Reuben Gill—A Mormon Saint

by Inspector F.

The last time a venerable judge, not long since deceased, but who had retired from the bench several years previously, went on circuit, a man named Reuben Gill was tried before him for assaulting one John Purcell on the Queen’s highway with intent to kill and murder him. Purcell, a rate collector, who had a considerable sum of money with him, was in fact left for dead by the ruffian who, having possessed himself of the money, decamped and got clear off. Gill was apprehended, and upon Purcell’s sworn testimony fully committed for trial. The learned judge had become exceedingly deaf, and on the day Gill was arraigned his infirmity was more than commonly apparent. In charging the jury, which he did very strongly for a conviction, he misquoted the evidence against Gill more than once, and this perhaps induced the jurors to side with the prisoner against the manifest bias of the judge, and after about a couple of minutes consultation, the jury found the prisoner not guilty, which verdict was immediately recorded by the clerk of arraigns. Then came the comical part of the business. Believing the jury could have no more doubt of the prisoner’s guilt than he himself had, the judge taking it for granted that Gill was convicted of the capital charge, at once assumed the black cap, and proceeded to address the prisoner in as nearly as I can recollect the following terms:—”Prisoner at the bar, the jury, after giving the most patient attention to the evidence and the observations of your counsel, have arrived at the only possible conclusion they could as sensible men come to. They have done their duty, and it now remains for me to do mine. The—”

Here the clerk of the arraigns, who like the rest of the audience had been dumbfounded for a minute or two, jumped up, and facing the judge, exclaimed, “Not guilty—the verdict is NOT guilty.” “The jury… Read More