St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-23
TAINTED IN COURT.
WILLIAM }. WEBER, ONCE OF ST.
PAUL, MAKES A SCENE IN
CHICAGO.
MURDER CONSPIRACY ENDS
IN THE CONVICTION OF THE WEE
BER BROTHERS IN COURT
SATURDAY.
Ihey Are FamiliaPly Known in
Certain Circles Allied to That
Line of business.

William j. Webber and his brother
j.. G. Webber, who were arrested in
Chicago last fall charged with con-
spiracy to murder T. " Hamlin. by
whom William was employed, were
found guilty Of their crime and SEN
fenced Saturday. The Webber brothers
are known in st. Paul, having been
in the employ of the Omaha road, and
they have good many friends here
The story of their residence here was
published in the Globe at the time
of their arrest early in January
When Judge Horton pronounced SEN
tence on William j. Webber Saturday
the prisoner fell to the floor in a faint,
and was with difficulty revived. When
consciousness returned he was unable
to walk, and three bailiffs carried him
into the hall.
j. G. Webber. the co-conspirator, was
neither affected by the verdict of the
jury nor the fainting of his brother,
and walked stolidly back to his cell
While w. J. Webber lay gasping on the
floor Mrs. E. V. Hamlin, wife of the
man whose murder he was alleged to
have plotted, famed his face with her
handkerchief. She had known Webber
since his boyhood days, and took a
motherly interest in him. e. V. Hamlin,
who had been a friend to the young
man who was convicted of conspiring
to kill him, wiped the tears from his
eyes as he stood in the corridor of the
court room after the sentence had been
passed.
Both the Webbers appeared anxious
when led into the court room to hear
their fate. William J. Webber was ex-
tremely nervous, while his brother, J.
G. Webber, gaZed at the jury with a
scowl of defiance. The verdict found
both guilty of conspiracy as alleged in
the indictment, and besides fixing their
punishment at imprisonment in the
penitentiary, also assessed fine, leav-
ing the amount to be named by the
court.
When asked by Judge Horton if the
prisoners had anything to say, w. J..
Webber said: ATS. d'4F
IT had hot the money to defend this
case as it, should have been defended.
My lawyer did the best he could under
the circumstances. however. The story
of Maloney about my wanting MI. Ham,
lin killed was preposterous. The
thought Of murder never entered my
heart. Then Gus, here, my brother, con-
fessed and never told me word about
it, but let me go to trial, and refused to
go on the witness stand, and tell the
truth as I did,
AS the speaker referred to his broth
ell he gazed at that individual in a
scornful way. Continuing, he said: "I
am sure If had fair trial without
prejudice 1 would not be convicted.
That's all I care to say"
Judge Horton said that the trial had
been fair; that he regarded w. j. Web
Der as the arch -conspirator. and he
had used his brother as a tool. He
fixed the fine at 81 and costs. Then,
in reply to.a question, Webber said
he had wife and two small children,
and Immediately afterward fell in a
faint. The brothers were convicted of
a conspiracy to kill E., j. Hamlin, of
the Kilmer Bale Tie company. w. J.
Webber was acting treasurer, and was
alleged to be short in his accounts
When Mr. Hamlin returned from a
trip of some months duration, Webber,
it is charged, conceived the idea of
having him murdered so that he might
retain his place and escape exposure.
Richard Maloney and J. G. Webber
were to do the killing. Maloney turned
states evidence.