The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-03-20
GREEaLEY GONE.
The Murderer of Ida Kersey Sentenced to be
Hung on the 10th of May.
The Motion for New Trial overruled-The
Full Text of the Decision.

In the criminal court room yesterday
morning large crowd congregated in hopes
of hearing the decision of Judge Buskirk on
the motion for new trial in the Greenley
case. The judge entered the court room
shortly after 8 o'clock, and ordered the
prisoner brought into court and the attor-
neys notified of his readiness to rule on the
case. Greenley soon arrived in custody of
the sheriffs deputies, and took his seat
directly in front of the bench He sat with
hand on each arm of the chair, and with
his eyes closed and head downward. He was
very pale, and it was noticeable that he was
laboring under great mental excitement.
Messrs. Buskirk, Potts and Griffith. for the de-
Tense, soon arrived, and the judges gavel an
nounced that order must be mintained He
then read in trembling voice the following
ruling:
have given all the points raised why new
trlai Should be granted this defendant great
deal OF attention and close investigation. and
nave been greatly assisted by the able and
exhaustive Arguments of the counsel on boil
sldeS. / trust l have been duly impressed
with the Importance of the questions involved
in dispute, and of the grave consequences that
ihlsnt follow my rulings, and L nope ana
trust in the future that I will not have 10
assume such responsibilities
have concluded that the defendant has had
a fair and impartial trial before u conscien-
Uous men, who plainly listened to all the
testimony; that also he had the assistance of
anle ana distinguished counsel, who advanced
all OF the arguments their learning and ex-
perience could suggest; that there have been
no errors OF law committed TO justify me in
disturbing the verdict OF the Jury
have thus briefly stated the conclusion /
have arrived at without giving details upon
each point raised. / have the cOnSolatiO1 OF
knowing, and il is indeed a cOnsOlatiOn I'm this
ant he has the right to appeal TO the supreme
court OF the state, who will likewise patiently
investigate all the points raised in this case
and who viii not hesitate to say whether there
nave been errors committed sufficient O
defendant IN a Fri ha
defendants motion for new trial is over
ruled
Judge Buskirk in low voice then said,
stand up, Mr.. Creamy which he did,
supporting himself with one hand on the
chair. Mr.. Buskirk then continued in a
hrmer tone, Have you anything to say why
the sentence Of the court should not be
passed upon the verdict of the jury?'' The
Judge paused for the doomed mans answer
who was almost choked with emotion, but
said in a weak, trembling voice, mo, sir
His lips were noticed to move slightly as
though ne was endeayoriDg TO say some
thing. The court paused for his remarks,
ana was about TO conclude by passing the
sentence, when Judge Samuel H. Buskirk
moved TO arrest the judgment, which was
oyerruled by the court, and he continued:
Mr.. Greenley, it is not for me, frail man.
To lecture you upon the enormity of the offense
you have been convicted of, nor to urge upon
you the necessity of repentance and forgive
ness of sin before you are called upon TO meet
your God All of these matters more properly
belong TO your spiritual advisers than 10 me
whose occupation in life has not peculiarly
fitted him for giving such advice. / will say
this: | will be more merciful to you than you
were to the poor murdered girl whom you
hurried into eternity upon that fatal night
without moments preparation for the dread
change. I feel disposed TO give you ample
time 10 prepare yourself for death. II is the
sentence of this court that YOU be kept con-
fined in the body of the Marion county jail
unlil ErlusN, the lUtn day OF May. 1873. that
you that day, between the hours of II a. m.
and , p. m, suffer death by hanging.
The prisoner, who had remained standing
then sat down, not appearing TO notice any
thing around him. As he took his seat an
entire change SEEMED to have enveloped
him, and he resembled a person suffering
intense agony. but with little outward
showing. Judge Samuel II. Buskirk then
prayed an appeal to the supreme court and
asked 20 days to prepare his bill of eXcep-
tons. The court complied, and then the
court room became quiet. Greenley was
returned TO the Jail, where he was less con-
versant than ever before, declining TO talk
with his fellow prisoners, and seems TO have
lost all hope, though his attorneys are conf
dent of gaining their point in the supreme
court.
After sentence had been passed the fol-
lowing was received by the Judge:
JUDGE Observation-Disclosures SIR-If il
should become necessary for you, in the dis
charge of your official duty, TO sentence the
man Greenley To be hung, let Inc suggest that
YOU fix upon some other day in the week than
Friday. Friday has been looked upon
unlucky day for centuries, and not judges
in the nineteenth century paudering TO relic
Of barbarism in always choosing Friday as the
day peculiarly fitted for the execution of the
law because 1t is an unlucky day? Can't we
have one independent judge whose acts viii
not indicate that he is superstiriOus? Yours,
ANY DAY FRIDAY.