The Arizona sentinel., 1901-04-10
ALEXANDER CONVICTED,
 THEN kSSASSINATED
THE SLAYER OF r1RS. BURNS


 Killer Not Appre:Iended. Brother
 of Murdered Woman Arrested and
 Subsequently Discharged.
 About 9.30 o'clock yesterday morn i ing, NJ. T. Alexander who had just been convicted of the murder of Mrs.
 ]. J. Burns, while being taken to the l territorial prison, was shot ard me rta,- ! ly wounded by some one who has net
 so far been apprehended. The jury,
 which had been out since Monday
 night. had just rendered verdict of
 guilty of murder and assessed the pen atty of life imprisonment. Sheriff Liv- ingstCn, Robt. Hatch and A. Molina started with the convicted prisoner for the territorial prison, and had reached point near the north end of the ca- boCse shed and about the center of the railroad tracks. when Sheriff Living ston suggested that Hatch return and ask Judge Street if they should bring Miller (whCse trial was to immediately follow that of Alexander down from the prison.
 Hatch started back to the court house, and the three others waited. When he was about half way between the tracks and the court house, gun report rang out and Alexander fell, mortally wounded The ball entered the right side and went clear through the body. The sheriff says the shot came from near the house adjoining Levy COmpany's store on the south. The report of the gun was distinctly heard in the court room, which was crowded with people. It created in- tense excitement. The crowds rushed out excitedly even breaking the glass in the doors in their hurried exit.
 In the court room at the moment of the tragedy the jury was being empan- neled to try the case of Miller as an ac- complice of Alexander in the murder of Mrs. Burns. The startling report of the shot which ended Alexander's life, almost within the shadow of the court house, and the consequent ex- citement stopped further proceedings and determined Judge Street to adjourn court. He discharged the jurors and continued all cases till April 29, when court will recCnvene.
 Attention was given to the wounded man, who seemed to be fast bleeding to death, and as quickly as possible he was removed to the city hospital, where he died last night about ten o'clock. There was no hope for him at any time as the ball had passed through the liver, and internal hemOrrhage ensued which could not be stopped.
 The sheriff having noted the direc- tion from which the shot seemed to come, ordered the premises surround ed and led the way himself with Win chester in hand. The sheriff went west on Third street, and as he reached a point just beyond the Levy store building, where there is an open view across the lot, he saw Sam King in the lot, hurriedly going west. He GOV cred King with his gun and placed him under arrest.
 About the same time Deputy Hatch took the elder King, father Of Sam and Frank King, into custody; having en- countered him in the same lot. No complaint was made against either Frank King or his father and all were released together. ....-.~
 At o'clock in the evening Sam King was giveu preliminary examination before Justice Miles, and there being no evidence against him he was turned | loose. In truth there was no direct ev- idence, but the circumstances are The men were dis charged by the order of the district | attorney. No weapons were found in their possession.
 The Sentinel cannot apologize for | The assassination of Alexan- | der, convicted as he had just been, with ! a life sentence awaiting him, helpless as he was, was nothing shCrt Of murder.
 Placed in the position of a brother to a sister, father to daughter CT hus- band to a wife who had been shot down, one can understand the feel ing for revenge that would naturally ill the human heart. But the murder ar had been tried. convicted and was doomed to suffer penalty, to many men worse than death, and in the in- crest of law and order and public safe y, the act cannot be justified or palli ated. The whole affair is simply awful. It is the most deplorable tragedy, CT double tragedy, that has ever happened in Yuma coun- Ly. Such acts of lawlessness and mur- ler will be heralded to the outside world through hundreds of newspapers and in other ways, carrying the infer ance that Yuma and Yuma county is populated largely by law-defying class of people, having the effect of causing hundreds of good people who might otherwise come here, to shun 5he town and county as they would d Destilence.
 Life is rated too cheaply in Yuma county. and no good citizen can help 1oDIoripor this ctotp of affairs m mat 1