The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-01-01
The Death Sentence.

The Death Sentence.
When the court, on Friday, June 10Th
signiied its readiness TO pass sentence,
Col. Stratton, attorney for the defense.
arose and presented motion for a new
trial. He based his application: First,
that a motion previously filed for new
trial had been overruled; second, that
the jury had separated during the con-
tinuance of the trial, and, third, that a
hangman's moose had been thrown into
the jury room while the jury had the
case under consideration.
The Nevada Mail gives the following
report of the proceedings of the court
on the day that sentence was passed:
The motion for new trial was ably
argued by the attorneys for both the
prisoner and the state, and several of
the jurymen with the sheriff were placed
upon the witness stand.
The Judge, in passing upon the mo-
ton, made an exhaustive analysis of the
whole matter, citing authorities and
giving his reasons for the various po-
sitions assumed in terms at once learn
ed and lucid. The motion was over
ruled, but i'm the course OF his remarks
His Honor took occasion TO crlticise Sc
verely the action of the unknown par
ties who threw the hangman's moose in
10 the jury room. HIS remarks were
clothed in strong language, and were
eloquently impressive.
Having overrGled the motion of coun-
sci for defense, the court then proceed
ed to pass the death sentence.
WILLIAM Fox: The jury, to whom
was submitted the case of the State of
Missouri against yourself, upon an in
dictment charging you with the murder
of Thomas Howard, has returned a YER
dict of equity OF MURDER IN THE FIRST
DEGREE" Your motion for a new trial
has been overruled.
What further have Sou to say why
sentence should not new be pronounced
upon you?
Fox arose, and leaning his right hand
Judge squarely and unshrinkinglv in the
eye and answered calmly, 81 have moth
ing, sir. lie then resumed his seat.
As you have nothing TO offer to the
contrary, it becomes the painful duty of
this court to render the Judgment,
which the law declares must follow such
a verdict.
Before doing so it is just and proper,
and in keeping with custom, time
honOred, that the court should state To
You, as to your coun:rymen here as
sembIed, and through them to the
world at large, the reasons for which
the state demands your execution.
On the morning of Sunday, the 10Th
of May, two young men walking in the
forest that borders tins city upon the
southeast, discovered the dead body of
a man. They at once notified the au-
thorities, and an inquest by the coroner
developed these facts:
That the body was that of one Thorn
As Howard, late a resident of Mound
vile township; that his death has been
occasioned by two bullet wounds, AMI
that the night before in company with
yourself, he had visited several saloons
and houses of ill-fame in the vicinity of
the depot. Had no other facts been
brought TO light, it is not at all proba-
BILE that this court would have ever
been called upon TO try you for the muir
der of Thomas Howard, much less pro-
nounce this judgment.
1t is an old saying that "murder will
OUT" and your apprehension and con-
viction is but one more added to the IN
Vulnerable list of cases that proves its
truthfulness.
Conscience at times makes towards of
us all, and prompts us to do things both
startling and strange. Weighted down
with a knowledge of your crime,
yours betrayed you into seeking relief
by contidlng your guilty secret to two
others, one Il quondam acquaintance,
the other common prostitute, for
whom, it seems, you are possessed of an
unholy and unaccountable attachment
Circumstances over which they had
no control compelled the recipients of
your confidence to make your confes-
sion known 10 the vigllant officers OF
the law.
Diligent investigation brought to light
a chain of circumstances corroboratlng
your confession in every particular, and
therefore grand jury presented an in
dIctment. When arraigned, actuated
by some motive which it is unnecessary
TO consider, you rendered a plea of
guilty to murder in the first degree. For
reasons satisfactory to the court, that