The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-05-20
Charles Hamilton Found Guilty
of Murder in the First
Degree.
Unanimous Jury on the Sec
ond Ballot-Conduct of
Hamilton.
Other Matters in the johnson
County Criminal Court
Notes.


time of the criminal court was occupied
until noon to-day in selecting panel of
forty jurors from the special venire of sixty
men from which to select jury TO sit in
the Aultman trial for the murder of Carl
Stiedle. The case has been set for Wednes-
day at ii o'clock. The three lawyers from
Kansas City, which Aultman said he had
employed, failed to show up, and the court
appointed Hon A. w. Rogers and Col. ].
NJ. Shepherd to defend him.
At half past one in the afternoon the
trial OF Charles Hamilton was resumed, the
jury appearing and taking their seats few
minutes before that hour.
Mr.. Logan then read the exposition OF
the law and instructions TO the jury on be-
half the state. and was followed by Mr..
Sparks with those asked for the defense.
THE ARGUMENTS.
At 1:50 Mr.. Logan began his argument,
making a general resume of the case from
the inception of the horrible crime in the
mind of Aultman until the arrest and in
generation Of the two men. He ruthlessly
tore to pieces the only hope of the defend
ant-sympathy-aDd scattered the frail
fabric to the winds. Ordinarily, Mr.. Logan
is an eloquent. logical speaker, but on
brutal and horifying murder before his
minds eye, every word rang out every syl-
liable bore might, and had the balloting for
verdict been permitted among his hearers
at the close of his speech, it is safe TO say
that that nine-tenlhs of them would have
read guilty"
Mr.. Sparks arose, and in low but dis
tinct voice began his speech. He intro
duced his cause by saying that his task
was
WELL-NIGH HOPELESS.
He had been appointed by the court to
defend prisoner whose own open comics.
sion had condemned him; he was laboring
without hope of pecuniary reward, but
would do the best he could to establish the
innocence of his client. He took the con-
iession of Hamilton, incident by incident
hoping to draw therefrom some proof OF
the innocence of the unfortunate young
man. He pictured Aultman's as the mas
Ter, controlling spirit, drawing as with a
chain of steel the weaker mind of Hamil-
ton. All the occurrences of the tragedy
save one, the striking of Steidle with the
track wrench, were proven to have been
the work of Aultmap; by him the plans
were laid; by his strong will and
SUPERIOR CUNNING
were they executed Hamilton had struck
the blow that stunned their victim, but be-
yond this none of the iendish work
had been his. He did not
see anything of Steidle until the
night of the murder; Aultman had
coaxed him away from Sedalia, deceived
him at Montserrat, walked with him tc
Warrensburg, enticed him into the gloomy
l. L. e II,
cursed and abused Hamilton for not strik-
weapon had fallen upon the head of the
helpless and unsuspecting German,
RIFLED HIS POCKETS
of their contents, even rolling the writhing
body over to secure the pistol in the hip
pocket, leaving the body between the rail:
to be crushed beneath the wheels of the
approaching train. But of no avail was
Mr.. Sparks plea for the life of his client
After speaking for more than an hour ht
yielded the floor to Prosecuting Attorney
Wood, 10 whom was assigned the duty o.
closing and giving the case to the Jury. Mr.
Wood, though at times q forcIble and
brilliant orator, needed not to say much on
tins occasion, for the verdict
WAS PRINTED ON THE FACES OF THE JURY
He finished his speech at AS, and, after
hearing the instructions of the court, the
jury retired.
just an hour later, that is 5:45, the Jury
signalled to the sheriff that they had come
to a conclusion and filed in and took posi-
tions before the court The usual legal
questions were asked and answered, and the
foreman handed the verdict TO the clerk
silence lasted q few minutes, when the
clerk was commanded to read the verdict
II was as follows:
THE VERDICT.
"We, the jury, lind the defendant, Chas
Hamilton, guilty of murder in the first de
gree, in the manner and form as charged il
the indictment.
"ANDREw 8. CAMPBELL,
Foreman
Mr.. Sparks then asked that the Jury b
polled, which was done. The clerk called
swering the court propounded 10 each this
question, "Mr. -, is this your verdict p
to which each answered yes" and they
were discharged.
CONDUCT OF THE PRISONER.
The prisoner watched the jury closely
from the time they entered the room unit
the reading of the verdict, not q muscle be
ing moved. AT its conclusion he wiped
the perspiration from his forehead with hi
bare hand, his chin fell upon his breast and
he remained In this position until the sher
if disturbed him to take him back to prison
His face, naturally pale, wore the psIier o,
death his eyes were fixed; his hands
folded idly in his lap, his body rigid a.
marble. No tears came to his eyes. Per
hsps the fountain of his soul has dried I'D
who knows?
CRIMINAL COURT NOTES.
"A number of ladies heard the argu-
ments of the attorneys.
Sheriff NJ s. Conner, of Sedalia. wa,
in attendance as q witness to-day.