Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-31
SAVED FROM THE GALLONS
Life Prison Sentence for Tom Collins, Mur.
derer of Charles R, Grove.
PRISONER THINKS HE IS IN GREAT LUCK
"Nerj"ycd at His Escape from the
""hSmnn's Moose, He Laughs
when He Hears the verdict
Collins Crime.
PRISONER THINKS HE IS IN GREAT LUCK

Tom Collins, the murderer of Charles y
Grove, was found guilty by a Jury in .t,dgo
BAKERS court last evening and his purIsb-
meht was assessed at life in the pentten-
tiary. ~
Laughter rang out from behind the
gloomy walls Of the county jail last night
~ was Collins celebration of his escape
from the gallows. From the time the case
was submitted to the jury until the verdict
was rendered Collins was morCse and down
cast lie said nothing in explanation. but
III Is now apparent that he was brooding
over his apparent proximity to the gibbet.
1or the moment the verdict was announced
ne frightened up and looked happy. As
soon as he was outside of the court room
ho gave vent to joyous demonstrations
Most men would look gloomy upon a life
sentence In prison. but Collins bump of
Nitativeness Is evidently well developed, and
in The JOY incident 10 escaping the hang
mans moose he seemingly lost sight of the
terror of felon stripes.
The case was submitted to the jury at
1880 O'Clock and 1t was a few minutes be-
fore 6 o'clock when the verdict was re-
turned. 1t is understood that the jury i'm
mediately agreed as to the guilt Of the de-
PENDANT. but the intervening time was taken.
'p III NtllDtl dNlOu db " MLtbHcI ne SuOulu
be hanged. That the extreme penalty was
not imposed is probably due to the fact
that there was an abundance of evidence to
show that Collins is "A victim of disease
malady which sometimes interferes with the
brain-and that in addition to that he was
Il slave TO liquor and that by drink he had
in part dethroned his reason.
Among those who testified for him during
the trial was his sister Mary, unlettered and
uncouth, but eloquent in her simple effort
to explain why it was an easy matter for
her brother to be wrought into an uncon
trollable frenzy. There WIS responsible cor
roboration for that part of the girls testi-
mony relating to her brothers afniction. but
his manner on the witness stand and else
where in the court room did not denote
insanity. 1t was shown that he had made
feints at taking his life on several occa-
sions prior to the tragedy, but the same fac
ulty that made him glad to accept a peni-
~teptiary sentence as an alternative probably
stayed the suicidal hand.
1t, is hardly probable that Collins will be
granted a new trial or that his case will be
appealed to the supreme court. He is with
cut funds and was defended through this
trial by counsel appointed by Judge Baker.
The trial OF Collins is an instance OF
speedy retribution. for it is only twenty
one days ago that he slew his victim.
The murder of Charles X. Grove, COM
monty known as shorty" was one Of the
most atrocious crimes ever committed in
Omaha. While Grove was in the very act
of retreating and when he had crawled
under the bar Of the saloon he operated
in an effort to evade violence, Collins fol-
lowed him and, reaching over the bar. sho;
him in the top of the head. This was his
method OF avenging a trivial quarrel that
had taken place a few days before.