Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1904 — Beam Jury Again Disagrees. [ARTICLE]

Beam Jury Again Disagrees.

The second trial at Hammond of Truman Beam for the murder of Martha Lawrence in Porter county has also resulted in a disagreement. The jury was discharged Saturday forenoon after being out 26 boars. It is said they stood seven for eonvict on to five for acquittal. It is now generally thought that tho case against him will be dismissed and he will go f<ee, as it is not believed the Porter County Council will make another appropriation for another trial, tho cost to the county having already amounted to about $6,000. Tho defense made their t trong fight on tbe assumption that the girl died in a fit and made ti e marks on her throat by her own fingers Evidently, however, the jury saw through this piece of humbuggery, for the Hammond Tribune says: It was learned on good authority that, tne entire twelve men upon, the jury agreed that a murder had been committed; that Martha Lawrence had come to her death by hand other than her own; that all the evidence pointed towards Truman Beam as the guilty party but according to the consciences of five of the jurymen the evidence presented by tbe state did not satisfy them sufficiently for conviction.

How any sensible . man on the jury .ould take that view and yet doubt Beam’s guilt is beyond comprehension If she was murdered there was practically no possibility of any one but Truman Beam being the murderer This failure of justice illustrates several hideously wrong practices in the court methods of this country One is in allowing attorneys for the defense to everlastingly and unceasing y din into the jurors’ ears the principle, that they must believe the prisoner “guilty beyond a reasonable doubt ” Another is in permitting the defense to abuse, slander and vilify men of high standing because they are witnesses for the prosecu'ion. Another is in paying out vast sums of the people’s money in hiring the ablest and most unscrupulous attorneys that can be found, to defend every worthless wretch who gives rein to bis infernal instincts until they lead him to the commission of abhorrent crimes.