The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1893-11-10
DASSETT MUST HANG.
JUDGE DALE DELIVERS rHE SEN
TENCE or DEATH.
MONDAY, JANUARY, s, 1894, At 10 N.
The Date aud Time Fixed Tor the ENecu-
tinn-rhe First Territorial Sentence
The Condemned Man Makes Neat
Speech-Court Room Crowded.

Speech-tourt Room Crowded.
John Dassett, convicted of poisoning
his rival for the hand OF an Usage In
dian maiden, was sentenced 10y Judge
Dale last evening to expiate his life on
the gallows.
At 1880 o'clock the district court
room was crowded, many ladies being
present.
The postponement of the sentence
from the morning session, on account
of the absence of Judge Beelman. only
served to advertise the fact that sen
tence would be imposed, and the court
chambers would not hold the vast
crowd desiring to hear and witness the
impressive proceedings Ten minutes
previous to opening court, the pris-
oner was escorted into the court room
and occupied a seat near his ATTORNEYS
J. V. Beekman and George Gardner,
at the end of the lawyers table near
the judges bench.
Das s EFT was att,red in dark brown
suit of clothes, and flannel shirt lie
was clean skaven and his hair was
nicely parted. Aside from an unusual
/ paleness showing the effects of inn
/ pi ison ment, he looked like an ordinary
business young man. Many were
standing inside the ratings near the
/ judges bench, and when the court
ordered Dassett To stand there was a
great stretching of necks among the
crowd to view the criminal and many
spectators were taken for tn. prisoner
by the people in the rear OF the room
Dassetts appearance is not tough, his
features are kindly and given to smil-
ing
AS soon as the jury which had con-
vlcted the condemned man filed into
the court room, Judge Dale ordered
the bailiff to open court. The buzz of
conversation instantly ceased, and the
fall of pin could be heard during the
impressive proceedings. AS soon as
the case was called, Attorney Beck
man read a motion in arrest of judg-
ment which was overrulcd by the
court.
Judge Dale spoke feelingly of the
case, the trial and the verdict md then
propounded the usual question to the
prisoner at the bar Dassett delivered
a brief speech, in which he thanked
the court, his attorneys and the news
I e.. Ii, a IA
ton extended him. He declared him
self innocent of the charge of murder,
but said he held no malice toward the
court or jury on the result of the trial.
The condemned man spoke in low
tone and his eyes rolled furtively.
Naturally, he was nervous and the
tension on his nerves was great as he
tried TO maintain his composurc.
In steady, even tones, Judge Dale
pronounced Dassett's doom-sentenc-
ing him to be hanged by the necl; at
the federal Jail in this city at IL o clock
noon, on Monday, January sth, 1894.
DAssETs CRIME.
The crime for which Dassett must
pay the death penalty was the killing
of sherman Long in the Usage coun.
try on January 3rd, 1893. Long and
DasseIt were rivals for the heart of
Miss Clementina Denoye, a young In
dian girl. The rivalry was intense
and it seems the girl was fond OF both
the men, According to the evidence,
the two men met at dance on the
night named. Dassett and Long met
and it is alleged that Dassett poured
poison into some whi sky which WIS
drunk by Long. lie lived but twenty
minutes after swallowing the liquor.
Owing to the rivalry Dassett was sus-
, peeted and subsequently arrested fol
the murder of Long. All along Das'
! sett has held out that he was innocent
but the evidence against him, although
, crcumstantial, was overwhelming.
After sentence was pronounced last
night the doomed mans attorneys
asked for sixty days in which to pre-
, pare a case to present to the supreme
: court
! Dassett upon being returned to th'
federal Jail was placed in cell !
t death watch will be placed over hin
4 Il. 4