The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1884-05-17

Michael Riley. a Tramp, Convicted Of Man
slaughter for Having Aided In Causing
the Death OF n Chicago q Alton Brake.
man, senten, Oh TO Ten Years in the Peni-
tentiary.
CHICAGO. IT'LL. Mays.
Michael Riley, impleaded with Richard
Haley, charged with murder In having
caused the death OF Zacharias Brown, a
brakeman on the Chicago & Alton Rail-
road, was tried yesterday before Judge
Williamson. Tho Testimony was all In by
ten O'Clock, and the prisoner had testified
In his own behalf, denying that hc had
thrown the missile which had caused
the poor brakeman's death. Mr.. A. &.
Trude, on behalf OF the prosecution,
claimed conviction for rmanslaughtcr, aud
frankly stated that conviction OF muir
der under the evidence would be too 80.
we're. The defendant, Riley, threw the
stone which hit the deceased, Brown, on
the head, and caused him 10 fall from the
car 10 the ground beneath, where he was
run over and killed. This act did not
have In II the element oi malice or DELHI
Grafton that stamps the murderer, but
was none the less the act Of reckless,
abandoned wretch, whose punishment
should be Imprisonment In the penlten-
tlary for a good long term Of years.
Mr.. Trude then reviewed the evidence
ut length, and closed by say
ing, "Acqult this man and you pro-
claim TO the hundreds Of railroad men
whose duties bring them In close contact
with the tramp and vagabond that the
law will not afford them protection; that
their lives are valueless In Q jury's esti-
nation. To the tramp you issue procla-
mationi go ont murder. rob, and rape,
for Cook County jury sanctions your
acts You cannot conceive with what
rapidity yourverdlct In q case like this
travels. Every brakeman OF the 1900
which form an association In this city will
learn II In twelve hours after its rcndi.
| ilon. Every trump now wagiDg warfare
against society will learn II In about the
same length Of time, for there Is an odd
fellowship and community OF Interest
among tramps. This moral effect Of q
verdict Is indeed great, tor good or evil.
The result Of verdict which was an In
suit 70 the administration OF criminal
| Justice can be seen by looking through
the fame and smoke OF crlme-stricken Gin
clnnatl. Justice-insultng verdlcts made
The temple OF justice 30 obnoxious that
the people arose IN their might and burned
II 10 the ground"
Mr.. Longnecker made q strong argn-
ment In behalf OF bis client, claiming
that there was but one witness who
swore that bis client threw the stoDs
which caused the death Of Brown, and
that this witness was an accompllce.
Mr.. Anthony closed the case by read
ing the law 20 the Jury and asking for .
conviction Of manslaughter, after which
the court read the Instructions TO the
Jury, who, after being out two
hours, rendered verdict OF guilty and
fixed the term OF imprisonment st ten
years IN the Pvnitentisry.
The vIgor with which offenders who
commit these depfedatlons on tho CHI
cago q Alton Road are prosecuted will
induce the thief and tramp 70 avoid IL.
vice-President Mcmillan Is an unreIent-
Ing prosecutor. and through his efforts
the Brighton rioters now wear convicts'
clothes In the bridewell, where they are
working out long sentences, and the man
Riley viii tramp no more for ten years "a
come at least.