Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-12-13
ALMON MEAKER SEN
FENCED TO DEATH

In accordance with the terms of the
statute which provided that when any
person has pleaded guilty of murder,
the court shall hear testimoney to de-
termine the degree, the county court,
ON the 4th inst listened to the testi-
mony of Sheriff Anterior about Almon's
confession to him on the night when
they went together and recovered the
body of little Alice, and the testimony
of DIR. Henry James of Waterbury in
regard to the post norton examination
of her corpse, and the certainty from
that examination, that death did not
result from natural causes. The re-
spondent's counsel put in no testimony.
Almon sat in his chair In the bar be-
| hind his counsel as unconcerned as ever.
He had been exhorted by his own coun-
sci, by the counsel of the state and by
the officers to tell the whole truth. He
had been told that if be told the truth
and it became evident that his share in
the murder was what they believed it
to be, everything should be done to Sc
cure Communication of his sentence to
Imprisonment for life. But he refused
to open his lips. He still clings to the
salvation of his mother, and seems will
ing and even anxious to sacrifice his
own life that hers may be saved. He
was told that his assertion that she was
not with him, and had nothing to do
with the murder, would do her no good
and would only seal his own fate; but
he was immovable. Judge Redfela, in
an address of great humanity, in which
he regretted the duty which was impos-
ed upon him by the law. and intimated
that if the statute had not made it i'm.
perative upon the court to find the crime
murder by poison-to be murder in
the first degree. they might have found
otherwise in order that the sentence
should be milder. He directed the
clerk to ask the respondent if he had
anything to say why sentence should
not be passed upon him. Almon stood
up, looked almost de6antly at the cour
and said, "No." Judge Redfeld thel
pronounced sentence, as follows:
The sentence of the that you the said Loui
Almon Meaker. on the second Friday of February i
the year 1883. between the hours of one and tw
o'clock in the afternoon of said day, within the walls
nclosed yard of the state prison in Windsor in tn
county of Windsor. be hanged by the neck till deaG
And it is ordered that warrant be issued by the cler
of this court under the seal Of said court to the she
if of said Windsor county, commanding said sheriff
cause said sentence to be carried into effect. And
is also the sentence Of this court that the meantim
you. the SAID Louis Almon Meaker, be confined in sal
state prison at hard labor therein till within thre
months of said time fixed for said execution and f
and during said three months prior to said tin
fixed for the execution. and up to said execution. yo
the said Louis Amon Meaker, be confined in soltal
congnement in said state prison.
The respondent was then taken bac
to Jail. He and his mother will
taken to the state prison in a few days
: Since her conviction she has been keL
in the common Jail because it has nc
, been considered safe to leave her in th
: woman's room. She and Almon there
: fore have had means of communicate
e with each other and it is believed tha
}. it is her influence that seals his lip
f She Is willing to see him hanged, if sh
f can only believe that she thereby has
chance Journal.