St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-11
CONVICTED BY HIS PEERS.
Albert Revoir Found Guilty OF
Murder in the Second Degree.

Albert RevOir Found Guilty OF
Murder in the Second Degree.
HUDSON, Dec. 1O.-Albert Reyoir was
this morning found guilty of murder in
the second degree for the killing of
James Mcdonald in the summer of 1888.
The penalty is from fifteen to twenty
five years. Imprisonment in the states
prison. Sentence was suspended one
week. In the spring of 1888 a suit oc-
Cured in the circuit court OF st. CrolX
county between the RevOirs and the
McDonalds over the dividing lines be-
tween their farms. After bitter con-
test the suit was decided in McDonald'S
favor, and the personal feeling became
exceedingly bitter between James Nc
Donald, the deceased, and Albert Revoir,
the latter a hot-headed Frenchman,
and a party to the former suit.
During the summer of 1888 Revoir was
publicly accused by the McDonalds of
burning his own residence. and he re-
taliated by claiming that Mcdonald had
ravished his (Revoir'S) wife. While
driving with his wife a few days after
the accusations had passed Mcdonald
was suddenly surprised by ReyOir, who
rode up on horseback and commenced
firing at him with a revolver. McDOn-
aid, though wounded, managed to get
to the house, and returned with Win
chester, but too late to find RevOlr, and
three days after he died from the effects
of the shooting. Revoir was immed-
lately apprehended and the case was set
for the spring term, but owing to the
serious illness OF Mr.. Erwin, of st. Paul,
one of the attorneys for the defense, the
case was continued to the November
term, Or the Goth inst.
A PLEA OF INSANITY
was entered on the part of the defense.
This was the most thrilling murder trial
that has taken place in this section OF
the state for many years. Erwin, the
criminal lawyer from st. Paul. who had
been engaged in giving vivid descrip-
ton Of the wrongs, real or imaginary,
nnder which Revoir labored at the time
of killing Mcdonald. and urged his
provocatiOn in justification of the act or
in mitigation of the penalty. During his
impassioned oratory the audience, COM
posed largely of ladies, exhibited some
emotion, and Mrs. RevOir, wife of the
defendant, who had been sobbing for
some minutes, suddenly became hySter-
ical and after some minutes excitement
was taken from the room by Revoir
and the sheriff. This became the signal
and other ladies and the wife of q DrOmi-
nent clergymen had to be taken from
the court room in ahysterical condition.
Reyoir broke down on his return to the
room. Erwin Immediately closed his
remarks, ingeniOusly urging on the jury
the point that the presence of so many
ladies indicated the deep-felt interest in
the acQuittal of the prisoner tor vlndl-
eating his wife'S honor, when the fact
was well known to the celebrated advo-
cate that they were present to hear
what was announced to be his best et-
fort. Capt. r. B. Start closed the case
on behalf of the state with an eloquent
appeal to the jury to consider carefully
the testimony relative to Revolr'S in
tent, and eulogiZing the late McDon-
aid. In
HIS CHARGE TO THE JURY
the Judge confined himself TO state
ment of the various degrees under which
the act may have been committed. EX-
ceptions were taken by the defense to
portious Of remarks made by Start and
to The charge. During the trial of two
weeks duration over 100 witnesses. in
Guiding a dozen doctors and several
lawyers, have testified, and nine at
torneys have been actively engaged on
one side or the other. The senior coun-
sci for the defense, Judge l.. P.Wether-
by, one of the most eminent trial lawyers
of the Eighth circuit, was stricken down
the first day of the trial by disease, and
his recovery is now considered doubt
full. The case is to be Immediately ap-
pealed, and the question of Juror HOl-
den's eligibility will be determined,
among other things.