The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1895-12-19
MURDER IN FIRST DEGREE.
Lloyd Montgomery is to be Hanged,
Friday, January 81, is the Day
Set For Execution.

The trial Of Lloyd Montgomery, the
self-confessed murderer of his father
and mother and Daniel B. McKercher,
was begun in theldistrict court before
Judge Burnett Tuesday at 100 p. m,
an adjourned term of court being held
for that purpose.
Judge j. j. Whitney, N. NJ. New
port and b. S. Martin appeared for
the defendant, and District Attorney
Mccain and the deputy, Captain N.
B, Humphrey appeared for the state.
The prisoner was brought into court
at 100 o'clock by Sheriff McFeron
and was seated within the bar beside
his attorneys. He wore light colored
woolen shirt, plain dark colored
coat and blue overalls. DE showed
but slight traces Of prison confine-
ment and looked TO be In a remark
ably good state of health He exhibit
ted no indications of insanity and
watched the proceedings of the trial
seemingly with studied indifference
When his little brothers were testify
ing as to the condition in which they
found their murdered parents he
showed signs of weakening and al
most broke into tears.
The court room was crowded by
those wishing to witness the trial and
to see what manner of man 1t could be
who would shoot down his own father
and mother. The defendant was in
dicted Oh three separate counts and is
being tried now for the murder of
Daniel B. McKercher.
A jury of twelve men was obtained
without much difficulty after examin-
ing thirty-seven men for that purpose.
The jury was secured as follows: J.
W. Burkhart W. A. Gleason, A.
Croft, I. n, Humphrey, }. H. Colwell,
E. c. Roberts, Frank Trites, William
Obermeyer, Z. F. Truax, F. Acker-
man, William Citizens, James A.
Richardson.
District Attorney Mccain then
made the opening statement to tie
jury, stating that the evidence would
show that the murdered persons were
killed by one other than themselves,
that the defendant had made state.
ments confessing to having committed
the murder, also that after the murder
was committed before any one but the
murderer had seen all the bodies, the
defendant on returning to the house,
without going to look to see who was
murdered, mounted horse and rode
off and notified the neighbors that his
father and mother and McKercher
were murdered, that there was no one
else at the house at the time of the
murder.
Judge Whitney followed. He stated
he presumed the state would be able
to show about the state of facts as out
lined by the district attorney. But
that the evidence would show that the
crime was not committed with pre-
meditated malice and that the de-
fendant was not mentally RESPONSE
bic.
The case was given to the jury ut
4:45 last evening, and in less than two
hours the jury returned a verdict of
guilty Of murder in the first degree.
This is the most repulsive murder case
ever tried in the state, and considering
the enormity of the crime it was
speedy trial, consuming less than two
days.
When the verdict of the jury was
pronounced to young Montgomery he
appeared unmoved, Afterward he
said to the sheriff that it was what he /
expected and deserved, and that he
wanted to die. He said he wanted to
make clean breast of it, and asked |
permission to make statement He
was told that he could do so at ll.30
today, at which time he Is to be SEN
fenced.
Judge Burnett sentenced Lloyd |
Montgomery today at 1880, and it is
stated that Friday, January 81, is the |
day set by the court for his execution.
He stood up while the sentence was
passed bu; was very nervous He did
not make the confession which he said
he wanted to make today.
An unknown assassin tried TO mur-
der Miss Ethel Riddle, at Harrisburg,
Saturday night. She is nineteen years
of age and lives with her uncle, Mr.
George Henderson, After supper she
washed the dishes and stepped to the
door 10 tb rnu oItt ha ,po tnp ,,,hnn ebo |