Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-19

come unconscious, every person pres ent, aiding and abetting in the slight est degree, was equally guilty of the crime All who had taken any part 1n making her unconscious for this pur- pose, in bringing her there, in laying her on tue blanket, even if they had taken no part in the actual assault, were as guilty as the. man who at lacked her.
 In closing, Judge Dixon said severe ly that if McAlister alone had given the drug, the other two also were gull ty of murder in the first degree. Stumbling, because tears of despair ' blinded him, Death was led away by the deputy, who put the twisters around his wrist. Campbell walked away daZed, McAlister bowed his head in despair. They all along had counted on the sympathy of the Jury. bat that charge was apparently sen tence of death. In the corridor of the i jail they waited-sient, trembling, | miserable. They refused their sup per- but gulped down black coffee. Me- Alister tried to talk to the others. but received no answer. Warden Buckley, a kindly man, came over to them and 1 asked them if they did not hope.
 We expect the worst" muttered McAHster. The others made no an-
 swer. So three hours and twenty min
 utes passed, and it became dark. If the prisoners had known what was going on in the jury room they
 would not have given way to despair.
 No sooner had the door closed on the
 twelve men than they fell to saying
 how sorry they were for the three
 boys.''
 { Il never felt so sorry for anybody in my life,'' declared one of the jur
 ors afterward. Night after night we have tossed in our beds at the hotel
 dreading to be forced to condemn
 those young chaps to hanging. l
 would not go through that week again for a thousand dollars.''
 1 For couple of hours the jury 6is
 cussed the evidence. At last they took
 an informal vote. This resulted in q | vote of five for the first degree. six for 1 the second and one for acuu1ttal. The
 men who voted for the scaffold knew | they would be in the minority. The man who voted for acquittal did it to ! provide q handle for compromise. They discussed things amicably for
 another hour. Then they took sec ond vote and were unanimous for q verdict of murder ill the second de | gree.
 At G:5O o'clock the foreman knocked | sharply on the door to the juryroon. so that the courtroom reSounded with | inc sound. He told the sheriff that | they had agreed on q verdict. and mes | SengerS were sent for the judge, the
 prosecutor and the counsel. Judge
 DiNoD was dining at the Hamilton club f and was in the courtroom in five min
 utes. The prisoners were brought in immediately after this.
 McAlister was pale at last, and his
 sheer was gone. Death looked his
 name. A few minutes later Prescott tor Finley brushed past McAister, who
 scowled at him viciously.
 | Then followed the hardest ordeal of
 all the week for the accused. Know
 ing that. their fate nau already been
 decided and that the men who could
 hang them were i'll the next room. they
 had to sit and be stared at for forty
 minutes while messengers hurried
 about to find their counsel. At last . the lawyers came in gravely and the
 jury was summoned. after the judge
 had instructed the constables to arrest
 any spectator who made q demonstra-
 tion when the verdict was announced. ] Two young women, typewriters
 from the clerks office, sat directly in
 front of the prisoners and stared at
 them With horror in their eyes. In
 walked the jury Their faces were
 Gravely impassiye, but they did not lag
 as they came. Campbell looked at them with a certain serenity. Death ! gave one glance and covered his eyes With his hand. His courage was end
 cd McAlister stared at e,,ch man sul-
 lenly then dropped his eyes. Have yousagreed on a verdict, gen.
 tlemen?' asked the clerk a little
 breathlessly. It was q tense moment. i We have,' they answered in q ] ragged chorus.
 Who will speak for youl'' '"rhe foreman" i What is your verdict, MT Fore ! nan?'' asked the clerk
 We find the three defendants guilty of murder in the second degree re-
 piled the foreman with marked en-
 phasis on the word ''second.'
 ! The room was so still that the re-
 Heved sighs of the three convicted
 men could be heard plainly. They
 leaned back, limp with the removal of
 fear When they were remanded to
 the jail they jumped up and put on
 their overcoats with alacrity. Almost
 as soon as they got back they lay down
 i'll their cells and fell asleep.
 McAlister made the only comment
 Its not SC bad,' he saiG. cnee1fully.
 We consider it decided victory
 for us," said Michael Dunn H .'