The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-20
APPROVE OF THE VERDICT
The People of Paterson Express
General Satisfaction.
The Fatal Issue of the Crime of Nc
AIixter, Death. and Campbell siiti-
Gus NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Not to BE
Passed UntiI After kerr's Trial.

PATERSON, n. j., Jan. 19.-After think
ing 1t over for twenty-four hours, the
people of Paterson have concluded that
the verdict of the jury in the case OF
Walter J. McAlister, Andrew J. Campbell,
and William A. Death, convicted of muir
der in the second degree in having caused
the death of Jennie Bosscheiter. was
proper one. There are some who would
have preferred a verdict of murder in the
first degree in order that the penalty of
death might have been inflicted. but the
great mass of the people seem to be sat
isfied with the verdict as rendered.
The fact that the guilty men did not
mean to cause the death of their victim
is in most cases the mitigating fact which
makes men willing that a punishment
short of death shall be given. This cir
cumstance together with the fact that all
three OF the men were tried together is
also thought to have been the influence
which kept the jury from returning a
verdict of murder in the first degree.
Had McAlister been tried alone the gen.
erai opinion is that the death penalty
would have been melted out to him be-
cause of his leadership In the crime and
because of his unsavory record. Camp
bell and Death were looked upon little
less bitterly by the community, and pre-
sumably by the jury. To have hanged
McAlister would have meant their hang
ing and so came the illogical character of
the verdict. The general belief is that
Justice Dixon will give each of the men
the full penalty OF the law. thirty years
II he should not there will be some indig-
nation, but il he does make the sentence
as heavy as the law allows the Paterson
public VIII feel that justice has been done
and the reputation of the city cleared.
Most of The clergy take the view of the
general public. The condemned men, how
ever, black as the future may look to
them, are evidently relieved that nothing
worse than Imprisonment is to be their
fate. They slept better on Friday night
than they had done for weeks. and today
they were quite cheerful. They began
again to read the newspapers a practice
they stopped shortly after their arrest,
as what was printed about them annoyed
them excessively. They all refused TO see
reporters, but the jailor reported that
they were eating more heartily and were
in much better spirits than before the
trial.
So well satisfied are the prisoners and
their counsel with the result of the trial
that there viii probably be no appeal in
the case Ex-Judge Scott, OF counsel for
the defence. said today that no decision
had been reached as to whether an appeal
would be taken. II a new trial should be
granted on appeal it is possible the men
would be convicted OF murder in the first
degree and suffer the death penalty. II
they get the full sentence OF thirty years
they would get five years of for good be-
havior. AcAlister is now thirty years DID,
and he would be released when he is fifty
five. Death is twenty-four, and five years
on would bring him out at the age OF
forty nine. Campbell is twenty-five and
he would be released at fifty. All this is
without taking into account the possibility
Of a pardon, or even of sentences less
than the full penalty the law permits
The other prisoner, Kerr. shares some
what in the revival of spirits noticed in
the other men. He is yet to be tried but
the fact that his fellows in crime escaped
the death penalty gives him some comfort
at least. Mr.. Emley, the prosecuting at
torney. said today that he would move
the trial OF Kerr before the close of this
term of court. That means that the case
VIII come UP within three weeks. The
convicted men viii not be sentenced until
after Kerr's trial in order that there may
be no prejudice against Kerr when he is
brought to the bar of justice.