The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1900-10-04
DEATH FOR JAMES HOWARD.
The Verdict of the jury in the
Second GoebeI Case.
On the FIRST Ballot He Was Declared
GUILTY. Two Jurors Stood Out Tn
Ill This Morning for Life I'M
-:....rnr,4 n,,;-L TriaI

GOei,el assassination. retired agaH
at $40 o'clock this morning and re
turned with its verdict thirty-thre'
minutes later The courtroom wa:
crowded with spectators. Foreman
Crutcher OF the Jury passed the writ
ten verdict up to the clerk. Deputy
Clerk Elliott read the verdict. which
found the defendant guilty and fixed
his punishment at death.
Howard occupied a seat by his at
torneys He did not display the least
agitation.
The verdict was surprise, a. the
general public were led to believe that
the Jury was divided upon the ques-
ton of the guilt or innocence Of the
defendant. 1t developed that the
delay in reaching verdict was over
the degree of punishment. some OF
the Jurors favoring the life in4prisOn~
nent while others stood out for the
death penalry and finally won their
associates over.
One of the Jurors after the jury
had been discharged, stated that
number of ballots were taken. The
first ballot, he said, resulted in a
unanimous vote in favor of a verdict
of guilty. After that the ballots
were as to the degree of punishment
and on these ballots ten members ,,
voted for the death penalty while
two voted for life imprisonment.
This was while the Jurors We're in the
jury room yesterday afternoon. The !
first ballot to-day resulted in ii YER !
uict, the two jurors who had voted |
for lie Imprisonment gave in to the |,
majority and voted for the death |,
penalty.
After the verdict had been rendered |
Howard was remanded to Jail. where |
he was followed by his bosom friend,
John G.. White. Howard cheeks |
blanched as he stood up to accom-
pany the taller back to his cell The |
Jury which tried the case was divided |
politically, nine democrats, one re-
publican and two anti-GOebel demo
Gratis.
The case went to the jury yester-
day afternoon at hall past O'Clock.
The jurors spent three hours in go
ing over the evidence and at 5:30
announced to Judge Cantrill that
no agreement had been reached. The
Judge sent them to hotel with ord
ers to the sheriff to bring them into
the courtroom this morning at 9
o'clock.
The trial of James Howard began
Sept. II. There were not many wit
nesses. Testimony was given that
Howard boosted of having fired the
shot that killed Goebel.
In his defense Howard told a very
straight story, trying to prove an
alibi. He said he was not in Frank
fort until after the shooting. Other
witnesses testified that they saw him
there before the shooting. 1t was
not proved that he fired the shot.
Howard took part in the famous
Baker Howard feud He killed Geo.
Baker, father of the feud leader,
Thomas Baker. Thos. Baker killed
Howard's brother, Wills Howard.
sheriff of Clay county. Thomas Ba-
ker was the last killed.
Baker had been surrounded in a
stronghold in the county and the Of
ticials were afraid to go after him. A
battalion of state militia was sent
from Lexington and the company,
under Captain {. {. Calhoun, brought
Baker in. While he was standing in
his prison tent one day with the sol
der guard about him a shot rang
out from the direction of the house
of Sheriff Beverly White. Baker fell
dead. Sheriff Whites residence was
surrounded and searched by the sol
diers. but only the gun left by the
assassin lying under the open win
dow was lett to tell the tale OF robbed -,
justice. The mountaineers gathered
with their guns and prepared for bat ;
tie with the troops. Trouble. how !
ever was averted The soldiers were !;
sent to Lexington and took the other
prisoners Sidney and James Baker ,
went with them.
Jim Howard appeared on the scene }
and mingled with the soldiers after
Tom Baker had fallen. After this ,
the feud involved the Whites. John