Show I I I VERDICT OF GUlL YI I The Jlusser Case Argued and SubmIt Sub-mIt to the Jury J The Jurors Receive Their Instructions I i 1 iincflietirer i t A Verdict of Guilty Returned Wihin f J Fifteen Minutes After Mrs Rideout had concluded Her testimony yesterday afternoon CHARLES BROWN Clerk of the First Ward was called He testified that he kept a record of the births baptisms and blessings of the children of the ward but the boolchad L been taken from him about six months I I nan he did not know who took it nor when it was taken he had left it on a table about six months ago and it had been spirited aay in some astonishing manner he could not remember whether he had ever recorded any blessings for the Mussers JOSEPH WARBUKTON Bishop of the First ward was called and questioned concerning the record He had authority over the book but did not know where it was lIe had not blessed any children for the defendant the witness kept a store and sold goods to the Mussers but did not think Belindas children had ever purchased anything from him i M F EAKLE I The school teacher of the First Ward testified tes-tified that with the exception of about six months he had lived in the Musser family since March 1883 He ate his meals at Mary Mussers table saw the defendant at Belindas table once a a guest j did not know the ages of the youngest children but had seen some infants in arms The prosecution then rested and the defense offered in evidence the record of three deeds from Musser to his three wives dated July 21 1883 and Annie Sheets was called to prove that Belinda was only stopping in the same house with ished Mary until her own house should be fin I The defense then rested and court adjourned ad-journed until this morning ARGUMENTS Mr Dickson made the opening address to the jury this morning Mr Dickson stated it would be sufficient to warrant 1 conviction if it was proved the defendant i lived in the same house with any two of the women named in the indictment and treated them as his wives Mr Dickson then reviewed the testimony at length Mrs Sheets had testified that for a year and a half the defendant had lived in the same house as Mrs Mary Musser and Mrs Belinda Musser and their testimony was uncontradicted by the defense Mr Dickson was followed by Arthur Brown and Judge Bennett for the defense Judge Bennett made as strong a plea probably as could have been made for so weak a cause Mr Varian closed for the prosecution with a strong argument and the court then charged the jury I the jurors be lieved from the evidence that the de fendant between the dates designated in the indictment lived with the women named or with any two of them as his wives in the habit and repute of marriage mar-riage they should return a verdict of guilty I was not necessary that o defendant should occupy the same bed nor have sexual intercourse with the women nor was it necessary that marriage should have been cele brated between them The jurors were the sole judges of the credibility of witnesses wit-nesses and in determining their credi bility had a right to take into considera tion their deportment on the stand their frankness or want of frankness and the reasonableness of their statements Judge Sutherland took exceptions to the charge and the jury retired In about fifteen minutes they returned into court announced they found the de fendant guilty as charged in the indictment indict-ment and were discharged Next Satur day was fixed for sentence |