Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-18
WAS A NARROW ESCAPE
Mrs. Dent Tried to Kill Al Shayers, Her Hus-
bands Slayer.
THE VERDICT DID NOT SATISFY HER.


There came nearly being a tragedy
yesterday morning at the turn of the
stairway between the third and fourth
floors of the city and county building,
and that AL Shavers Is not now dead
or wounded man Is due to his own
prompt action In grasping a revolver
in the hands of an Infatuated woman
and the hardness of his assailant In
unfolding a gun which was wrapped in
paper.
The trouble was between Mrs. John
w, Dent and AL Shavers, the man who
shot her husband, at colored dance
last November.
Mrs. Dent had been in attendance
daily at the trial and appeared to take
a deep interest in the proceedings.
Tears were many times seen to trlokle
down her cheeks at the frequent refer
ences to her deceased husband. The
case reached the jury shortly after six
O'Clock Saturday evening, after the ex-
animation of Ira Thompson and the
defendant Shavers. 1t was not until
10 O'Clock yesterday Sunday morning,
that an agreement was reached and the
verdict returned was involuntary man
slaughter, with recommendation to
mercy.
Mrs. Dent resides on State Just across
the road from the joint building. She
came into the court room alone and
took her accustomed seat, near Mr.
Putnam. Under one arm she was seen
TO carry a newspaper parcel. but no one
suspected what II really did contain.
After the verdict was returned Shay
ers was taken from the court room by
Deputy Sherifs Burt and Cummings,
Mrs. Dent following
When the officers and the prisoner
reached the first landing from the
fourth floor OF the building Mrs. Dent.
addressing the prisoner, said;
"Al Shavers. You got off pretty easy
for killing John Dent"
Shavers quickly turned round and
saw the woman unwrapping the paper
parcel she carried under her arm. and
he at once caught sight OF the CLEAN
OF a revolver.
He called out; THAT woman has n
gum" and on the order of Deputy
Sheriff Burt, Shavers. who was nearer
Mrs. Dent than any of the others,
seized the woman by the arms and
held them up, preventing her from
shooting. She was Mt once disarmed
by the officers and placed under arrest.
The revolver was new 80 calibre
Smith & Wesson, and was loaded in
every chamber. After Mrs. Dent was
unarmed Shavers said to her: You
ought not to want to kill me, I didn't
intend to kill John" The woman's
answer was: You should not have
shot him then"
Mrs. Dent was let go by Deputy
Burt, under promise that she would
appear ut the sherilfs office this
morning.
The verdict was not reached until
after 10 o'clock yesterday morning.
on the first few ballots some OF the
Jurors were for voluntary mansaugh-
ter and six for acquittal. Those for
voluntary manslaughter changed TO
involuntary manslaughter, and for
nearly the whole night the jury stood
six for acqulttal and six for involun-
tary mansiaughter. and they finally
compromised upon the latter. with
recommendation to mercy.
Shavers Will be sentenced Wednes-
day morning. The penalty for in
voluntary manslaughter IL from one
day to ten years in the county jail.
Mrs. Dent called at the sherlff's
ONCE this morning and explained her
conduct yesterday, by stating that she
was greatly excited and did not know
found almost any time the county at
torney allowed her TO go. 1t Is hardly
likely that she will be prosecuted.
The most that can be done to her VIII
be to charge carrying concealed
weapon. The fact that the gun was
wrapped in paper when taken from
her, the county attorney thinks, VIII
hardly admit Of having her charged
with assault with intent to Kill.
The absurdity Of jury rendering
verdict under a mistaken notion as to
what is the penalty for a crime. when
the jurys business was to fix the de-
gree of crime committed, and 1t was
the courts prerogative to fix the PEN
atty under the law, was made strik-
ingly manifest In this case,
Quite a number Of the jurors now