The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-06-09

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raignment, you interposed your plea OF
not guilty. You were subsequently
placed upon1Four trial before u jury OF
your own selection, were aided by able,
faithful and paInstaking counsel, and
after trial lasting the almost ufpre-
cedented length of nearly eight weeks,
that Jury, thus selected, rendered a
verdi I against you of guilty OF murder
in the first degree. without any recon
mendation as to the punishment. This
is the time fixed for pronouncing the
| judgment Of the law and sentence o
the Court. Have you anything to say
why the Judgment of the law and
sentence OF the Court should not now
be pronounced upon your"
BOWERS ADDRESSES THE COURT.
Bowers cleared his throat ard said he
would like to say few words, but not,
however, with the hope that he would
derive any benefit from them In speak
ing of his victim he referred to her as
his dear wife," and called upon the
Almighty as witness of his innocence.
He alluded to the absurdity of man
of his knowledge of medicines and
drugs, administering a poison so easily
represented at the analysis of the
stomach, he said, rosuch verdict would
ever have been found by the jury. He
declared his wife had not died oil
phosphorus poisoning. al ask not foI
my life nor for mercy: all I want Is
Justice, he said. He asked that, since
he was TO die for this terrible crime, m.
stead of hanging he would be put 70
death by slow PHOSPHORUS poisoning
to prove that the symptoms were not
the same as those discovered at the ex.
animation Of the deceased wife. He
stated that he was confident that nc
PHOSPHORUS had been found in the de
ceased's stomach. but he hoped that
the eminent professor Of chemistry
DR.. Johnston, was not guilty of the
fraud. He did not fear death, he said
because lie was innocent.
Bowers weakened considerably dur
ing his speech. and several times wa:
compelled to stop in order 10 regain hi:
usual composure.
THE SENTENCE OF DEATH PRoSoUScEp
At the conclusion OF the prisoners re
marks, Judge Murphy continued:
The feelings and emotions with
which 1 enter upon the discharge
of the solemn and importan
duty which devolves upon me, anC
which / am now about to perform, are
too painful to express, and the most
serious ] have ever experienced. TIC
pronounce the dreadful sentence which
is to cut afellow mortal off from soci
ETY., to deprive him of existence and K
send him to the bar of his Creator and
his God. is at all times and under any
circumstances most painful to the
Court and presses upo my feelings
with an almost overpowering weight
The punishment of death has beer
pronounced against the crime OF de
liberate and premeditated murder bN
the laws of all civilized nations, and
also by thatlaw which was written by
the pen of inspiration guided by tn,
unerring wisdom OF the Most High
And particularly has the death punish
ment been denounced against causinl
the death of q human being by thu
secret, silent and unsupported admins
tration of deadly poisons with intent &C
Ill. In the brief and simple but ex
preSsive language OF our Penal Code
An murder which is perpetrated BY
means of poison is murder in the frs
degree OF this high and human life
with elaboration. Fermentation anC
malice aforethought, and that, too, by
means of poison, you have been found
guilty BY jury, who. as i said before
are the equals of any other similar BODY
OF men in honesty, intelligence anc
fair mindedness. and who were care
fully selected and chosen by yourself
after most patient, and / fully be-
lieve. an absolutely impartial trial
You were defended By gentlemen OF tbs
Bar whose zeal and earhestness on your
behalf conld not be exCelled, aud whose
great skill and ability were exerted tC
its utmost in your defense.
In what | may say to you before
pronouncing the, fatal words which the
law and the verdict compel me to do,
believe me it is with no thought or de-
sire to wound the feelings Of any one
belonging to you, or 10 add one pang 70
your own Affections. which the heavy
hand of the law as well as the righteous
hand OF an offended God Is pressing 50
heavily upon you. Yet l feel il my
duty 10 say. that the murler of which
l Won stand a0nuirfaH Uoc orrrar .,,r-.