The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1877-12-18
"cuILTY 20

"GUILTY ~
In another column will be found the
last of the evidence 10 the Daniel case.
together with the verdict of the jury.
Daniel has had q fair trial, he was
ably defended. and allowed every ad-
vantage. by Judge Rogers, consistent
with the Law. The jury was COM
posed Of intelligent and humane. but
Just men. They listened carefully to
the evidence. weighing every doubt
with a leaning to the side of mercy.
and upon that evidence they returned
the verdict that John William Daniel
was guilty as the indictment charged.
Guilty Of what! Guilty Of taking
the advantage Of a mans unhappy do,
nestle circumstances to induce him ia
leave home that he might obtain pos
session of the property he coveted.
Guilty Of feigning friendship for his
travelling companion. while be knew
in bis own murderous heart he was
leading him, step by step, to his doom.
And finally. after arriving at that Sc.
cluded camping place-after partaking
of their evening meal together in ap
parent friendship-after the poor, un'
suspicious victim had laid down in hi.
last sleep. John William Daniel arose
in the night. secured the murderous
AZ and dealt his unconscious victim
those cruel and deadly blows that in'
stantly deprived him of life. And
poor. deluded. MURDERED, jesse r.
Miller passed, without one word o.
warning, from the sleep of life to one
that shall know no waking until the
resurrection morn. As for the muir
derer, no eve had seen him-no cal
had heard him-save that Of God
and he was safe!
Then at morn. with no compunctions
of q conscience already scared in slu
aud with the cruelty of fiend. hs
ar,ee and cast the b.,dy IF HE victim
into a secluded place, wrapped in thu
hahiliments STEPPED with his gore. Hi
deed was done his object attained
Driving as rapidly as he could. thi:
quiet. cool, calculating 6end returned
to his h"me and at once went to WORK
to wrest fr"m the poor widow of hi.
victim her last means Of support! But
his avarice Overreached itself-the
very cause Of his bloody deed betrayed
him. When the widow asked fol
her husband, he showed her a flimsy
paper that claimed all her property
when she asked what last message he
sent, she was given one of scorn and
contempt; when she begged for her
property. she was denied with the
heartlessness of Shylock!
Such was this murder. cold and
atrocious-without one palliative cir.
cumstance. Such was this monstrous
without an iota of cause, des
titute of one redeeming ray for the
darkest, most heartless. inhuman acl
that eclipses the blacklist page in the
annals of crime. And such was the
deed committed almost in the suburbs
of Sedalia.
The sentence in this case cannot be
otherwise than that of death. And il
the law is carried out, Daniel will meet
his just punishment in Warrensburg.
where he was tried. There is just
one ray Of hope for him to escape it.
Under the provisions of new law he
claimed the right to be tried by ajudge
other than the regular district judge,
under the excuse that he Judge Hill
was prejudiced against him. The con.
stitutionality of this law is now being
tested 10 the supreme Court. In 8
few DAYS a decision will be rendered.
and upon that decision the life of Dan
iel hangs.