Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1877-11-21
4 TERRIBLE COURT SCENE.

6oWW000fo ana His Eothor ANA 41Heel
4 1.oeiysd the Verdict that Dooms Hin
: The closing scene of the trial Of
; William Wieners in st. Louis for the
killing of Americus Vespucius Lawrence
is thus described in the Globe Democrat:
4 For an hour the asscmblage in the
court room waited anxiously for some
intimation from the jury room. Three
minutes longer waiting, and then at
thirty-eight minutes past three O'Clock a
tapping on the the jury room door
brought Marshal Hohof to his feet and
caused deathlike silence to reign in the
room. The Marshal opened the door,
looked in and closed it again immedi-
atS1 y. A sigh of relief passed around.
and the words false alarm" fell from
the lips of several. 1t was not false
alarm, however, and as Judge Jones re-
sumed his seat upon the bench the jury
room door was again opened and the
twelve men filed slowly and solemnly
into court. Not word broke the omin-
Gus silence which pervaded the place,
and yet before the jurors had got to their
seats there was not a person in the room
who had not read the terrible verdict
from the faces of the Jurors The pris-
0ner maintained his composure wonder
fully, the nervously rapid working of his
fingers alone evidencing the excitement
under which he was laboring. His sister
turned pale, grasped the back of her
brothers chair and cast \ piteous glance
along the line of jurors, whose foreman
handed q slip of paper to Mr.. Clabby,
Clerk of the Court, who read out in
clear, ringing voice, the verdict" We,
the jury, find the defendant guilty Of
murder in the first degree"
A sensational scene such a. is seldom
witnessed in court ensued. The pris-
oner's face blanchcd. His sister sat still
for moment, gazing into vacancy and
clutching the chair in front Of her.
Then she flung her arms around the con-
victed felon's neck and broke into
hysterical sobs, which he tried in vain
to check. Over and over again she kiss
ed him on the face and neck and hands,
only stopping now and then to cry to
him in a tone of most piteous endear-
ment, "Oh, Billyn "My own brother
Billy! "My only brotherp Then she
would stop for moment, and look Wild
ly round, and say deiantly, "They shall
not do anything to you'll" At last the
stolidity of the prisoner melted away,
and, with tears streaming from his eyes,
he leaned back over his chair, and broth |
er and sister were enfolded in one an
Others arms. There was hardly dry |
eye in the court room, and the Judges |
voice trembled as he ordered the mar
shal to remove the prisoner into the jury |
ell 49, Ill
father, whose meeting with his convicted
son was a scene of terrible pathOs. Ut
terly crushed by the woe that was upon
them, father and son rushe into on
another's arms, and broke into hysterical
which was heard in distant parts
Of the building. 1t was a terrible sight
to see the old man, in his hysterical
emotion, clasp his mighty son tn his
breast and kiss him, with such fondness
As parent bestows upon q little child |,
he loves, and even more terrible when,
overcome by excess of feeling, the ago
nized parent suddenly relaxed his grasp
round the prisoners neck, and fell back ( |
upon the floor. Restoratives ,
were applied, and in a few moments he
consciousness. So painful
scene had never before been witnessed in
The court, and it was only an act of
mercy to remove Wieners to the Jail,
he was followed by his sorrowing !,
relatives. The crowds in the court
rooms collected togetder and waited anx-
ously at the foot Of the Four Courts
to catch glimpse Of the prison
II as he passed BY. They were disap-
pointed, however, as Wieners was re-
moved to the Jail by the back way,
where, after undergoing specially Close
'earch by the guards, he was consigned
10 his cell.