The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-30
James Robinson, Of Dubuque,
Acquitted at Snohomish.
HIS PARTNER LESS FORTUNATE.
Sentenced to the tiallows. Though
Both Were Equally Guilty.
lag Firm Embsrrsssed- Tao oms Sick
of the Water Works Purchase-fIre
at Asteria-Triai Of . Murderer.

SSoHoNfsE. Sept. a.-fSpeclal. lin the
superior court al O'Clock last evening the
case of the state against Robinson having
gone TO the jury. Judge Denny sentenced
John White to be hanged for the murder
OF Shoultes and Schmidt last December.
The sentence was in accordance with the
verdict returned by the jury at the June
term. White received his sentence with
stolid indifference. and il was announced
that the case would be appealed to the
supreme court, Judge Denny having
denied the motion for a new trial. The
court room was crowded. about half being
ladies who had attended throughout the
triai.
At 10 o'clock this morning the jury in
the Robinson murder case brought in n
verdict finding James Robinson. better
known as "old Man. Robinson. not guilty.
The verdict caused general surprise, which
has turned almost 10 indignation. When
the jury went out il was generally ex-
pected that Robinson would be convicted.
owing to the pressure of public feeling and
the able manner in which the prosecu-
ton had been managed. But such was
not the case. And now the result is STIR
ring the town. There was strong talk
among a certain element of Iynching Rob-
inson, but IL is probably nothing more
than talk. The jury was the most remark
able one in the history of Snohomish.
Not one Is over 81 years of age. and the
majority are between . and n. Their
verdict places the whole case in peculiar
position. White has been tried, convicted
and sentenced, while James Robinson has
been tried and acquitted on the same evil
dence.
Having been acquitted of the murder Of
Shoultes, Robinson was, upon his release,
mediateiy arrested for the murder of
Schmidt, and the trial was set for oeto-
Der H.
fThe murder of George Shoultes and
Fred Schmidt at Dubuque, Snohomish
county, on December p last by two boys
named George Robinson and John Living
stone, who were melted 10 the crime by
James Robinson and John White, was one
OF the most fiendish crimes In the history
of the Pacific Northwest. Shoultes and
Schmidt, who had been for q long time
residents of Seattle, were farmers living
three miles east of Dubuque. They had
trouble with their neighbors. Robinson
and White, about road which the latter
had tried to close. On the day OF the
murder they went out with axes 10 clear
away some trees that James Robinson had
felled across the road. George Robinson
and John Livingstone wers I'm ambush
with rifles. and when Shouites and
Schmidt reached the trees the boys fired
on them from behind. Three balls en-
tered Shouitess BODY. The first entered
the back, passing through and out Of the
front of the chest The second entered ut
the breastbone. coming out at the back.
just above the hips. The third entered
the left leg. Eonr bullets entered
Schmidts body, any one of which would
have proved fatal. All the shots took ef-
feet in the heart The first WAS from the
front through the breast, the second from
behind and through the back. and another
from side 20 side from one armpit TO the
other. Two wounds were found on
Schmidt's left arm. and the autopsy
showed that the heart was nearly shot
away. shouites turned around suddenly
after receiving the first shot. thus account
ing for his being hit both from the front
and rear. Footprints in the snow tod the
story of the ambush and assassination.
After the boys had shot their victims they
went over TO where they lay, made sure
they were dead, and then went home.
There wss some talk of Iynchinr the muir
derers, but the ranchers controlled them
selves, believing there was no likelihood of
escape. John White was found guilty on
June 30