Democratic messenger., 1881-03-12
Turpin's Sentence-Ten Years.

Judge Goldsborough arrived in Sal
isbury on the first train Wednesday
afternoon, and at once had the special
session of Court called. The court
room was soon filed with spectators,
many of whom had come from Guam
tico and other points to hear the SEN
tence of John Wesley Turpin pro-
nounced. Mr. Turpin when brought
into Court attended by his counsel,
displayed the same composed demean-
or that was observed all through his
trial, Judge Goldsborough spoke
briefly, but with a grave ern phasis that
made his words forcible. His remarks
were as follows;
John Wesley Turpin :--0ne of the most
painful duties which, in the course Of my
entire life, have ever been called upon 20
perform, is about to be performed now. ]
have known you for a great many years.
Twenty odd years ago the relation Of lawer
and client existed between us, and little did
either of US then think that those relations
would ever be SO sadly changed; that the
time would come when you would stand at
tie bar of this Court a convicted criminal,
and be required to pass the sentence of the
law upon you. Yet so it is, and, however
painful, the behesis of public justice must be
complied with. II is needless for me to say
TO you that you have had q fair and Impair
tinl trial. You are NO stranger in this COM
munity. The men into whose hands you
committed Jour cause were literally jurors
of the viciuage; OF your yicinage; of the
vicinage Of the scene where transpired the
-sa.a- -.
recently Investigated, which sent en- upright
and prominent citiEsn all unprepared to meet
his last account, which filled happy house
hold with mourning, and which has brought
you to the condition in which you now are
placed. They knew you as they knew him.
Day after day they listened patiently and
attentiyely to the evidence, and am salts
fled from their conduct here, as well as from
what have heard of their character as citi-
zens, that il was their earnest endeayor to
ascer tain the truth, and 70 be guided by it
to conscientious verdict. And yet with
such q Jury, and nUtwithstA nding the efforts
of counsel who deseryedly rank among the
ablest in the State, and who defended you
with an earnestness and ability such as are
rarely witnessed in courts Ut justice, such
was the power of the testimony that you
were convicted of murder in the second de.
character, but you enjoyed and exercised
another right, which has only recently been
conferred. by legislative enactment upon
defendants in criminal cases-that of hay
lug the decisions OF this Court upon the leg
al questions presented 10 it in your Case re-
viewed by the Coart of Appeals. Those
questions have been passed upon by that
Court of last resort, and the rulings made
here have been affirmed there. II may be
well for you, Turpin. that this is SO. You
might have 'fgcne further and Jared worse"
Had the Court of Appeals decided differently.
and new trial been thereby necessitated,
1t might haYe been that the same testimony
which was presented here presented to an
other and different jury might have sent
yon TO that gallows, which, as 1t is, you
have so narrowly escaped. In imposing
The penalty for murder in the secod degree
wide discretion is vested IN the Court, aud
in the exercise Of that discretion 1T Is right
that all the circumstances OF the ease as we'll
as of the parties conc erncd should be eonsid
ered The lowest Limit of imprisonment
fixed by law is five year s. the maximum is
eighteen. That you have committed griev.
GUS crime there can be no doubt, and ii you
were younger man, and differently circum-
etanced, the Court would unquesiionably
sentence yOu to a long term OF Imprisonment,
but you are now between fifty and sixty
years Of age. You have wife and children.
You have already been imprisoned tor some
fifteen or sixteen months. To impose upon
you the maximum limit OF the law would
virtually be TO sentence you to confinement
for life. To infiict its lightest punishment
would be 10 fail TO administer IL as proper
sense of justice requires. ! have, therefore,
concluded, sitter iull consultation with my
brethren, and the sentence of the Court now
is that you be conf ned in she Penitentiary
house of the Stale OF Maryland until the hrst
day OF March, in the year 1891.
The prisoner arose and said, "lf it please
the Court, ] would say that never again in
your Judicial capacity VIII you he called
upon to pronounce so unjust sentence"
lie sat down and Court adjourned.
The Sheriff started for the Penitentiary
with the prisoner Thprfday,-AiVer,iser.