The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-08-02
The MurdererS.

The Murderers.
When we went to press last week the
case of Laban Stephens was in progress
The jury remained out nearly two days,
and failed to agree, and were discharged,
and case continued. The jury stood II
for murder in the first degree, and one,
Samuel White, of Liberty township
for manslaughter, or acquittal.
On Monday Luke and William Jones
were sentenced. Both sentences were
the same. We give the sentence, as fol-
lows:
Luke Jones, stand up. At the May term, 1888, of
this Court, you duly indicted Jointly with Will
lam Jones and Laban stephens by the grand jury of
this county, with the high crime of murder in the
first degree for the unlawful and intentional murder
of Anderson Lackey the 2Sth day of April, A. D..
1885, in jackson county, by then and there shooting
him. the said Anderson Lackey in the left breast,
and thereby giving to him one mortal wound of the
length of one inch and of the depth of six inches
of which mortal wound he then and there instantly
died. while you were engaged in the attempt to per-
petrate a robbery the person of the deceased as
charged in the first count of the Indictment and
while you were committing burglary in his dwell
| ing house as charged in the second count
To each of these counts You nerposed your plea of
| mot guilty.
1t, then having been made to appear to the Court,
that you were without counsel and unable employ
the court assigned John L. jones' Esq, attor-
of this Bar, counsel who has had free
cess to you at all reasonable hours.
On the 9th day of June, 1888, you were placed on
your trial. said indictment, before traverse jury
of your peers. who were selected and permitted TO
sit after the exercise of the greatest of
and caution the part of your counsel who. during
the progress of the trial left nothing undone that
could be rfghtfully done your behalf secure a
fair and impartial trial, yet the jury after hoaripg
the evidence, the arguments of counsel either
side. and the charge and instructions of the court
and after full deliberaion returned their verdict in
open court, which is of record, of Guilty as
charged in the first count of the indictmentsnhd rot
guilty charged in the second COUNT This
ment is now made to you to get your attention fixed
on the matters and things, that will enable you,
far possible, to understand the scope meaning
well the object of the question tbs law makes it
obligatory the court here to PROFOUND to you in
conformity with the solemn requirements of the
criminal laws of the State. therefore soemny
inquire of you. Luke Jones, whether You have any,
thing to why judgment should not be pronounced
against you? (The pri soner answered ''Nothines0
By the laws of nearly all the civilized governments
of the world death is made the penalty for the crime
of murder in the first degree, the crime for which
now stand here in open court, this day duly
victed. One of the ten laws given by God to the
Israelites at Mt Sinai, Thou shalt kill"
Human life is regarded by the people of this State
being valuable, precious and sacred, that he who
violates the injunction, "Thou shalt not KILL
and the statutes of the State, and sheds the
blood of his felow-man you have been found
guilty of doing and stand convicted, must pay
the penalty for his crime by suffering death in the
mode pointed out and prescribed by the law
by the supreme power of the State, and while
you stand here in the presence of all these people,
ond in the presence of the Great Eternal, let
mind be fully impressed with the terrible conse-
quences to you that result the verdict of
the jury and the sentence of the court about
be pronounced against you for the bloody deed You
so W ickedly and numerically perpetrated in taking
the life of Anderson ackey, you must ever remember
that by the commission of this horrible crime of
which have been found guilty you have forfeited
your own life.
Often fellow-being is convicted a crime, that
was committed, under such circumstances, that
relation of the history of the transaction of ITSELF
is sufficient TO cause the mind to fairly shudder at
the thought of in1icting the death penalty, and
causes every breast to heaye by emotions arising
from sympathy for the condemned criminal, and
every fiber is also caused to tingle with pleasing
sensations, when touched by the thought, that STILL
although condemned, the arm of power moved by
mercy, may yet be out-stretched to the life,
even Of him whose hands have been crimsoned by
the lifes blood of human being. But not in your
case because the crime of which you have been found
guilty is of such character and the circumstances
that led to it, and caused you in the silence the
night, By fasehood and deceit, to gain admission
into the dwelling house of the deceased, when the
shades of night enshrouded the whole of
and covered the dwelling of Anderson Lackey and
his family with nights black mantle; who, supposing
he was in perfect safety, surrounded by his wife and
children had retired, sick and exhausted, to seek
that rest weak and emaciated body requires when
you and another armed with deadly weapons, Slit
ering in the light of the lamp, rapidly approached
his bed when his antly greeted by the
words that fell from your lips, "Yo monay your
life summoning all his strength, he made one
mighty effort to defend his wife, his children and his
home only to receive the missile of DEATH of
the revolver with which you armed which en- |
tered his breast and passed directly through his
heart He sank at the feet of his wife, few convu
sive shudders and all was over-Anderson Lackey |
was dead and his spirit was hurried by the hand of
the assassin into the presence the that gave
It, You still live but the blood of Anderson Lackey
which you so cruelty split. crieth unto God from the
ground like the blood of Abel. Let judgment be
tempered with mercy is the common appeal, that is
made those whose duty it is to enforce the law
But appeal of the kind avail you now. No
mercy be shown you, that can turn aside the
sword of Justice
No discretion is given to the court. The statute
under which you have been convicted is uur-lenting,
it prescribes unbending iron rule that be
changed The penalty for your crime Re but one.
justice cannot be thwarted defeated And as it
my painful duty, but recently to say to another
a solemn occasion like this, say to You, the
majesty of the law must be vindicsted, and sum
all is, you expiate the crime for which YOU
have been convicted, by death upon the scaTold of
execution.
You now have brought before your mind the awful
circumstances surrounding you, and the terrible
| nature of the bloody deed you have done ard the
direful consequences to yourself.
You forever be separated from your fellow men
and placed in a felons cell.
The days that you yet to live now be num-
bered by the court and the day and hour fixed
| which you shall die.
Irefer to these the purpose of giving