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April 1, 1926

The Trial of Robert O. Haviland
April 1, 1926

NO VERDICT IN HAVILAND CASE

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Jury Unable to Agree After Eight Hours’ Deliberation.
Said to Have Stood 10 to 2 for Acquittal.

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          The jury which heard the case of the Commonwealth against Robt. O. Haviland, indicted for shooting Jos. W. Arnold at the LeBus warehouse on the morning of Feb. 3, Arnold dying that afternoon at the Harrison Memorial Hospital, was discharged by Judge Dedman at 3:30 o’clock Friday afternoon, failing to reach a verdict after eight hours’ deliberation.  The poll is said to have stood 10 to 2 for acquittal.

            The case was called at a special term of the Harrison Circuit Court on Tuesday, March 23, at detailed in this paper last week.  A jury was secured the second morning, the following men accepted:  G.T. Beckett, E.L. Renaker, Jesse Faulconer, L.T. Anderson, Wesley Williams, Herman Brookins, Willie McCauley, Thomas Northcutt, Edgar VanHook, W.F. Renaker, W.R. Jones[,] and Stone Perkins.

            The Commonwealth was represented by Commonwealth’s Attorney T.E. King and Wade H. Lail, of this city, Wallace Muir, of Lexington; the defense by Hanson Peterson, and Daniel Durbin, of this city, and Stephen L. Blakely, of Covington.

            The Commonwealth finished testimony Wednesday afternoon, the defense Thursday morning.  After arguments by Attorneys Peterson and Blakely, for the defense, and King and Muir for the State, the case was given to the jury at 3:30 o’clock Thursday afternoon.  After deliberating until late in the afternoon, the jury requested that part of the testimony be read to them by the court stenographer, Mrs. Jas. Dills.  The stenographer was ill and could not appear, and the jury was placed in the hands of the sheriff for the night.

            Friday morning Mrs. Dills was still to ill to appear, but an agreement was reached whereby she read the notes of the testimony to her sister, Mrs. Edgar VanHook, another stenographer who transcribed it and made it available to the jury.

            At 3:30 o’clock, the jury again reported to the Court that it was hopelessly divided and was discharged.

            The cased was redocketed and probably will be tried again in June.  Mr. Haviland was released under a renewed bond of $20,000 which he had furnished after the examining trial.

SOURCE: The Cynthiana (Ky.) Democrat, Thursday, April 1, 1926, Page 1, Col. 1: