Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-04-28

Il
THAT WAS MURDER,
becsuse the law i fhat a mali should not take
TIE lie OF his adversary unless eces.ry
in defense or his own life and limb. 1 think
thst is the law. But there 10 great con-
fict Of evidence, aud 10 IL httlr doubtful
extremely doubtful in this case; but one OF the
frsilties in administering the law IL that some
times witnesses do not testify truly-sometimes
witnesses coLua1ict each other. The jlry
have right, and it is their duty, to look at all
the circumstances Of the case, and Try to find
out what the truth is, and to satisfy their con-
science and Judgment a. 20 what the truth is in
reference &c IL. | think this whole transaction
shows, Bolster that after this first conflict that
yOu had on the corner of 18th street and the
Avenue, there was
PREDgTERMTNATIoN TO REVENGE
that boating. think that gun was got by your
friends for that purpose, and think you went
and searched for James for that purpose and
not for the purpose of explanation. [ think
that is pretty idle theory, Bolster. Yol went
after him evidently not for the purpose OF ex-
PLANTATION, but you and your friends went aud
sought him out. When he was got ont OF his
house and another conflict occurred then Won
tOOk the gun from the hand Of your triend-who
rs at least guilty az yOu are in the sight of God
and man. by this testimony. andit Is great pity
nat be was rot srraigned before the court hnd
Standing as you are standing friday. | think
from all the circumstances OF the case afCer
thar hrst conflict, you, surrounded by your
TRENDS, took this gun and then went 70 lOOk
after James again, looking for him not as
a..
had an honest purpose, il James had assaulted
you without prOvocatiOn, without justification,
a. law abiding citizen You ought to have
APPEALED TO the courts for protection
against him. 1t did uot require any ex-
PLANTATION of such an attack As that
you claim II was. II was great wrong, great
outrage, but after IL was committed the pr0tec-
ton OF the law was within your reach. You
should not, a. Won told this Vernon have re-
solved upon shooting James as the only remedy
YOU had OF obtaining revenge. It seemed to in
q. Z. ha fac in, I,
case showed, that there was a pTecorCerted ar
Isngement upon your part and the part of your
irIencs to pursue James, get him out of the
house, raise another controversy, then take this
gun ard shoot him. Aud you did IL. You sent
your brother man without warning, without
notice, to meet his God; and in a cruel man
Der, too. You bave committed
THE GREATEST CRIME MAN CAN COMMIT
Inc whole case is very sad one. The teS-
tmOny in this case shows that in the p asst years
your SUI rountings, your associations and your
habits have not been very creditgble for a m.p
brought up with Sunday schools, churches and
common schools, and you are man OF more
than ordinary intellisence. 1t il sad indeed
10 see that all those Influences that harmOniZe,
cultivate and raise men up to pretty high po-
sition in society have been lost upon you.
TOUCHING sCRNE.
90 not know now true IL Isl 10 not RELY
much Oh newspaper repOrts-but / saw in tho
papers what purported to be letter to YOU
from your mother. Have you mother living
he prisoner IN q feeling voice =" have"
The Court" A letter from your mother ex-
pressing all that kindly''-(here the Judge gave
way to bis feelings, and Bolster was also over
could express" (Here the prisoner bowed his
head and wept audibly.) at touched my heart
deeply" Here the Judge again gave way to
be removed from a situation like this, for tSat
mothers sake and that sisters sake!' Here
the Judge became so deeply affected that he
had TO pause to wipe away the tears coursing
down his cheeks. while the feeling seemed TO be
shared by the counsel on both sides, the officers
OF the court and many spectators.)
would not willingly say a word, Bolster,
That would wound your feelings at all. Nothing
but kindness. have felt, and certainly 10 feel
towards you in the position l occupy here; bur
VIII try and have law observed. No matter how
low or high the offender il, will try, so far a.
can, to see the law observed. i think that your
case IL Clearly one of murder. j am sorry TO be
constrained to say it. but think it is so; think
the evidence clearly shows il, and do not sec
how jury-a jury OF your own selection-couid
have come TO any other conclusion on the sub
Ject, for they were honest men, and meant to see
Tue law observed. L am sorry, 10 your case,
fertaps may lave committed some errors Ia
the trial of the case. They were not of the
heart, / assure you. They were OF the head
Tor want OF knowledge. IL 1 have done that
your counsel will have An opportunity TO bring
beiore my brothers your case, and shall give
you time TO do that; time TO let them pass
upon 1t, TO see if any error has been com
nitted. l assure you that every reasonable rule
or The law in excuse for this Otfense char ged
against you will be readily observed ia you,
favor, for IL IL the most painful duty that Jury
or judge can ever be called upon to exc :
Csc, 10 pronounce such Judgment thu
| am constrained to pronounce upon Won
regret il the more because you are a man o.
more than Ordinary cultivation, OF very CON
siderable intelligence, and man who might
have tlled respectfully almost any POSITION IN
life you may be called upon TO till; a man who
was evidently surrounded In your childhood bv
influences which ought 10 have made "A GOOD
man of you. But it sometimes happens thai
men OF rare capabilities resort to practices get
into habits, and form associations which LEAD
to death and destruction. / am afraid that j.
your case. You are not perhaps an entire
stranger 10 courts from what hear, but would
not like 20 say that of YOU.
The prisoner said: 81 was tried twice By the
court"
The Sentence
Inc Court-'l would not ike to say 50, be-
cause do not like to say an unkind word. Now
taken hence TO the Jail of the District of Column
pa, whence you were brought, and kept in
cose confinement until Friday, the 9th day of
June, that will be six weeks,j and then, be-
tween the hours OF IL and l o'clock, YOU be
hanged by the neck until you are dead; and
may Goo have mercy on your soul. You will
nave more time to implore that mercy than you
gave James. In the meantime there will be, As
4 stated to you, An opportunity to review the
trial of the cause before the other Judges of the
court, ; and see if your trial has not been fair
one, Just one, and il you have not been prop
erly convicted. i am sure that they will feel
what j feel-the same interest, the same anx-
lety, and the came pleasure to find that really
you had not committed the offence with which
you are indicted"
Back 70 Jail.
Immediately after the sentence had been pro-
noupced there was movement on the part of
many in the crowd to get out to follow the p-is.
oDer, and Bolster, who had taken his seat
looked around to ascertain the cause of the com,
motion. The handouts we're placed on his
wrists, and after waiting few minutes b<Iitf.
Sprague, Parker, Stahl and Hughes took the
prisoner In charge to convey him to the jaiI:
Lieut.. Kelly with squad of police accompany
the crowd from entering the lot. On his return
to the prison he said he would prepare himself
for the worst, and asserted that the act was COM
mitted in self defence. He remarked that he
now told the whole tale and asked what effect it
had. He was Immediately placed alone in a