The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-10-05
Reiter and Han sen
Will Hang next Month


court room was full Both the prison
ers sat quietly with their attorneys
waiting for the words of the Judge
'Eet the defendant, John Hansen,
stand up" said the Judge. John Han
sen, have you anything to say why the
sentence Of the court should not be pro-
rounced against you?
"No.' replied the prisoner in falter-
ing and sobbing voice
'You stand convicted" continued his
Honor "by jury of this court, of the
most heinous crime the law contem-
plates. You have had fair trial; you
have been defended by eminent counsel,
and everything has been urged in your
behalf that could be- and feel entirely
satisfied from the testimony, that the
jury were not wrong when they con-
victel you of murder in the first de-
gree; think the testimony amply war
ranted them in finding you guilty of
the highest crime known to the law
That without cause or Drovocation.
you killed one whom every obligation
of nature and every obligation YOU
had taken upon yourself required you
to protect, and anything that l can
say at this time would do you no good.
IT might possibly be an example to
those present by observing you in this
position at this time; it might serve as
a warning to the young man who is
just beginning a career of dissipation
and just starting on the down-hill road,
which has brought you to this position
in which you now stand; it might stand
as an object lesson to some young man
to stop and beware of the vice that has
brought you to this. I take 1t, that i'll
you had controlled your appetite and
refrained from the use OF Intoxicating
liquors, you would not now be before
the bar of this court for sentence. But
strong drink and the continued indul-
gence in it, has destroyed your man
hood and has finally caused you to
commit the act of which you have been
found guilty. If there is anything that
can be gained by this scene in this
court, any lesson that can be taught to
the men, young or old, by these pro-
ceedings and by your fate, it is the les
son to beware of indulging in the vice
you have INDUCED in. Not only in your
case, but in nearly every case that has
been brought before this court at this
term, this same vice, this same habit,
has brought them here. 1t has brought
many o young man and many an old
man to bitter fate. 1t has brought
you here to answer for the highest
crime known to the law AS said be-
fore, l am satisfied that the verdict Of
the jury is correct, and, while the abil- |
ity of counsel may from time to time |
prolong the trial, it seems to me that in
the end there can be but one verdict |
reached. 1t seemed to me when l heard |
this testimony, that IL you were al
lowed to go out on the street and Sc
lect from your friends jury, their ver-
dict must laVe been the same-that
you were guilty Of murder in the first
degree. Let me assure you, that while
you may be able to prolong this matter
a month, two months OR three months,
the possibility of your ultimate escape
is very slender, and | urge you to oc-
cupy the time you have left in trying
to make some atonement for the Of
fence you have committed against the
law.
1t is the Judgment of this court that
you be taken to the Jail OF this county,
and that YOU there he Kept in close
ondlemcnt until the time TO be fixed
by the court in its warrant for your ex-
ecution, which will be not less than
thirty days nor more than sixty days
from this time, and that you from
there be taken to the Jail yard of this
county, by the sheriff Of this county,
and that you there be hung by the
neck until you are dead; and may God
have mercy on your soul"
Hansen was then conducted to his
cell by Sheriff Smith, and John Reiter
was ordered to stand up and receive
sentence of death. The prisoner in
answer to the court, announced that he
had nothing to say why the sentence
Of the law should not be pronounced
against him, and then Judge Mcbride
addressing him in a manner that the
warranted, said:
you have been convicted in this
,ase of a most infamous and horrible
crime. You went out and found a stran-
ger who was friendly enough to treat
you with kindness and share his bed
With you, and, taking advantage Of
his unsuspecting nature and confidence,
you went along the road with him, and
,or a few dollars, took his life-took
MS life in most horrible manner. The
evidence against you is conclusive. You
lid not know when you did it that 1t
would ever be known; you supposed
hat you would be beyond the reach Of
he law; that there was no one present
out yourself and your victim, but the
,ye of the Almighty was upon you,
Tohn Reiter, when you did this, ana
iou have been brought to justice by
he vigilance Of the officers, who have
performed their duty in this case, and
lou stand here for punishment this
morning. ! do not know anything That