The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-27
FOR THIRTY YEARS
THIS WAS TIE SENTENCE GIVEN
TO MRS. LEONARD.


Motion for New Trial was Taken Up, Read
and Argued by the Attorneys for ths
Defendant, OverruIed by Judge Dale
and the Defendant Sentenced to BARD
Labor in the Kansas PenItentiary fol-
Thirty Long YeArs-scsne in the Court
Room-The Defendant Loses Her Self
control and sheds Bitter Tears.
With quivering frame, bated breath,
ewes filed with tears. Irena LeonaFu
stood before Judge Dale at 4:4o yester-
day afternoon while the judge N sol
emn words pronounced the sentence o.
thirty years at hard labor in the Kan
sas penitsntiary.
It was an impressive scene. The Sis
ter, Mrs. Barnes, vino had stood by her
through all the trying months. sat on
q seat near the outside railing with
bleached face. with her breast heaving
with emotion, but as silent as the grave
In fact there was a. death like silence
throughout the entire court room The
unonotonous tick Of the clock on the
south wall could be distinctly heard as
the measured words Of Judge Dale feL
upon the ears Of those in the room
There was not a whisper or even the
movement of feet. OF course every
body IN the room knew that the judge
would sentence the woman to the peni-
tertiary, but no one knew the length OF
time for which the sentence would be
e-sTs L-uV %
Doolittle stood with his legs in the shape
Of a figure with a big tear in his eye
and SO intent was he that during the
entire remarks OF the judge he did not
disturb a huge fly which was racing up
and down his nose.
Not q, word was lost by a single per
son in the room until the judge said
thirty years. when the defendan;
gasped for breath and a score OF
''awes'' were heard all over the room.
The defendant grasped the railing in
front Of her and bursted into tears
as she turned a pleading and beseach-
ing Cook upon the sheriff, as though he
could help her. She never appeared 10
realize her situation until the moment
Judge Dale pronounced the words "thir-
" years" Often before that time she
had been described as Indifferent, but
this Indifference was all gone. Prior 10
those words she had a"don't care" ex-
preston, but in an instant this was all
changed. She was helpless, all nope
seemed to vanish in a moment, and
with an awful sense the great condi ton
in which she was placed seemed 10
dawn upon her. She appeared 10 real
lie that thds meant her entire life. She
would be shut forever from her boy
whom she seemed to idOlize. and as
many believe had shielded throughout
all her great trouble because she loved
him, her first and only child better than
she did her own life.
There was sobbing in the room by the
relations and lady friends who had come
TO hear the argument of the case. SO
weak was the defendant that she had TO
he led to chair beside her sister and
there allowed 10 rest before she was
taken to the jail by the sheriff. There
WAS no joy In the room. 1t was not a
pleasing sight and it Is probable that
many wha had been drawn TO the room
through idle curiosity wished heartily
that they were not present to witness
the sadness Of the hour. Tears were in
many eyes, yet there was almost a I'M
animous verdict By all that the verdict
and sentence was i just one. Nine out
Bf every ten in the room expected the
motion Tor a new trial 10 be overruled
and that Judge Dale would pronounce
the sentence, but they hardly expected
the sentence TO be as severe, and the
sentence was varioUsly guessed at from
five TO twenty years, and when the
Judge said thirty all were more or less
surprised as they realized that this
meant her natural life without a grea [
chance. unless the supreme court should
grant the defendant new trial.
Messrs. Amidon d COnley sat with
bowed heads while the judge was pro
nomciBg the sentence and when finish
ed they both spoke up in concert de-
slaT1nE they would appeal the case to
the supreme court and fled their notice
Of an appeal
County Attorney Davis asked that the
defendant be committed 10 the peniten-
tiary. there 70 await the action of the
supreme court upon the records OF the
ease, and the order was 50 made
At > o'clock the case was called and
the defendant was brought into the
court room by the sheriff. She was &C
>ompanied BY her sister and four lady
friends who took seat beside her on
the inside OF the railing close to the
Jury box. The court room began 10 NIL
rapidly with attorneys and spectators.
The defendant bore the same naughty
expression which has been 80 marked
throughout the trial IN A few minutes
sam Amidon arose holding in his hand
large bundle OF paf--rs which mad been
6led IN the case subsequent 10 the re-
turn Of the verdict Of guilty by the jury,
The motion for q new trial. which viii
Be found below. was read and the nc
compa0yinE ahidayits of the defend
ant. W II. TuI. her brother F. NJ
Barnes. her brother-in-ls.w The affida-
Wits We're all in support OF the motion FOR
new trial. which is as follows:
MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL.
In the District Court of Sedgwick
County. Kansas.
State OF Kansas Plaintiff,
Irene Leonard. Defendant
Now comes the defendant by her ct
tCrneys Amidon and Comfy. and moves
The court % grant her a new trial in
the said above entitled cause and set
aside the verdict OF the jury for the
following reasons, toWit:
Z That the jury has received evidence
papers and documents not authorized
by the court.
:. me court mas admitted Illegal ces-
timOny over The objection Of This de-
PENDANT % which the defendant a. the
time excepted.
5 Newly discovered evidence discov-
cred by the defendant OF which the d.
PENDANT had no knowledge a. the time
O. the trial and which has been discov-
cred by the defendant since the trial
and which the defendant could NOT with