Jury Out in U.S. Trial of Seaman

A U. S. District court jury of seven men and five women failed to reach a verdict in the "murder on the high seas case" after four hours of deliberation last night. Jurors were sent to a downtown hotel and will resume

deliberations

morning.

at 9

this

The jury in Judge Thomas D. Lambros' court is considering the case against Howard D. Reagan, 29, accused of murdering and robbing a fellow crewman on an American freighter in 1966.

In final argument yesterday, Assistant U.S. Atty. Robert W. Jones contradicted the defenses's characterization of the murder victim. Joseph Speidell, as a money lender and homosexual.

Jones said Speidell had money because he didn't spend it ashore.

JONES SAID witness after witness made no mention of any homosexual tendencies by Speidell.

"All the evidence, except that from Reagan, was that Speidell was a quiet man," Jones told the jury.

Defense lawyers James J. Carroll and William Fuller contended the murder was committed by unknown others aboard the ship and their client was framed. Speidell, 62, died of knife wounds on the neck while the freighter was moving through the port of Bremerhaven, West Germany. Reagan lived at 3886 W. 21st Place.