The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-11-19
BALDWIN CONVICTED.
THE ATCHISoN MURDERER is
FOUND GUILTY
Of Killing HIS Sister With ChIoro-
form.
Convicted.


ATCHIsoN, Nov. IS.-At 6 80 this a. m
after an all night session, the jury in the
Baldwin murder case announced that
they had reached a verdict. The Judge,
court, officers, attorneys and defendant
were promptly notified and at 7 80 court
was formally convened to receive the
verdict. Meanwhile the intelligence
| spread about town and the people be-
| gan TO pour into the court room. Wo-
men came bare headed, men COATES aud
hatiess, and when the judge arrived the
room WAS very nearly full The defend
| ant and his young wife and aged mother
were in their usual seats The defendant
wore look OF confidence and talked
with his wife. While the people were
gathering, his attorney, Mr. :. Waggener,
however, wore look of anxiety and
doubt, while County Attorney Gilbert
and his associate In the case, Judge
Glenn, looked hopeful and eNpectant.
The people were divided. A hung Jury
was the general expectation. When
quiet had been restored Bailiff Shaw
marshalled the jury into the box
where they had sat so patiently
for five days, and after the usual form
alities, the foreman handed the court the
verdict. There was bresthless suspense
while 1t was being opened, and hushed
stiffness in the room when the clerk
read the verdict, in form as follows:
1--WE, the jury, find the defendant guilty
of murder in the first degree, as charged
in the first count IN the Information"
A demonstration of approval
went around the room, and
men and women rushed to the
jury to congratulate them. The women
We're the most demonstrative, each Jury
man having all that ne could attend 90.
The defendants mother knelt and began
hVsterical prayer. The wife covered
in her chair, but the defendant sat
through the excitement with his usual
stoical uncoDcern, making no outward
sign OF his feelings. The verdict in, and
the jury polled, court was adjourned I'M
til 8 O'Clock.
The jurymen report that they took q
ballot promptly upon going to their
room at As last night, the vote stand
Ing eleven for conviction and one blank,
the odd jurymAn stating that he would
like to think over the evidence ana
read the judges charge before making
up his mind. At 9 40 a. m. second
ballot was taken, twelve votes being re-
corded for conviction. The verdict
meets the universal approval of the com
munity, there being no doubt
whatever OF BaldWin's guilt. but
the evidence being entirely circumstan-
tiRl, the people were afraIi the Jury
would be confused by the regular plea,
reasonable doubt" which the ATTORNEYS
for the defense worked for all there was
In it. This, combined with the growing
lack OF faith in the jury system, caused
public doubt. The murder was the most
afroclous ever known in this community,
the victim being the only sister OF the
defendant, w. j. Baldwin She was
found dead in her bed on the evening
OF July 9Th last, and the circumstances
proved that she had been smothered
with chloroform the night before. There
was no one sleeping in the house besides
herself at the time. A panel had been
cut from the back door, and the house
was In confusion, TO indicate burglary,
but nothing OF value was missing. Sus-
picion pointed toward Baldwin as the
murderer He had about spent his
portion Of his fathers estate, his sister
had still preserved her share intact and
was about TO marry. TO prevent this
marriage and at the same time secure
the inheritance TO his mother, go he
might finally get the estate, was the the
DRY adopted by the prosecution
The cham OF circumstances against
Baldwin was at the time so
oEOAenS lhaC although II was capital Of
Tense, the court admitted him 70 bail in
the sum of $4,000 and accepted his
mother as security. By dInt of hard
work, however, travelling toremote cities
II search of evidence, the county attor-
neY completed solid, unbroken chain
OF circumstances, which admitted of No
other theory than that of the defendants
guilt. A new trial will be asked for
probably not granted, either by
Judge Martin or the supreme court.