Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-11-19

February 10TH. at New Castle, but it's
altogether likely that the sentence will
be changed before that time to impris-
onment for life, as the members of the
jury which convicted him, consider
that he is Of upsound mind, and have
signed petition to Acting Governor
Watson, asking. for executive clemency.
The matter was laid before The Cover.
nor while he was in the city Friday,
and he now has 1t under consideration.
It is said that Willis mother was of
unsound mind, and il is believed that
the son inherited his affliction from
her. For that reason, the jury asked
the mercy of the court when the yer-
dict was given.
Upon the opening of court Saturday
Josiah Marvel counsel Tor Willis,
withdrew his motion for new trial,
and Deputy Attorney General Cooper
made a motion that sentence be
passed, whereupon the Chief Justice
commanded Willis to stand up.
"Thomas,' the Chief Justice said,
"you have been indicted by the grand
| jury of this county for murder in the
first degree, and upon that indictment
you have had fair and impartial trial.
Your counsel urged for you every plea
that in their judgment they could
| possibly urge for your defence. The
jury rendered verdict of guilty and
| the court is now about to pass sentence
upon you for the crime for which you
were indicted. Have you anything to
say before the court passes the sem
| tence2''
"No, sir" replied Willis.
| "The sentence of the court" Chief
| Justice Lore continued, sis that you,
Thomas Willis, be now taken from the
bar of this court to the public prison Of
New Castle county, the place from
whence you came, and be there safely
and securely kept in custody until FRI
day, the 10Th day of February in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and ninety seven, and on that
day, between the hours OF 10 O'Clock
in the morning ard 3 O'Clock in the
afternoon, be taken to some convenient
place of private execution within the
precinct Of the prison enclosure and
you be then and there hanged by the
neck until you are dead, and may God
have mercy ON our soul. You are now
committed to the custody of the sheriff
of New Castle county until this sentence
is carried into execution"
The prisoner was. .takon out of the
court room by the tipstaves, and placed
in cell, and in the afternoon was taken
to New Castle Jail.
In the superior COURT on the appii..
cation of Deputy Attorney General
Cooper, the case Off Christopher
Bonash, charged. with desertion and
non support, continuance until next
term was granted. w. f. Kuftz, coun-
sci for Bonash, has agreed to see that
in the meantime the wife is given
50. so per week.. -
Harry Emmons, counsel for Mary
Dennis, in the divorce suit against
her husband, made q motion that the
amount allowed for expenses be inS
creased to $3.50. 4. rBayard Heissl,
counsel for the defendant, opposed the
motion. Alimony in the sum of 81, 600
was allowed and decision will be given
on November 23d.
The November terms OF court of oyer
and terminer and superior court were
opened with full bench at the County
Court House at noon Monday. After
the members of the grand jury had
been sworn in, with Charles e. Dubell
as foreman. Chief Justice Charles B.
Lore, for the court, delivered the
charge to the Jury. The charge was
devoted entirely to alleged election
abuses.
The Chief Justice said: 'Gent tie
men OF the grand jury, there are times
when the violations OF the law along
particular lines, become 80 hagrant,
that public indignation is aroused, and
the condemnation OF all honest men
evoked.
"Such is the condition now upon us.
SIT is openly charged that at the
recent elections held IN this State and
county, corruption and fraud prevailed
to an alarming extent. The following
are among these charges. That duly
qualified electors we're uniawfully and
corruptly refused registration, or that
their names were stricken from the reg
istry after they had been duly enrolled.
That tine votes of electors we're openly
bought aud sold. That voters were
iutimidated and constrained to vote
against their convictions. That dis
order and distractions prevailed at
some of the polling places encouraged
by election officers. That even after the
votes were cast, officers of the election
corruptly failed or refused, TO count and
tabulate the vote fairly. That the
!, returns of the election were wilfully
J and corruptly altered. That by these
means fair expression of the popular
voice was defeated.
, "These charges if true. demand your
closest scrutiny and thorough investi-
i CATION; that 80 far as may be in your
power you take prompt and effectual
, means TO suppress the evil.
| CORRUPTION in elections vitally
affects the continuance of good govern.
| ment, which must depend for healthful
, existence upon the intelligence and
!, virtue of the voter. The man who sells
; his vote, and much more the man who
: buys that vote, is unscrupulous, cor.
, rupt and unworthy OF the privilege
, of free man. Such men should be dis,
] iranchised. The lavish and ostenta.
/ tious use of money at elections in buy
ing votes like sheep on the shambles,
poisons the very sources of our State
and national life; when it succeeds in
! clothing the purchaser with power, ID
J more heinous crime than murder,
!, because il robs not one man only of life
but robs all the people of that which is
, far more precious than many lives, thai
is, good government and all it carries
! with it. This special form of cor
ruption at our elections has beer
steadily growing for years, and is now
! so notorious that it has become the
reproach of our commonwealth.
i "The elective franchise in the hands
, of the pure and patriotic man is the
, highest privilege of American citizen.
ship; because it clothes him with
power to say, what shall be the policy
of the government and who shall carry