The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-05-17
AlURDER ~ sEcoND DE0REE
hoy Train Wreckerp Convicted After
Trial ana the Others Confess Their
Guilt

10y Train wreckerp Convicted After
Trial and the Others Confess Their
Quilt.
J Watson Hildreih. non Of J. Homer
iIoldrctb, Of New York: Theodore Hib-
bard and Herbert Plato were convicted
IN Rome, n. ". Of trglln wreckinR May
the sth says the New York Herald
Their companion IN crime. Fired" Bris-
tol. died r. Jali while awaiting trial
From the time the Jury In Hiidreth's
case retired. at 7 O'Clock IN the evening.
until ton minutes after u IN tho morn
Ing. nothing was heard from a. Then
the jurors entered the court room for
further instructions as TO different de-
grces Of murder They were instructed
by Justice McI.ennan. who also explained
the different degrees OF manslaughter.
Hildreth was present. his eyes red from
weeping lie understood. as aid others
present, from the questions asked. that
the verdict would not b. murder IN the
first degree.
There was another rap on the door at
o'clock this morning. and twenty min
utes later Justice McIennan. the attor-
neys for Hildreth and his father were
In the court room. The jury nled In
and Clerk Mason asked II a verdict hAd
been agreed upon. To this Foreman
Richards replied: we md the defend
ant guilty OF murder In tho second de-
gree, and recommend that the court ex-
erciSe such clemency as Is within It's
Jurisdiction
When the verdict was announced the
defendant put his hand 10 his forehead.
and when he took IL down his eyes were
wet with tears. Hts father. when the
jury entered. grasped the boys left hand,
which was resting on an arm OF his chair,
and clutched II tightly. A. his son was
led back TO jail Mr.. Hldlreth wept bit
terry.
"He does not feel one iota as badly as
] do" the father said. The boy doesn't
realize his position. No one knows how
I have suffered"
Judge McI.ennan thanked the jurors.
discharged them and adjourned court un-
al o'clock.
Young Hildreth was brought into court
i've minutes before that hour He sald
he had nothing TO say before sentence
was passed upon him and Justice Nc
Lehman said impressiyely:
II feel, Hlldrcth. that the jury has
dealt leniently with you. They might.
under the circumstances. found much
more severe verdict. ! would not say a
or sorrow. There are others nearer ana
dearer TO you who can give YOU better
advice than the court as to your future
life.
THE crime Of which yoa have bean
convicted IA the most terrible that can
be committed under our civilization You
might almost as well have poisoned a
stream that comes fnOm the hillside, 80
far as society II concerned The court
has only one duty TO perform-that is
20 pronounce the sentence OF law. That
sentence Is that you be confined In the
state prison In Auburn at hard labor
during the term OF your natural life.
Hlldreth bowed, thanked the court and
resumed his seat. AS he did so his lips
quivercd. but he made no further de-
monstration. Two minutes later the
father and son shook hands and the
prisoner was taken back TO his cell.
Theodore Hihbard and Herbert Plato.
who had been Jointly indicted with Hill
dreth. were brought into court few
minutes later. Plato was directed TO
stand up, and the indictment for murder
in the first degree was read to him. He
was asked II he wished to change his
plea OF not guilty previously made to
some other plea.
He said no did. and Mr.. Stayles. for
him. pleaded guilty to manslaughter in
the first degree. HibbRrd's plea was
also changed to manslaughter In the first
degree. and the pleas OF both were ac-
cepted by the district attorney.
Mr.. Sayles made an appeal for leniency.
He spoke OF the previous good character
OF the boys. this being their first serious
offcnse and asked the court to impose
the lowest sentence which, In Its opinion,
would serve TO protect society and vindi-
cate the law"
1T does not seem TO me Il Is the time
or place. under all the circumstances.
said Justice McLennan to the prisoners,
for the court to impose less sentence
than the maximum sentence OF the law.
The crime to which you have pleaded
guilty. as has been said before, Is the
most terrible that person can commit
In our civilization, II strikes at the very
root and organization OF society. When
we remember and think OF the myriads
OF people that are being carried on rail-
road trains, as part OF their daily life.
being put in jeopardy by such crimes,
IL is almost too horrible to contemplate"
Justice McLennan gave the boys some
good advice as to their future conduct
and then sentenced each Of them to Au-
burn prison for twenty years Tor caus-
ing the death OF Nathan Hagar and an
additional twenty years for the death or
Robert Bond.
Hibbard's father and his sister, Miss
Mabel Il. Hibabrd of Utica, sat behind
the prisoners as they stood up TO re-
ceive their senten(f, The father bore
up under the strain. but Miss Hlhbard
broke down. and her tears flowed freely,
None of Plato's relatives were In the
courtroom. His father was In Rome
last summer. and It is reported this was
tho only time the boy ever saw him to
know him.
After Hibbard and Plato had been
taken back to their cells the court made
an allowance of $i.0OO to Mr. Sayles ana
$500 to MIR. Searle for their services In
defending the prisoners, they having
been assigned by the court.
For good behavior. the communication
on twenty years sentence is seven
years and eight months, leaving twelve
years and four months to serve. On
two terms of twenty years each, Plato
and Hibbard will serve twenty-four years
and eight months, II they behave them
selves.
Young Plato Is 10 years old, and Hib-
bard is one year younger. Hildreth is
only II years old.
Hibbard's relatives and Plato's grand
mother visited the boys in the afternoon.
The prisoners refuse TO talk. further
than to say they believe their counsel
did all in their power to free them They
say they intend to follow the instruc-
tlons Of the court and obey the prison
rules, In hope Of pardon. Miss Celia
Perryn, young Hildreths sweetheart, ac-
companled by her mother, saw her lover
| In the afternoon for the last time. They
remained together for two hours.
II love that girl" said Hildreth, 'and
this is a terrible blow to her, as well as
| to me, to be compelled to leave her. in
| this way We were strongly tied and
l tfear this win break the poor girls
| heart"
There's more clothing destroyed by poor
soap than by actual wear. Hoe Cake"
soap contains no free alkali and win not