Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1889-12-28
A LIFE SENTENCE.
The jury in the Celebrated Gro
min Murder Case Bring in
Their Verdict.
Burke and O'SulliVan
Sentenced to Life Impris-
nment,
Kunze Gets Three Years of the
Same Punishment and Beggs
Is Acquitted.

trial brought IN tnelr verdict Oh JHe IOCh
inst, which was fully as severe on the
prisoners as the general public had expect
ed. The verdict was as follows
We, the jury, find the defendant, John
F. Begss, not guilty. We, the jury, find
the defendant John Kunze, guilty o man.
slaughter as charged in the Indictment,
and fix his punishment at i'm
prisonment in the penitentiary for
a term OF three years. We, the jury, find
the defendants Dan Coughlin, Patrick
O'Sunivan and Martin Burke, guilty OF
murder in the manner and form is charg-
ed the indictment and fix the penalty
at Imprisonment in the pententiary Tor
the term OF their natural lives.
Mr.. Forrest, of the defense, at once re-
quested that the jury be polled and
this was ordered done by the court. To
each Juror the question was put by
the clerk Of the court: WAS this and
is This now your verdict" Foreman
Clark was the first man to rise and an
swer in tie affirmative. The eleven men
followed in turn and gave the same answer.
Simultaneous with the announcement OF
the verdict, Coughin, O'SulIivan and Burke
turned deathly pale, while Kunze start
ed suddenly from his seat and a
moment later dropped his head upon
his breast and burst into tears. Beggs
face was luminous with Joy and Immediate
ly after the polling OF the jury he arose
from amid the prisoners walked over to
the Jury box, and during the breathless lull
that followed shook Foreman Clark g hand
and said: Gentlemen, thank you. /
trust that the future may confirm your
Judgment upon me and that you will never
regret that you found me not guilty OF this
terrible charge" As he shook hands with
the Jurors, each man bowed his head
in acknowledgment OF the grateful words
OF the liberated man. The only sound that
broke the stiffness was the deep sobs OF
the little German, kunza. He burst out
with, 81 am innocent. God knows l am
innocent. God knows that / never was
out to Lakeview that night. Longenecker
bought two witnesses. | am sure OF that.
They went out and bought farms with the
money they got. Him and Schuettler
did it. O'Sullivan was the only one OF
the other three prisoners who found
refuge in tears. For moment they
trickled down his cheeks, but minute
later his eyes flashed with defiance or a re-
vival Of courage and dashiDg his hand
across his brow, he bracsd up in his seat
ana cast long glance around the court
room. The only evidence of terror to be
perceived in Coughlin was the increased
pallor that overspread his face as he fully
realized tine significance OF a sentence to
life imprisonment, and his lips twitched
nervously during the colloquy that follow
ed between the attorneys and the court
relative to the motion for a new trial.
THE coNvICTs NOT LANIENTING.
a little before O'Clock an Associated
Press representative, found the four con
victed defendants out in the corridor with
the other inmates taking the usual exer-
else before supper. Coughlin and O'SHlli-
van were together, while Burke was alone
on the other side OF the corridor. The lit.
tie German seems to hold himself apart
from thu other prisoners and remain.
ed in his cell, still refusing TO be
comiorted in his misfortune. His conf.
dant. flippant demeanor had given away
to assheavy gloom as he luxuriously be-
moaned his fate and denounced the states
attorney and the jury. Coughlin and
O'Sullivan were at the entrance OF the cage
discussng the case with a couple OF mem.
bers OF Camp 20, who had called to offer
their sympathy or Congratplation, who
knows which, At the approach OF the
press representatives they quickly lapsed
into silence and the visitors departed. A
note was subsequently sent to, Coughlin
and his companion requesting an in terview,
and they finally approached the cage.
II am sorry to disappoint YOU" said
Mr.. Coughlin very cOurteously, but l dc
not desire to be interviewed"
But what is your opinion Of the YER
dict"
~ am afraid l shall have to refer you
to Mr.. Forrest, my attorney, for an an
swer to that question"
"Are you disappointed at the verdict"
"Well, | suppose no man receives yer.
dict OF life imprisonment with any parti-
cular enthusiasm"
All efforts TO extract any further COM
ments from Burke Oh the verdict were in
vain. He expressed himself rs being de
lighted to converse on what he termed
social topics" but on this other bust.
ness,' as he calleu it with a jerk OF bis
head toward the court room, he was dumb
as an oyster. As far as can be Judged
from his general appearance and converse.
ton it can be safely surmised that Mr..
Burke has frequently shaken hands with
himself since 2:3O p. M, at which hour
the jury fixed his punishment at life i'm
pris onment and not at death as was gen
orally expected.
THE JURORS WON'T TALK.
While getting their pey certificates the
twelve jurors we're surrounded by report
ers, who besieged them for information
about what had transpired in the jury
room and the cause OF the long delay.
Its no use" said Juror Marion. I'VE
agreed not to say anything. Our verdict
speaks for ITSELF From what | have heard
since ! got back to the world again, there
has been some pretty tall lying in the news
papers. Juror Culver was not the cause
of the delay and there wasn't any unpleas-
antness or any knock-down. as one paper
has declared"
al the others agree to tell what occur.
red, said Juror Allison, liam willing, but
we made an agreement to keep silent, and
| have nothing to say"
Juror North was hot. He had already
seen some OF his friends and they had
poured into his ears stories of war in the
Jury room and the assault on Juror Cul.
yer as published in the morning paper to.
day, and he expressed himself very forci-
bly,. THE man who wrote that ought to
be punished" he said, because there was
not any trouble at all.
PATHETIC INCIDENT.
In the main corridor CT the criminal
court building before the announcement
OF the verdict, sat Dan Coughlin's wife.
On her knee was the pretty little girl that
has continually called out in the court
room for her papa. The old, gray haired
doorkeeper knew that preparations were
being made for the return of the Try with
their verdict, and he pleaded with them to
go home. He told them that no verdict
would be reached, but they would not GO.
They knew too well that the scene of ex-
element and the hurried movement OF the
court officials meant something was about
to happen. In vain they asked il the Jury