Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-02-06
DuestroV Will Hang.
THE ST. LOUIS WIFE AND CHILD
MURDERER CONVICTED OF
MURDER IN THE FIRST
DEGREE.
His Attorneys, However. Will Garry
the Case to the United States SUI
preme Court if Possible,
to Save His Fiend- :
ish Neck.

UNION, Mo-, Feb. 2.-The strong arm
of the law triumphed, temporarily ut
least. Two years ago Arthur Duestrow
slew his wife and baby boy. To-day
he PAGES a prison celia convicted feion
in the eyes of the law. After having
faced two insanity inquiries and two
law iuries he has been convicted OF
murder in the first degree, and he is
careless and as seemingly unconcerned
as if he we're but the actor in a mimic
instead of a real tragedy. But al
though the State has won the battle,
the fight has but begun. Arthur
Duestrow will not grace the scaffold
until every human effort is exhausted.
Not until the Supreme Court of the
United States has affirmed this YER
dict and the Governor of the great
State of Missouri has refused to inter
fere will his counsel give up the fight
n'his behalf.
The rendition of the verdict this
morning was unexpected, and deliv-
cred under somewhat peculiar condi-
tions. Last night the jurors went to
their room and Immediately retired,
as they were we'll nigh exhausted.
They slept soundly until 4 O'Clock this
morning, when all rose and began to
discuss the case. Joe johnson was
elected foreman. At first there was
but one opposed to a verdict OF guilty
of murder in the first degree. Strange
to say he was a German-Henry Flott-
man of Lyon Township. He was I'M
able at first to believe he was sane. 1t
took but Is minutes argument to con-
vince him that he was wrong. Then
the Jurors went to breakfast. I'M
mediately upon their return q ballot
was taken, and the entire II voted
equity" Then the verdict was agreed
upon and the men decided to delay
a return of the verdict for a few
hours, SO as not to create the impress
sion that it was hurried. They sat
about discussing their verdict and
various other topics until 10 o'colck,
when they sent word to the court that
they had agreed upon a verdict.
Judge Hirzel had just arrived at the
Court House, and but a few moments
previous said he would call the jury in
| this afternoon if it had not agreed,
then return it to its room until to-
morrow afternoon, when he would
discharge it if 40 verdict was reached.
The notice came as a sort of a sur
prise. The attorneys were quickly
notified, and at 1920 the prisoner was
hurried over from the Jail in the GUS
tody of Deputy Sheriff Edgar Terry.
A fierce snowstorm was raging at the
time, and Duestrow was covered with
snow as he took his seat, and the jury
filed in. Foreman johnson came first,
carrying the verdict in his hand.
When all were seated the court asked:
"Gentlemen OF the jury, have you
es-eed upon a verdict?
"We have" answered Foreman
johnson as he passed the verdict to
the court.
About 25 lawyers, reporters and cit
liens were present, and the silence
| was omnibus. The prisoner moved
forward in his chair and calmly blew
a cloud of cigarette smoke into
the air as the Judge opened the paper
| and read:
estate of Missouri VS.. Arthur Dues.
trow: We, the jury, find the defend.
ant guilty of murder in the first de-
gree, in manner and form as charged
in the Indictment"
Duestrow sat calmly eying the
Judge. There was not a CULVER of s
muscle, nor a bat OF the eye. He wal
the coolest man in the room so far al
external appearances go.
Gentlemen, is this your verdict?'
asked the court. \
at is" was the reply in chorus.
The Judge called each juror by name
asking him if the verdict was his, and
each responded in the affirmative. AL
the while the prisoner eyed the jury
contemptuously, and when the court
notified the jurors that they were dis.
charged he placed his cigarette in his
mouth, crossed his legs and idly
| watched the excited discussion of the
termination of the famous case.
A Republic reporter stepped over
and asked, "Arthur, what do you
think of it?" 'Don't ask me-" he re-
piled. 81 can't say anything. You
realize the position 1 am in"
He was then conducted back to the
Jail. The snow had ceased to fall
temporarily, and he shivered as he
passed out of the court house and
crossed the lawn to the Jail. Arriving
there, he called for the daily papers,
lit another cigarette and threw HIM
self on his bunk to think over the ex-
citing events of the past two years.
Missouri Finances.
JEFFERsoN CRY, Mo-, Feb. 1,-State