Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-07-20
CATER is GUILTY.
The Verdict of the Jury in the Trial at
West Union.
Receives the Same Sentence as in the
Former Trial-a Long and Tedious
Fight for Liberty.

The second Cater trial ended at West
Union last Wednesday morning, and
John III. Cater was found guilty of
murder and sentenced to imprisonment
in the penitentiary for life. The jury
retired at 5:15 o'clock last Tuesday af-
ternoon, the attorneys on both sides
having finished their pleas, and at $50
o'clock Wednesday morning returned
a verdict of ''guilty of murder in the
first degree" fixing his punishment at
Imprisonment for life.
The idea that verdict would be
quickly agreed upon was prevalent,
and very many at West Union re-
manned on the street, anxious to learn
the decision, until after midnight. But
an agreement was not obtained until
after four O'Clock in the morning, when
the judge thought best not to receive
the verdict until the usual time of
opening court, $50 o'clock. 1t is
generally understood that there was no
disagreement as to the guilt of Cater,
the only difference being in reference
to the penalty, half the jury favoring
capital punishment at the outset.
When court opened Wednesday
morning large crowd awaited admit
tance, and the room was filled when
the jury was called. The clerk called
the roll of the jury and Judge Hobson
asked Foreman Shaffer if the jury had
agreed upon verdict, and receiving an
affirmative answer, he was requested to
hand it up. The five minutes which
passed while the Judge was transcribing
the decision was a period of painful
suspense, and sigh of relief was ut
tered as he read the following verdict:
"We, the jury, find the defendant,
John III. Cater, guilty of murder in the
first degree, and fix his punishment at
imprisonment for life in the penitenti-
airy at hard labor. c. l.. SHAFFER,
Foreman"
The judge in short address thanked
the jury for the patience and care
they had exhibited during the long,
tedious trial of twenty days, for the
faithful and conscientious performance
of their duty, and discharged them.
He announced that sentence upon the
accused would be passed Oh Saturday
morning, July II, at 10 o'clock, and in
all probability the sheriff departed that
evening for Anamosa with the prisoner.
AS Cater sat in court Wednesday
morning his two daughters and brother
in-law sat Immediately behind him.
When the court pronounced his doom
Cater received it with the same firm
stolidity that has been prominent
throughout the entire trial, and when
the sheriff clasped the handouts upon
his wrists his daughters burst into tears,
and Elizabeth, the older one, threw
her arms about her fathers neck and
gave herself up to grief.
The case has been stubbornly con-
tested from beginning to end, the coun-
sci for either side exerting every pos
sible influence to aid its side of the
case, and every inch of the ground has
been carefully gone over, so that moth
ing of interest was omitted in the trial
of the case. Judge Hobson was very
careful in all his decisions, and in all
questions where there was doubt the
defense was given the benefit. We be-
lieve the trial has been just and fair,
and that the decision rendered will
meet with the approval of those inter
ested. This second trial will cost the
county S. 600 to $4,000 which is sever
al thousand dollars more than the cost
of the first trial, which was 200.