The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-05-20
The senate bin passd appropriating s1oo,
600 to Lacrosse
SENTENCED FOR LIFE.

/ kEoKUK, Nav 19.-The C0HStGtettS0ns s
Fort Madison special says a verdict of
murder in the first degree was found
against Polk Wells and Cook, and in the
second degree against Fitzgerald
When the court opened this morning
the room was crowded with eager specta-
tors. The relatives of the prisoners looked
pale and anxious. The prisoners were
] brought in at five minutes of nine % clock,
i and after being seated their shackles were
removed.
Wells seemed very Indifferent, and
laughed and talked with his sister.
/ Fred Holesberger, foreman of the jury,
handed in the verdict, which was in writ
ing and as follows:
4 eve, ; the jury. find the defendants.
Chas. III. Wells and Chas. Cook, guilty of
murder in the first degree, as charged in
the indictment. and Chas- III. Wells and
Chas. Cook shall be punished by imprison-
ment for life at hard labor in the state
penitentiary, and we, the jury, find Geo.
Fitzgerald guilty of murder in the second
degree, as charged.
E'(Signed) FREDERICK HoIlsBERGER,
Foreman =
| The verdict caused no surprise in court,
but it is the almost universal sentiment of
the people that Polk Wells should have
expiated his crime by death on the gal
lows. The verdict Is disappointment to-
the law abiding people of the state and
will tend to encourage crime rather than
its suppression. The verdict virtually adds
nothing to the punispment already being
suffered by these desperate men.
The prisoners were taken back to the
penitentiary until sentence made win be
pronounced.
KILLED BY CITY MARSHALL.
CHICAGO, May ia Mt Vernon, H.,
special reports that City Marshal r. A.
Smith shot and killed Chas. Yost last night
and then escaped on horseback. They
quarrelled over a personal matter, when
Smith drew revolver unexpectedly and
fired two shots.
JUSTIFIED IN KILLING THE TRAMP.
CHICAGO. May 12. The coroner's jury
decided that the shooting of a tramp by
freight train brakeman on the Chicago &
Alton railroad, Joseph Ledwith, was justi-
fable. The dead man was identified as
Charles Grahish, of Syracuse, N. Y, aged
23, tramp by profession. The verdict is
likely to have healthy effect on ride
stealing and abusive tramps.
sICKENING SCENE AT THE EXECUTION OF
LEIGHTON.
New YORK May 19.-Augustus Leigh
ton (colored) was hanged this morning
for the murder of his mistress. At the
signal the rope was cut and the body of
the condemned man bounded in the air and
fell back within three feet of the pavement.
The moose failed to slip under the ear, and
caught under the chin. Then commenced
sickening struggles. which showed that
Leighton was strangling to death. His
fingers clutched convulsively his legs
were drawn up, and the victims heavy
breathing was awful to hear. In seven
minutes he was pronounced dead by the
official physician, but as the body was par
italy lowered convulsiye heavings of the
chest were dlseernable. Another physician
declared him dead eight minutes after the
| first announ cement.
SUICIDE.
| ST. Louis, May 19.-Wm. t. Emmett,
an extensive charcoal dealer and land
owner in Madison county, Ill.,, shot him
self fatally in bed in the northern part of
the city.
A BROTHERS CRIME.
LITTLE Rock, May 19.-News has just
reached here of tragedy in the Choctaw
nation Two brothers, Jefferson and Geo.
Finley, working in cornfeld, fell into a
dispute, when George shot his brother,
then secured a horse and fled to-
ward Texas. jefferson died IN "a hours.
He begged piteously that his slayer should
be spared.
PREFERS POISONING.
PULASKI, Tenn, May 19.-W. w. Rea,