The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-14
FOUND HER GUILTY
IRENA LEONARD CONVICTED OF
HER HUSBANDS MURDER


Stands a Poor Show of Getting It-Case
is Dismissed Against Her SON Norviile
Who is Allowed to Go Free-Verdict
had Been Reached Before Midnight
and was Unexpected.
The jury system was partially VIM
dicated yesterday when verdict OF
murder in the second degree was rem
dered in the case Of the state vs.. Irena
Leonard.
When the court convened at 8 o'clock
nothing had been heard from the Jurors,
who had been out since 6 O'Clock the
previous evening, and Judge Dale sent
for them to ascertain whether they
were disagreeing over question of law
or Of fact. When they filed into the
box Clerk Luling noticed that the
foreman had papers in his hands and
he whispered to Judge Dale that they
evidently had a verdict. Judge Dale
didn't think it was possible or he would
have heard Of IL.
Gentlemen Of the jury" said Mr..
Luhng, have you agreed upon a YER
dict?"
Everybody in the court room expect
ed reply in the negative and when the
foreman announced: I'VE have" every
BODY was so astonished that silence pre-
vailed for nearly a minute.
what Is it?' asked the court
Guilty Of murder in the second de-
gree" said the foreman.
Ihe fact of the matter is the Jury
agreed upon a verdict at IL 80 o'clock
the previous evening, but never said
thing about II to anybody, not even the
bailin. IL they had sent for the iudse
ne would have discharged them at mid
night and they did not propose to run
around that hour Of the night looking
1oT Iodglngs. Like sensible people thew
tooK on their coats, rolled them I'D into
pIIio"s' raised the windows, iald down
morning. -
The verdict did not move Mrs. Leon
ara, but her sister, Mrs. Barnes. com
menced 10 cry and that effected the de-
PENDANT TO some extent S. b. Amidon
oraced her up by saying that he was al
most positive that she would get a new
trlal. He claimed that there were some
Iorty errors In the proceedings of the
trial, but he is probably mistaken.
Other lawyers who were present said
that the case is very free from errors
as are also the instructions Of the court.
Mr. Amidon Immediately announced to
the court that he would make a motion
Tor new trial this morning and Judge
Dale said call right" Il is now pre-
olcted that Judge Dale will not grant a
new trlaI, as he knows that he has care
1uIly tried the case just closed.
County Attorney Davis then dismiss
ed the case against NorviIIe William
son. and the young man was released
1rcr2 Jail and turned adrift in the world
IN the afternoon. He will go and live
with his grandfather. While the case
against Norville has been dismissed
lawyers say that he can be arrested
again al any time, as the constitutional
provision that a mans liberty cannot
be jeopardized twice for the same Of
tense is not opera tive until he is actual
~ put on trial and the jury is sworn to
try his case
A great many people wanted to know
why the jury didn't return a verdict of
guilty Of murder in the first degree. The
fact is that murder in the two degrees
In Kansas is practically the same, as
the governor never executes the SEN
tence OF the court in the case of murder
IN the first degree. The maximum
penalty of murder in the second degree
Is life Imprisonment. The minimum
penalty is Imprisonment for ten years
in the penitentiary. Judge Dale has il
IN his discretion to sentence her 10 the
highest penalty. While there is practi-
cally no difference, jurors usually pre-
fer not to give verdict for the higher
degree
This ends the Leonard case. It will |
60 down in the annals Of the county
side by side with what IS known as the |
winner and McNutt case. Both muir |
uers were the results of deliberate con- |
spiracy, both Of them were cold blooded |
and horrible ard both Of them were |
committed with view TO obtaining life |
insurance money. The Leonard case |
was one OF real interest and under GER
tain circumstances would have a ma
tional reputa ton: II the verdict OF the
jury is right, and nobody doubts II, Mrs
leonard secured a divorce from her
husband, Marion williamson, AMI mar |
ried Leonard. She conld not wait until |
the divorce became operative but she /
doubtless induced him 10 marry her
secretly so that she could come into |
possession of his money as rapidly a. |
possible. They were only a few DAYS |
married when he made her the bene-
ficiary Of 5000 accident policy and |
being illiterate and ignorant she could |
eASN GA0NAAAS u-Sti AAAC NAAASIE4lGV UcLNSE 4
an accident policy and a life insurance /
policy. She simply knew that he had a \
red paper in his trunk with a gold seal |
attached 10 1t and she positively believ- |
ed that II Leonard was dead she would |
have five thousand round dollars COM /
ing to her. She never had any money |
IN her life and money, TO her. was a |
great inducement 10 commit crime. |
She had no accomplishments. or even \
an education. and she knew that moth |
ing but money would enable her 10 live /
and shine as she wanted 70. The orig 1
inal theory was that Mrs. Leonard was /
assisted in the murder by Marion Will /
hanson. her former husband. and /
the theory went to the extent |
that the conspiracy between
them involved their own separ-
alton and the plan OF her marriage 10 |
Leonard Williamson was tried on that /
theory and the jury said nit" He had |
a narrow escape, for he was surrounded
by a terrible web OF eircumstantlal evil
dence and nothing saved him but his
own cOllness on the witness stand
we'll prepared defense by his attorney
and above all the fact that a respscta-
bic minority Of the public felt he was
innocent. The very fact. alone, that he
and she. being husband and wife no