Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-09-10
THE DEATH PENALTY.

Impressive Words Of Judge Mcdonnell
In Passing the Death Sentence
Upon Young Man.
The shocking murder of the wife and
Child of Rev. Snell, on their farm near
Grand Forks the latter part Of last winter
oy work hand on the place during the
absence OF the minister is familiar to near
ly all. Some weeks later the murderer
was captured and brought back to Grand
Forks where he was held in Jail for trial.
he was indicted by the grand jury and
being arraigned in court he pleaded
guilty. Last Friday he was brought into
court to receive his sentence Judge
Mcconnell reviewed the circumstances
OF the crime at considerable length, clos
ing with the following impressive words:
"You are youn gman, twenty six years
OF age, and you now appear before the
bar OF justice to receive q sentence of
either death or imprisonment for life. Ii
is indeed sad spectacle to see one OF
your years convicted of so heinous a
crime and merit so desperate penalty.
Although young it is consolation to
know that you are an unmarried man,
and that you will cause no innocent
heart to suffer for your wrong. Your
1ather and mother are dead, and they
will not Ce bowed down IN grief at your
crime. The two sisters and brothers that
you have, you have been very careful to
conceal the whereabouts of. so that they
will know nothing Of your situation.
Laws are enacted and punishments are
provided that the citizens of our CON-
monwealth may be secure In their per-
sons and their property-that the strong
and wicked shall not override and prevail
against the weak and the innocent-that
out upon our plalrlcs where men have es-
tablished their homes, wives, mothers
aud helpless babes may receive protection
against the b.udgeon of the midnight as
sassin.
Penalties are provided with two OBJ
jects in view, in addition to the direc,
punishment of the guilty: one for the re-
formation of the criminal; the other by
way OF example. And when a man has
became so wicked and desperate as to
deliberately murder his fellow man, So
ciety and law holds him beyond reforma-
tion, and fit only for punishment for his
crime by way OF example. A ferocious
beast IS killed or chained; so, when man
sinks so deep in wickedness, sin and
crime as to deliberately kill, IN cold bru.
tality, his household friend and bene.
factor, society, law and justice, each de-
The law says that at this time shal
use my discretion; that shall intelli
gently inquire into and duly consider tn,
evidence, tue facts. and all the clrcum
stances in your case and bring to bear my
best judgment; that l shall bring to bea,
all the powers God has given me to act,
and then to judge, to decide,
After a painful consideration of all the
circumstances attending your case, and
after much thought, it is my deliberate
opinion that if ever person ought to re-
celve the death penalty it is yourself. II
courts and jurles are to hesitate to int1ici
the highest punishment known to the
law, with such case as yours in hand,
then the death penalty might as well q,
once and forever be taken from our stat.
utes.
No act which a court can be called up.
on to perform is more grave and solemn
than to render capital judgment. To
perform such duty judge IS reconciled
only by the consideration that 1t Is net he
who does it, but the law, of which he is
simply the minister.
1t is CONSIDERED and adjudged by the
court: That you, George Miller, as pun
lshment for the crime of murder, OF
which you have been convicted, be re-
moved from this place and retained In
close custody IN the common Jail of this
county; that at such time as the judge
of this. court may by his warrant appoint,
not less than thirty days nor more than
sixty days from this date, you be thence
taken to the place of execution, and there
be hung by the neck until you are dead.
And may God of his infinite goodness
have mercy and compassion on your
soul