU!eaipnthtHesSmall P*«i.Small Dosely recomend it. For sale by Ivuech-Snfcall Pslom! ler Carter Druggists.is ; wewiteiby
Newspaper Details
Jacksonville Daily Journal
Jacksonville, Illinois, US
Sun, Dec 05, 1897
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Patty M.
IL, USA 25 Sep 2019
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