The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-01-06
Dan Fulton.

To sentencing Dan Fulton on Fri.
day last, Judge Newton made the fol-
lowing appropriate remarks, which
will commend themselves 10 all lovers
of law. Before being sentenced,
Odell Chapman. one Of the attorneys
for the prisoner addressed the Court
asking for leniency.
The Jury that tried you we're
selected under our system of law
from among those people who are
deemed the best citizens, and men of
prominence in their several townships,
men of intelligence and men of good
character. You had a fair trial, you
had counsel appointed you by the
people, ofe mt ability, and either
yourself ends procured the
assistance yer counsel, learned in
law, and of good standing at the bar.
1 do not agree at all with your coun-
sci, that the crime of murder in the
first degree was not committed. II
there ever was case Of brutality and
q case Of extreme recklesness of hu.
man life, il is illustrated in this case.
You carried a keenly sharpened
rife the weapon which you used
naturally calculated t., produce almost
immediate death. Because the won
an refused to stay with you. was no
reason why you should extinguish
the lamp OF her lite. There is not
one single circumstance in the whole
case that appeals to the sympathy OF
any right minded or humane man.
The jury did right. Ifthey had done
otherwise, if they had found you
guilty of a lesser crime they would
have violated the oath they took
before God and man to impartially
and justly determine the case. No
matter how degraded the victim may
be, no matter how obscure and hum
BILE; the gift of life is as sacred to
such persons, as though the victim
we're the most exalted citizen in the
State. l have no discretion about
the matter. The legislature very
early in the history IF this State de
termined what the punishment should
be, and it is simply the sad duty of
the Court to state TO you what the
legislature SO many years ago declared
should be the law. The Judge has
no discretion over i'll cannst meas
ure out the period; | cannot shorten
il day; cannot fix the date less
than your natural life. By your own
voluntary, willful, wrongful act you
have shut out the sunlight Of this
world to yourself You have by your
own act exchanged it for the darkness
of a cell; TO be shut out comparative
ly from all mankind, and all the en-
joyments of the world, because you
have forfeited the right, by your
criminal act, to live among Christian
men. You have disgraced the name
of man. Whatever sympathy some |
men may have for men who commit |
murder, who take life unnecessarily
and without justification, I must con |
fess l never had sympathy for muir
derer l regard human life as too
sacred to be trifed with, to be taken
away for every little threatened |
or threatened danger. The
life of the offender should never be
taken in cases of extreme and dire
necessity. l am opposed to it. The
wonderful organization of the human
body, with its aspirations, its hopes,
is too great piece of machinery to
be crushed out by human hands.
You have disregarded the law of God
and the law of man. The sentence
Court is that you be impris
oned in solitary confinement at hard
abor, in the State prison, of this
State, at Jackson, for the period of
your natural life, from and including
his date.