Omaha daily bee., 1896-03-11
ROPER AND WEBSTER co UP
Sentenced to Eight and Twelve Years Re.
speCtively at Fort Madison,
COLONEL DAlLEYs PLEA FOR MERCY
New Facts Alleged ns n Reason for
Mercy and Judge Thornell bends
Listening Ear to the
Appeal.

Two OF the slayers of Texas" Baker have
been sentenced to terms of Imprisonment
at Fort Madison. George Roper who was
convicted by the jury Of mansaughter, was
given the limit eight years, and John Web
ster, who pleaded guilty to murder in the
second degree was sentenced to term of
twelve years
Prior to the passing of the sentences by
Judge Thornell, the attorney for the con-
victed men, Colonel Daley, made a plea for
leniency for his clients and incidentally gave
utterance to some statements OF facts in the
case that would indicate that some parties
who had large part in the taking off of
Baker have not been given their share OF
the punishment. Colonel Daley was appar-
emily very 10th to make the statements. He
said he felt that he was an officer of the
court and had a very deep appreciation of
the position and would not make any state
ments bearing on the case, except that he
felt 1t his duty to furnish the court with the
facts that they might be taken into con-
sideration in deciding upon the punishment
to be meted to Roper and Webster Since the
trial he and County Attorney Saunders had
been making some investigations and he
was anxious that Mr.. Saunders correct him
II he made any msstatement of the facts
they had discovered
Colonel Daley said that he had discovered
that Webster did not pick DIP the stick with
which Bakers skull was crushed, and did
not go and hunt the weapon as had been
Indicated by the testimony in the case, but
that the stick had been handed to him by
Dick Wallace. In Roper's case he said he
had learned that Roper was not the party
who had knocked Baker down, but that
jackson, who had been dismissed was the
man who had committed the first assault.
He said that 1t was Jackson too, who had
run away with Webster after the assault
and not Roper, as witnesses had sworn He
oHered these statements of facts in mitga-
ton Of the crimes for which the two pris-
oners stood ready for sentence, and asked
that the court should give Webster the
minimum sentence and should not give Roper
the maximum.
County Attorney Saunders was asked IL he
had anything to say in reply to Colonel
Dailey's assertions and replied that he had
not. Judge Thornell then sentenced Roper
to eight years and Webster to twelve years
in the penitentiary.
Judge Thornell is usually very chary of
his remarks in passing sentences, but he
gave the prisoners a wholesome talk in con-
nection with the passing of Judgment in their
cases, speaking as follows:
ADMIRATION AND ADMONITION.
An eminent judge once said to me that
he thought when Judge was pronounclng
cause he ought not to add any word that
would add to the sorrow and gloom of the
CdldlDlty WnlCn the court, by .tS sentence,
imposes upon the defendants, but I hope
that you young men-let me say to you
that, Judging from your appearance, from
your, health, from your age, that but
small number of the years that you ought
| to live have been enjoyed by. you. Now,
| you cannot hope, perhaps TO be what you
might have been. i regret that as much
as you can. but / hope that today is, the
from this time on you viii turn vour faees fhops
| toward the Light and I want to say to
o,f,,i you tfat men h and women are very just and
| gases that might lead one to think that
there was perhaps, settled intention upon
Baker, but do hope that that is not the
case. hope that what you did was
0py sng
, tention to kill upon your part hope that
for, for your our. sakes | hope that you vii re-
conduct, good character tells everywhere
rrisonment in prison walls for number of
years, have been compelled to take those
years from your lives. because one cannot
of society; he cannot feel much of the ben
efits Of f. but good conduct and good char
You can reduce these sentences very ma
teria,ly; you, Mr.. Webster several years
years and months by good conduct. Permit
me to urge upon you, as said before that
you turn your faces toward the Light that
you commence now; that you start from
this, the lowest point in your lives, deter
| mined that 1t shall be the lowest point.
feel like saying to you that the Providence
| He seems farthest from u.s. when things
are most dark, that He is doing the most
think these sentences are light. and
say that with the Utmost charity toward
you and the acts that you have committed.
that your counsel, Colonel Daley, has done
| prosecutor and the jury nave treated you
| with the greatest leniency, feeling that 1t
r one Of the tSah offices Of to re;
| to you before, men and women are very
ienient they are just. they are merciful, ana
If you go where you must now go, by this
sentence and do every duty manfully, meet
every requirement that IS put upon you
with your best, the best you can bring to
find that mankind Is your enemy, but your
friend a. ana you will & find r friends on every
man if. in his darkest time, in the hour Of
his greatest calamity. does his utmost to
| though 1t may have been brought upon him
by his own fan:t, he has done very much
own character, raising above what he has
been before. but also in the eyes of men
and women, +, You want the respect of men
you will live. Go where you must now and
do your very best to meet all the require
ments put upon you and i can assure you
that you win have friends in the future
not, perhaps to that extent that you might
have had-but certainly they will not hold
that feeling against you ;hat they woud
If you should do otherwise than what
advise you.
courts talk and apparent interest in him
Roper showed but little concern. The meI
will be taken to Fort Madison at once.
COWBOYS to the Rescue.
Court Balliff Cousins and Deputy Sheriff
Wightman were down below Manawa on
Monday looking for Bill Hall, who is wanted
on the charge of grand larceny and burglary