The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-06-07
THE REEVES CASE.
John Reeves Pronounced by the Jury 10
be uuiIiy 0aly Of Manslau1hler.
VIII Probably Serve 20 or n Months, AMI
aud then by Namby- Pamby Board
of Control be Par0ied.
AS lave Other nurderers From County
A Quick, Judicious Hanging Might "Eycr
up Matters


up Matters
Last Saturday night on the 1Gll
anniversary Of the kim ii join
Gardner and VIM. Cox bY John
George AMI Robert Reeves, thl
only living survivor, John Reeves
was sentenced BY special Judge
Thomas Dln, an, for manslaughtet
to the States prison Tor from twc
to twenty one v, ars. The tria be
Igan Tuesday after dinner aud oc
Icupied the time Of the court fur fig,
days, including night sessions Fri
day and Saturday. Over 200 wit
nesses were present in response ID
subpoenas, from Indiana, Illinois,
Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee,
and over $50 Of them were examin-
ed by the State or defense. Dubois,
Pike, Gibson, Dayiess, Martin, Or
ange, Crawford, Spencer and Floyd
counties furnished witnesses, whose
Examination was closely scanned by
The attorneys for the State and the
defeAse.
The examination cf witnes ses
concluded Saturday morning about
- O'Clock. X. NJ. Milbuln opened
the argument for the defense in an
argumentatiye speech, followed by
Prosecutor Leo II. Fisher for the
State, and NJ. A. Sweeney for the
defense, and closing by W. +. Cox
for the state. aud Judge Duncan
Tor the defendant.
The Judge concluded his instruc-
tions about $3.50 o'clock, AMI the
Jury retired in charge Of Bailff Vic.
Cassidy TO do some arguing them
selves. A little after I o'clock the
court bell announced that a verdict
bad been agreed upon, but the
Judge had gone for a ride, and it
was about ) y clock when he got to
the court room The prisoner was
brought from jail, and gazad at the
Jury as though trying TO read the
verdict from their looks. After
Clerk Eckert read the verdict and
the jury was polled and discharged,
Mr.. Sweeney for the defense made
the usual perfunctory motion for a
new trial, assigning a number Of
reasons therefor. The State,
through Mr.. Cox, Informed the
court that there was no objection by
the prosecution TO the granting Of
arother trial, and was informed by
the court that the State had no say
upon the motion, when Cox replied
that the court knew that a pew trial
Of any case might be arranged FIR
by consent Of both parties. This
ended the episode, and the court
immedi tel overruled the motion.
and calling upon the prisoner 70
arise asked him the usual question
as to any further reason Why he
should not be nterced. Upon
bis negative reply the court sentenc-N
ed him to serve, in accorlan e with
the law, from two to twenty-one
years in the States prison. Clerk
Eckert soon had the proper entry
recorded aad the court edjourned I
until Monday, and Judge Duncan
went home sunday.
The trial drew 4 larger attendance
)f people than any siuce the cunvic-
ion Of Kays for murder, the court
,oom being foil cacn day, and a X
arge number Of extra chairs being
furnished for the ladies' in attend
lace
The speeches were all creditable,
)ut each side used bitterness Of de-
in some instances un- I
ialled for entirely, as the parties I
denounced, we're not on trial, and (
heir evidence was abundantly cor (.
So that the bitter words /
ecoiled to the injury o. their side, 4
md on the other hand the prison |
5 position prevented him fromls =
eplying, and probably the bitter !
less only aroused sympathy from !
he Jurors. E
The 9th paragraph Of thea
'udge's speech, wherein he tries tod
|etract from the efforts Of the at |
orneys, was generally looked uponlt
/ extraneous and unca'led for 4
attorneys are sworn to assist in the \
administration Of Justice, as well "a a
ne court and jurors, and if their
forts are to be counselled against I
y the Judge in his "ast say
there is the use Of employing at !
nrnevs2