Any evidence of the alleged conversation at Mr. Sharpman's office, he
said, must be rejected wholly. He warned them to dismiss from their
minds all prejudice or sympathy that might have been aroused by the
speeches of counsel, or the appearance of witnesses in court, and to
take into consideration and decide upon but one question, namely:
whether the boy Ralph is or is not the son of the late Robert Burnham:
that, laying aside all other questions, matters, and things, they must
decide that and that alone, according to the law and the evidence.
When the judge had finished his charge a constable was sworn, and,
followed by the twelve jurors, he marched from the court-room.
It was already after six o'clock, so the crier was directed to adjourn
the court, and, a few minutes later, the judge, the lawyers, the
witnesses, and the spectators had all disappeared, and the room
was empty.
CHAPTER XVIII.
A WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS.
Every one expected that the jury would come into court with a verdict
at the opening of the session on Tuesday morning. There was much
difference of opinion, however, as to what that verdict would be.
But the morning hours went by and the jury still remained in their
room. The constable who watched at the door shook his head and smiled
when asked about the probability of an early agreement. No one seemed
to know just how the jury stood.
Sharpman and his client had been greatly disheartened on Monday night,
and had confessed as much to each other; but the longer the jury
remained out the more hope they gathered.
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