The San Francisco call., 1896-11-21
William NJ Roe alias Moore Convicted Napa of the Murder Of
Mrs. John Q. Greenwood IN 1891.

no recommendation of mercy, and the
verdict means that society is soon to DE
rid of DANGEROUS assassin, uniess by the
process peculiar to California la1 the deal
ing of justice is delayed or finally defeated.
When the verdict was being announced
Roe gave no outward manifestation of
that painful anxiety which would natur-
| ally possess a man whose life hinged on
| the words that fell from the lips of the
| foreman OF the jury.
Carelessly resting his head upon his left
hand the prisoner listened to the Jurors as
they were called. As "That is my verdict"
was answered by each of the twelve his
position did not change.
81 don't care; 1 am satisfied" he re.
marked unconcernedly as he was being
led back to his cell.
The jury had been out something over
an hour when the courthouse bell sounded.
which was the signal that the twelve
judges were ready to return to the court
room. The streets were soon filed with
men running toward the courthouse, and
within few minutes the room was
crowded to overfowing. People had been
| standing on the streets in the vicinity of
courthouse for hours in order that they
Before the jury was brought in, the Judge
| admonished the crowd to be quiet, what
| ever the verdict might be.
The twelve jurors then slowly filed into
| the courtroom. Although the room was
| SO crowded, there was nearly perfect
| silence. 1t was almost taken for granted
that, as the jurors had SO quickly arrived
| at verdict, there could be no other find
Ing than murder in the first degree. Clerk
| n. w. Collins asked if verdict had been
| agreed upon. Receiving an affirmative
answer he took from Foreman w. II. Lake
the paper on which the verdict was writ
ten. After recording the verdict the clerk
read it aloud, asking If that was the YER
| dict agreed upon. The verdict was.
| Guilty of murder in the first degree" :"
At the request of the attorneys for the de-
Tense the jury was poled. Each answered
| that that was his verdict
By the consent of the ATTORNEYS next
Tuesday at 10 A. NJ. was the time fixed for
sentencing the murderer. Judge Murphy,
after thanking the jurors for their con-
| scientious performance of DUTY, adjourn ed
| Court until that hour.
Most of the day was consumed by the
H..
| defendant appeared as little concerned as
the most disinterested spectator. When
damaging assertions were made he was
busily engaged in perusing the San Fran
cisco morning papers.
"It is not 10y purpose" said District
Attorney Gesford, ITO d scuss the testi-
| mony at length, for the evidence, it seems
to me, is most conclusive of the guilt of
the defendant. Fos years the officers have
sought the murderer of Mrs. J. @. Green
wood. Gentleman of the jury, he has
been founi. He is in this courtroom.
don't say this because l have any animos-
ity toward this man, but because / repre-
sent the people, and this man is on trial.
One verdict and only one can be rendered.
and that is one of murder in the first de.
gree"
Then followed an exhaustive review OF
the testimony and strong plea for the
administration of justice. Mr.. Gesford
described minutely how Moore's stems
we're traced on the Sth and 9th of Febru-
ary, 1891, and told of the positive testi-
mony OF Stemmle, Mrs. Holland and Jacob
Shorer in identifying Moore as man
seen in Napa on the night of the murder.
He referred to the many times that Moore
has changed his name, and said that n
man with character spotless. with rep
utation unsullied, would not wish anv
other name than that given by the father
and the mother; that only those persons
ashamed of their past life assume fictitious