Show JESTER IS ACQUITTED JURY RETURNS VERDICT IN FAVOR OF OCTOGENARIAN Verdict Received With Shouts of Approval Ap-proval by the Spectators i the Courtroom Courroom I New London Mo ug 1 Alexander Alexan-der Jester the octogenarian who has been r trial here for the pat two i weeks I for the murder twentynine years ago of Gilbert Gates was tonight acquiCted 5ie jury took three bajllotsj When the jury JllecTfiiCo the courtroom court-room it wasfilled with expectant throng Eager faces bent forward and watched closely every motion ot the twelve men who were to decide the old mans fate Judge Erby who was in waiting promptly advised the foreman fore-man oC the jury Joseph Barry as soon as the Jurymen had taken seats and asked If they had come to a conclusion con-clusion Barry answered in the affirmative af-firmative and handed the verdict to the Judge r The latter calmly unfolding the paper pa-per scanned It a moment and then read We the jury find the defendant defend-ant Alexander Jester not guilty The old prisoner bent with age and worn with watching sat as If dazed lor an instant while the audience at first too amazed to realize that the rial t had so quickly come to an end watched the actions of the Judge In breathless silence and seemed hardly l to grasp the meaning of the words just spoken Jester finally realizing the Import of the words arose and his face beaming with joy moved toward to-ward the Jurymen to thank them A noment later the spectators awoke and gave vent to their feelings in a Ehcut that made the courtroom ring then with common Impulse a rush was made for the man who had In his declining years made so brave a fight for his life and he was almost smothered smoth-ered with congratulations After nearly four weeks of tedious testimonytaking the great trial of Alexander Jester has passed Into history with the Buffalo Calf and Hulcq Lane and the other man after second attempt to send him to the gallows had been set free I had ben n trial filled with pathos presenting renting as It did the spectacle of a woman testifying against her brother in an attempt to fasten murder committed com-mitted nearly thirty years ago upon his head There were three ballots taken by the Jury The first stood nine for acquittal and three for murder in the fiist degree The next stood ten for acouittal and two for conviction The third and last unanimous for acquittal was given with n shout by the tired jurymen r When Jester was enabled finally to disengage himself from the friends who surrounded him he made his way quickly to the hotel where surrounded surround-ed by his children Harvey Jester Will ard Alice Hill he rejoiced quietly VI will leave hero at once for his w1 home In Oklahoma where he was taken prisoner over two years ago TIers taken was general rejoicing among the townspeople when the verdict became I known |