Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1893-03-24
SEVEN YEARS

@ lt JuiSElHz tlc lliuIucI sCuSC5 "Su
out at 2:30 Saturday afternoon and
after considering the matter for over
fourteen hours a verdict OF man.
slaughter in the first degree was
returned
| Judge Searle came up on the after
moon train today and at l:35 the
court was called to, order. Before
the arrival OF, the Judge the court
room was filed with spectators.
Mrs. Gravel, wife OF the prisoner.
her mother, Mrs. Barnhart, and a
lady friend sat in seats opposite the
prosecuting attorney Narcisse
Gray yel LAT ther. .of Alex, sat Just inside
the railing and to the right Of the ell
trance. Casa who was with Gravel
at the time Artlnan was killed also
occupied seat inside the railing.
The prisoner was brought in by
deputies Tanner and Armstrong and
seated back of his wife and directly
in front of Judge Searle.
Gravel was ordered to stand up,
which he did, and was asked if he
had anything to say as to why
sentence should not then be pro-
nounced. He answered Mercy from
the court
Mr.. GravePs attorney was not
present. and the Judge asked County
Attorney Lyon if he had any rem arks
to make After short review of the
case he stated that in his opinion
the minimum sentence Of five years
would not be severe enough, and that
under the circumstances he thought
the maximum sentence of twenty
he would suggest that the prisoner
be given an intermediate sentence
OF about ten years.
Judge Searle then addressed Gravel
and said that he hardly knew what
to say in the case. The state had been
ably represented and the jury had
brought in a verdict OF manSlaughte ter.
On the othcrhand. the prisoner had
been represented by some of the best
legal talent that could he employed.
The case had been fairly and
impartially tried. The court
sympathized with the prisoner, his
wife and aged parents, and said that
not one of them would have been
happier than he il the evidence had
been such that the prisoner might
have been sot at liberty, but such
wa, not the case. After some
further remarks. in which the court
said the prisoner would he given a
sentence which would satisfy the
ends Of justice and in the mind OF the
Judge would do the prisoner as much
gOud,i if not more than the maximum
sentence Of twenty years. The Judge
then gave him the following Sentence:
! | is therefor adjudged, decreed and
determined, that you, Alexander Ora
vel, as a punishment for the crime o
manslaughtcr in the first degree, OF
which YOU have been duly convicted
in this court, be imprisoned and con
fined at hard labor in the state prison
at Stillwa ter, in this state, for thu
period of seven years.
The Judge then gave Gravel a shOr1
lecture, in which he stated that by
good behavior his term OF imprison
ment would be shortened, and tha
when he was set at liberty he hopet
he would come back to his wife an(
aged parents, live a useful life and bt
a benefit to society.
Gravel was somewhat effected
when the sentence was pronounced
but it was much less severe than h
expected. Mrs Gravel sobbed all o
the time while in court and when
the prisoner left she went out sup
ported by her mother.
Casa was somewhat effected whel
Gravel was sentenced, and there wa
moisture about his eyes whicl
showed that he was sorry for tn
prisoner.