Page:The Great Harry Thaw Case.djvu/297

 This was the second night that the jury has been locked up in the bare jury room, whose only furniture was a long table and some hard chairs. Contrary to what has occurred at many other famous murder trials no information leaked out of the jury room regarding the attitude of the jurors towards conviction or acquittal that could be regarded as in the least reliable.

Various rumors were afloat. Most of them had it that the jury stood 10 to 2 or 9 to 3 for conviction, but on investigation it provided that all of the rumors were nothing better than guesses.

Soon after it was announced that the jury was to be shut up for the night. Thaw was taken from the pen back to his cell. As he left the pen he handed out to the reporters this note:

"It is a great satisfaction that all of my family continue well. I regret that so many officials and others have so much extra work."

On the morning of Friday, April 12. rumor had it that nine of the jurors had agreed to find Thaw guilty of one in these three degrees:

Murder in the second degree; penalty, life imprisonment.

Manslaughter, first degree; penalty, twenty years' imprisonment.

Manslaughter, in the second degree; penalty, fifteen years' imprisonment.