The record-union., 1895-11-21
KOVALEV WILL HAVE TO HANG.
So Twelve Good Men and True Have
Decided.
1t Only Took Them Sixteen Minutes to
Agree-He Receives the Ver-
dict stolidly.

The trial of Ivan Kovalev for the muir
der of F. H. L. Weber and his wife on
December %, 1894, was ended in Judge
Johnsons court yesterday by the con-
viction of the prisoner of murder in the
first degree, with the death penalty.
w. A. Anderson made his argument
in favor of the prisoner. He cited the
case Of the negro who many years ago
murdered the Van Ness family, and
whom no lawyer could be found to de-
fend until finally William II. Sew
ard came forward and defended him,
and even in the face of his conviction
secured a reversal of the sentence on
the ground of insanity, and the prisoner
afterward died a driveling idiot. He
then paid his respects to the press, say
ing it had become the practice of it in
late years to use its power in inf1uenc-
ing trials of criminals, and that there
were very few men who did not fear it
and would not be influenced by it He
recalled to the jury their answers TO his
questions when examined. He should
divide his argument into four heads.
First, conspiracy of the Russian Gov
ernment to punish offenders; second, a
conspiracy of its agents, coupled with
the idea of the almighty dollar; third,
that the defendant is not now a free
moral agent, and not in a condition for
the jury to find verdict against MIN,
fourth that the case rests on circum-
stantial evidence in which the links of
the chain have either been broken or
weakened. The Russian Government
is using its immense secret influence to
convict him He gave the reasons for
the formation of the Third Section,
arising out Of the trial of Vera Sasse-
ich, and said that Levin was a men,
Der of it, He depicted a conspiracy
woven around the prisoner in which the
Russian witnesses We're all concerned,
ana in which foundation was laid for
testimony to convict him. In addition
to this secret influence was the hope of
reward, which induced them to testify
against him. He dilated on what he
called the evidences of insanity and
what he called the magnificent power
or the jury to disregard the law and rem
Gel a verdict in accordance with their
sense of justice.
CLOSING ARGUMENT.
In the afternoon District Attorney
Ryan made the closing argument. He
dWelt on the positive Identification of
kOValeY by Jost as the man he saw
sanding near Weber's house on the
night Of the murder He ridiculed the
idea of a conspiracy, and asked if Cap
tain Lees, himself and all the witnesses
were to be supposed to be in the en-
ploy of the Russian Government AS
far as his sanity was concerned, the
jury had nothing to do with it 1t had
been decided that he was not insane,
and if he proved to be, that could be
taken care of afterward. He showed
that the chain of circumstantial evil
0ence had not been broken by the de-
+ IL ho+ he h1 I,
duty 70 the utmost and had lefl nothing
Undone. If the jury comply with the
request of the counsel for the defense
and do not bring in a verdict in accord
ance with the law and evidence, it was
not his fault
The court gave the jury the usual
charges, and told them that if there was
q reasonable doubt on any one of the
circumstances tending to establish his
guilt, they must acquit him If they
were convinced beyond a reasonable
doubt, they must find him guilty He
defined murder in the first and second
degrees stating that if life is taken in
the commission of arson or burglary, it
was murder in the first degree. He ad-
verted unfavOrably to the appeal of
counsel for the defense to the jury in
relation TO disregard the law and rem
der a verdict in accordance with their
sense Of justice.
THE VERDICT.
Fifteen minutes after the jury went
cut they sent word TO the court that
they had agreed on a verdict The de-
fendant was sent for and came into
court in his usual impassive manner
and took his seat. The jury took their
seats, and when asked by the court if
they had agreed on a verdict, said they
Lad, and handed him the verdict 1t
read: "We. the jury, find the defend
ant. Ivan Eovalev, guilty of murder in
the first degree"
The prisoner did not move a muscle
when the verdict was announced, main
tanning the same stony stare as usual
The court announced that ne would
pass sentence on Saturday, but on re-
GUEST OF Attorney Anderson, it was
postponed till a week from tomorrow.