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[San F Call, Feb 14, page 16, col. 7]

Mrs Jane Shattuck has been acquitted.

Twice she was tried for the murder of Harry Pool; once convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to imprisonment for life. She secured a new trial from the Supreme Court and now, on the second trial, which has just closed, she has been acquitted.

Judge Belcher charged the jury yesterday morning, and at a quarter to 12 o'clock the jurymen where ushered out of court under the charge of the bailiff.

There was no sign from then during the afternoon, and the crowd which at first lingered about the courtroom, gazing at the prisoner and the single friend who sat with her during the waiting hours, soon thinned out. There was a lengthy struggle going on, and it was not until after 9 o'clock last night that the jury sent for Judge Belcher and announced that a verdict had been reached. Mrs. Shattuck shifted nervously in her chair during the calling of the jury, and when the verdict was given, "Not guilty, by reason of insanity," she uttered a shriek and fell forward unconscious.

The jurymen in favor of acquittal had made a herculean struggle. When the first ballot was taken the vote stood 8 to 4 for acquittal. Then after over an hour it changed to 9 to 3. Then came more hours of hard talking and once more the vote changed, this time to 11 to 1. The one man held his ground stoutly, and it was not until the others agreed to add "by reason of insanity" to their verdict that he finally cast his ballot for "not guilty."

It is some years since Harry Poole was killed. He was the lover, some say the intended husband, of Mrs. Shattuck's daughter, "Truly," who was then a chorus girl in the Tivoli. He received a note from the girl one day asking him to call on her, saying further that her mother was very sick, and if he wished to see her alive again he must come at once. He went to the house, and there he was confronted by Mrs. Shattuck, who demanded that he promise to marry her daughter. He refused, and the infuriated mother shot him dead.

After her conviction Mrs. Shattuck was sentenced to the State prison for life. She was sent over to Sn Quentin, but in the meantime an appeal to the Supreme Court demanding a new trial was vigorously prosecuted. The Judge had charged that the jury might look with a certain degree of suspicion upon the testimony which the prisoner gave in her own behalf, and upon that point a new trial was granted. She has been tried again and Mrs. Shattuck is now free. She was sent in a cab to the home of a friend, by her attorney, Carroll Cook.