The daily morning Alaskan. (Skagway, Alaska) 1899-1904, 1900-06-17
GUILTY Of MURDER
IN THE FIRST DEGREE
Jury Returns a Verdict in
One Hour in Hanson Case.
HE KILLED MIR HOR ION
HE KILLED MIR HOR ION
Only Penalty Prescribed Is Hanging
Counsel for the Defendant Simply
Makes an Earnest Plea for the
Life of the Prisoner.

Guilty of murder In the first tegree
without mitigating circumstances was the
effect of the verdict of the jury in the case
of Jim Hanson, charged with the murder
of Bert Horton. The only penalty pres
scribed bv the law In such cases Is death
by hanging. The verdict was surprise
to those In the court room. Hanson was
permitted by the court and the Uaited
States to withdraw his plea of guilty"
and to substitute one of mot guilty"
therefor. to permit the defendant to intro
duoe all testimony tending to mitigate the
enormitv of the crime. 1t was believed
by many the fact Hanson had made a CON
fession that lead to the discovery If the
crime and made possible the convicti'n of
others would tend to lessen the punish
ment to be inflicted upon him, but the jury
dashed aside any such hope that may
have been entertained; this. in spite Of the
fact General Friedrich did not strenuouslv
urge the jury to impose the death penalty
and that J. J. Pausell made an earnest ap-
peal for the life of the accused.
There was a ripple of excitement in the
court room when the Hansen case was
called. All had believed the case had
been disposed of in all but the passing of
sentence.
A jury was secured without much diff
GUILTY, consisting of the following w.
Convey, J. c. Matthews, Peter Raber, Z.
J. Liddicoat, n. L. Tapscott, Ed. An
drews. J. J. &. Barber, O. h. Hagr, E.
Fonoas, Frank N. Berry, L. H. Wake field
and W. L. Metcalf
J. J. Paulsell, attorney for the defend
ant stated in his opening that the defend
ant came into court not to suppress single
fact All he wanted was that the truth be
known. His defense was not that he had
killed Bert Horton, but he admitted that
fact. Mr.. Paulsell claimed in mitigation
that his client had been all his client had
been all his life surrounded by religious
beliefs and tribal tradition that appe lred
on his Obtuse mind In such a way as to
lessen his responsibility. He only asked
that the jury pass upon the degree OF the
crime committed.
Or. Moore testified as to an examination
of the wound which resulted In Bert lior-
toms death. Mrs Sessions identified the
rings that had been taken from the body
of Mrs. Horton and the watch worn by
Bert Horton. Frank Sessions testified as
to the identification of the remains of the
victims OF the tragedy and as to the fad
ing of the bodies. He admitted, on cross-
examination, that Hanson had rendered all
assistance possible in finding the bodies.
Marshal Tanner corroborated the testimony
of Sessions and testified as to confession
made by Hanson, and identified photo
graph of the scene of the tragedy. Here
the government rested.
The defense put on Adj. McGill, who
testified that Hanson's concession was vol
untary.
Hanson testified fully as to all the de-
tails Of the case and the defense rested.
The jury was charged at o'clock after
argument by counsel, and at o'clock the
verdict v as returned as noted,