The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-12-30
Law and Order INDICATED by the
Jury in Giefer's
Case.
After Nature DeliberatiOn, a Ver-
dict of Guilty in the Highest
Degree Returned.
vtIty six Ballots Taken Dur
ing a Session of Eighteen
Hours.
Giefer Is Likely to Make Blood
AtOnement for His Afro
ciOuS Crime.
SynOpses Of the Closing Addresses
and Charge to the
Jury.

''We the jury in this case, find the
defendant, Frank Giefer, guilty OF
the crime of murder in the first de.
gree, as charged in the Indictment"
This was the verdict that the jury
brought in at eleven o'clock this fore
noon, after remaining out eighteen
hours. Twenty-siX ballots were re-
quired to reach this verdict. The
ballots stood as follows:
1st6thSth16th17th1
1st deg. 6 ) 4 8 9 10 II
2nd deg. 3 I s 8 4 3 2
3rd deg. 2
Blank |
The jury was unanimous on the
26th ballot.
When the jury came in, Judge
Severance and the attorneys we're
sent for, and the prisoner was brought
in. After the verdict had been read,
the jury was polled and each answer
ed that this was his verdict from
Foreman @. M. Fuller to the twelfth
man.
The jury was discharged and court
took recess until nine o'clock to-
morrow morning Supper and break
fast were served to the jury in it's
room.
Giefer received the verdict unmov-
ed, but was evidently disappointed. His
wife sat in the audience and at once
burst into tears. While taking him
back to Jail the officers spoke to Chef
er, but he did not answer. When he
was inside the jail he told the other
prisoners that he would have to stay
awhile longer, and told them the YER
dict, He also said that this settled
the matter. He first showed signs OF
giving away under the awful strain
when his wife visited the jail. Then
he burst into tears and drew his wife
and the sheriff to him. 1t took some
time to calm him, but he finally brac-
ed up and was more cheerful. He
had hoped for verdict of murder in
the second degree and life sentence.
His wife was also greatly disappoint-
ed, as she hoped that he would receive
only life sentence.
1t is likely that the attorneys for
the prisoner will ask for a new trial,
but the case has been so carefully
conducted that it does not seem at
all probable that they will succeed.
While this is under consideration, it
is not likely that Giefer will be SEN
fenced. Whatever steps are to be
taken in the matter Will probably be
initiated when court meets tomor-
row morning.
THE VERDICT
receives very general approval, for,
while many look with shudder up
on the death sentence, all agree that
the murder which Giefer committed
was one of the most cowardly, afro
cious, lnexcusable and premeditated
that ever burdened the records of
crime in any community, civilized or
barbarous. On the streets, when the
verdict became known, there was a
general expression of relief, for there
was fear that the jury, knowing
nothing of the mans previous record
of the many points of more or less
Importance which the State could not
Introduce in evidence, would let Chef
er go without getting his just deserts.
Even those who are opposed to the
death penalty in any case were not
slow to say that if it's infection was
ever justifiable it is in this case.
The question of Giefer's guilt or in
nocence of the crime of murder in the
first degree resolves itself down to the
question of whether he had previously
determined upon killing Roway. 1t
was not necessary that he had resolv-
ed upon it more than five minutes or