The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-03
IN THE FIRST DECREE.
Verdict Against the millionaire
Murderer DeustrOyv.

Verdict Against the millionaire
Murderer DeustrOyv.
UNION. Mo, Feb. 2.-The celebrated
case of Dr. Arthur Duestrow, the St.
Louis millionaire. who has been en- trial
during the past month for the cold-blood-
ed murder of his wife and baby boy two
years ago, ended today, the jury return
ing a verdict of guilty in The first de-
gree.
After arguments, that took Up the
greater part of Saturday and lasted I'M
til almost midnight the case was given
to the jury. the members of which went
to rest without considering it. This morn
ing the jury took up the case and on the
first ballot unanimously found the de-
PENDANT guilty of murder in the first de-
gree. The result was reached without
much trouble, each member of the jury
seemingly having SETTLED the case in his
own mind in the interval between mid
night and this morning. The verdict is
received with almost universal sausfac-
ton.
THE CRIME.
This is the second trial that DR.. Dues
trow has had on the charge of murder,
the first resulting in a hung jury last
year. The terrible crime with which he
was charged was committed in Febru
airy, 1894. One day that month his wife
and child were at home awaiting his
coming to take drive. When he came
into the house, Duestrow, who was
drunk, began to abuse his wife and final
lY shot her down in cold blood. lie Tnen
picked UP his 9-year-old boy, a beautiful
child. and holding it arms length killed
it with a pistol shot through the head.
His wife fingered for several days and
finally died.
USELESS ATTEMPT.
After his arrest, Duestrow, with the
help of his fortune, tried to eVade the
consequences of his crime Ex-Governor
johnson, who is credited with being one
of the finest criminal lawyers of this
state, was given charge of the case, and
was assisted by Colonel Nat Dryden,
ChaS. Noiand and j. Wesley Booth. Pro-
was assisted by Judge Bolte, prosecuting
attorney of IL anklin county, Judge Gal
lenkamD and Lee Merriwether. Counsel
for the defense endeaVored to establish a
plea of insanity, but after two inquiries
held before juries in which much expert
testimony was heard on both sides, it
was given up, and the case came to trial
in Union, a change of venue having been
taken from st. Louis. The first trial
ended in a hung jury.
Throughout the last trial before Judge
Hirzel. Governor johnson and his assist
ants kept up the insanity idea and were
ably seconded by the defendant, who en-
deavored to create the impression that
HE WAS CRAZY.
AS during the two inquests and the
former trial, the defense put on the stand
a number of the most prominent physi-
clans in the state as experts to prove
Duestrow insane. Equally eminent eX-
pertS testified on behalf of the state, and
throughout the trial there was an almost
constant warfare between the opposing
counsel Arguments were finally begun
on Saturday morning, in a crowded
room. Those present were disappointed
that the eloquent Governor Johnson was
not able to speak, being confined to his
room with a sprained ankle.
Judge Bolte, prosecI,i IL attorney for
Franklin county, began the arguments
He dwelt particularly upon the instruc-
tons of the court given the day previ-
Gus, explaining them in detail.
Charles holland. for the defense, spoke
with eloquence, force and conviction. He
directed his attacks against tie states
contention that the crime was due to
drunkenness and Duestrow's desire to
consort with lewd women.
He was followed by Judge Gailenkamp,
who roundly denounced the attempt of
the defense TO besmirch the names of the
prisoners father and mother, in order to
prove hereditary insanity, which attempt
J. Wesley Booth, for the defense, ar
gued that the worst that could be said
of Duestrow was that he drank hard and
was a millinaire.
WAS SCATHING.
Lee Merriwether's denunciation of the
attack made by THE defendant and his
counsel upon the defendants mother was
most scathing. He also showed how
criminal attorneys resorted to every
means to plead for and acquit their eli
ents
Again Colonel Nat Dryden closed for
the defense. and at some length resented
Merriwether charges as unwarranted.
Prosecuting Attorney Zachritz, who was
the last to speak, brought into play all