The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-05-01
STEVENS FOUND GUILTY OF
MANSLAUGTER.


+ MANSLAUGTER. 8
! + The trial Of Peter E. Stevens in the
Criminal Court, Chicago, Judge Rog-
gers presiding, for. the murder Of his
wife, after continuing for about three
weeks, was brought to close on Sun
day at one P. M, by the jury finding a
Iyerdict of guilty of manslaughter, and
fixing the penalty at fourteen years
imprisonment in the Penitentiary.
The jury was polled, and a motion
made for new trial. While this was
being done, Mrs. Young who was in
her accustomed seat, and more heavily
yelled in black than usual, arose and
gllded to where Stevens would pass in
going out, and stood there. The jail
er beckoned to Stevens, and they start
ed for the corridor that leads to the
jail, Stevens little to the right. AS
he passed, Mrs. Young stepped for
ward, drew from under her veil pis-
toll, placed it's nozzle within six inches
of Stevens head behind the ear, and
pulled the trigger. The hammer fell
with click, taking with it fold of a
handkerchief held in the hand. The
obstruction prevented the lock from
touching the cartridge and saved Ste
vens' life. The jailer heard the click,
and looked around in time to see Mrs.
Young making an effort to disentan-
gla her pistol for more effective use.
He showed Stevens forward and caught
Mrs. Young by the wrist to take the
pistol from her. She struggled to keep
it and to get to Stevens. She was
overcome, and sunk in a faint. When
she came to, she was taken from the
Court room, and, when she had suffl-
GENTLY recovered, sent home in a car
riage. She remains physically prostra-
ted and mentally deranged, and it is
thought will never recover. Stevens
was taken to Jail.
The verdict Of the jury was against
law and evidence. Stevens, at the
time of the killing, was either insane
or not insane. If insane, he should
have been acquitted: If not insane, he
should have been convicted of murder.
One of the jury was for acquitting,
four for convicting of murder, and the
rest for convicting of manslaughter.
The verdict was compromise. And
the question now is, Which is best,
such compromise, or disagreement !?
Imprisonment for fourteen years,
which, by good conduct, may be re-
duced to about eight and quarter,
may be better than acquittal.
EDWIN BOOTH, the tragedian, was
shot at twice, by Mark Gray, on We'd
nesday evening, April "a, as he was
going through the first part Of the
prison scene in Richard IL in McVick-
er's Theatre. Booth saw who fired
the shots but scarcely realized that he
was shot at. Gray would probably
have shot again if he had not been
poiated out and arrested. When the
situation was realized by the assem-
bly, there was great excitement for a
| few moments but it soon subsidized.
Booth, after pointing to Gray as the
one who shot, asked to leave the stage
and left for few minutes to see his
wife, but soon returned and finished
the play. After Gray's arrest he ex-
pressed sorrow that he had not killed
Booth but declined to give any reason
why he wanted to kill him. He has
been held to bail for $4,000 and fail
ing to obtain it he remains in Jail. He
formerly res ided in Dubuque and his
mother now resides there. The prob
ability is and the opinion seems to be
becoming prevalent that he is insane,
at least in relation to his becoming an
actor and in some way in relation to
Booth. Booth knows nothing of him
but hearing Gray wanted to see him
has called on him, and since that it is
reported that Gray says he is now
glad he did not kill Booth. @
The Shakespeare Memorial Theater
at Stratford -on-Avon, Eng, was form
ally opened Wednesday, the 23d ult..