Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-05-28
Ira Q. jenkins this Afternoon Sentenced
to be Hanged on September
ri "a Next.
Prisoner Receives His Sentence coolly,
and Apparently Without Fear
or Trepidation.
Dramatically Proclaims Before God God
that Hesis Innocent Of the Crime
>. Charged. 4. &
Says He Does Not Believe His Father
Will See Him Executed With $ n
out c Confessing. 5fs
Jury Returns 4 Verdict in the Case
Saturday Night, Fixing Pepalty II
at Death.
Out About Seven Hours, Delay Caused
by Disagreement as to the
ss= Penalty.

trict court this afternoon, Ira o. Jen-
kins, convicted Of the crime of murder,
stood before receiving his sentence Of
death and proclaimed himself innocent
of the murder for which he had been
convicted. Seldom has a man COM
victed Of ffmurder and about to receive
the death sentence in court stood with
greater firmness and compOsure, and
spoken as clearly and scooly. With
out a tremor in his voice, and with no
apparent nervousness, except for a lit
tie paleness and biting Of his lips
and moustache as he awaited the sem
tence of the court, he declared himself
innocent. There was a distinct ele-
ment of the dramatic in the scene.
After Judge Winchester had stated the
fact.sof his trial and conviction, with
the penalty fixed by the jury, heaasked
the defendant if he. had anything to
say or any legal cause to advance why
sentence of death should not be pro-
nounced upon him. There was an in
terval Of silence, that seemed much
greater than it was, from the ,circum-
stances, and the breathless eagerness
with which everyone in the court room
awaited the statement Of the convicted
man. He stood with his head bowed
as though earnestly rejecting, and
then, after preliminary statement to
the court, said: Before God, I stand
here innocent of the crime for which I
! have been found guilty." Then after
a moment of silence he said: 81 be-
lieve that is all" Sentence was then
pronounced. .5# .Et q q
Court convened promptly at 2 o'clock,
with the court room crowded n Judsa
Winchester directed Sheriff Bogue to
bring the prisoner into court and he
walked in and stoou facing the judge.
Judge Winchester stated the fact of
. his arrest, and preliminary examina-
4 5tion. That an information had been
lodged against him charging him with
4 murder in the first degree and that up
i on that Information he had been given
a fair and impartial trial, and found
\ guilty Of murder by twelve men con-
stituting the jury. AS required by
the law Of this state, the jury fixed the
sentence and they had fixed the death
penalty He asked the prisoner if he
had anything to say.
During the statement Of the Judge
Jenkins stood, his eyes rowing about
4 the court room, biting his lips and
gnaWing his moustache a little nerY-
ously. There was a considerable pause
after the inquiry had been made oi
4 him, and then he said he did not think
a just verdict had been pronounced
although, he said IL he were guilty oi
the crime he prsferred to go to the
scaffold than to 60 to the penitentiary
4 for life. AS had been stated he was
a young man in the prime of life His
father was an old man who had moi
many more years to live. He did moi
believe his father would see. him exc
cuted without making confession o1
the murder, and enabling him IRA te
proclaim his innocence Of the crime, oi
which he was innocent. Before God
4 he said. he was innocent of the mur.
4 der. He would stand before another
! judge, the judge before whom all mus
some time stand, and there his limo.
cence would be pronounced.
s Judge Winchester then read the sec
tion OF the law relative to the time
i that must elapse before the death SEN
h tence could be executed and pro.
nouneed sentence as follows:
The Judgment and sentence Of ths
court is that YOU, Ira Oliver Jenkins
he forthwith Sremanded from thit
conrt room to bhe jail Id and for ths
county OF Hurseigh, state Of North Da-
kota; that yon be safely confined
therein until the 14th day OF septen1bel
next that You then and there be faker