The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1901-03-09
SAMUEL MOSER GUILTY.
Vel dict Of the Jury in the Case OF
the ExterminatOr of Wife
and Family.
TWENTY.ONE YEARS IMPRISONMENT.
The Convicted Man Sat through inc
Ra,atpn of the Verdict without
TremOr or Sign of Fear ana
When IL Was All over Expressed
Himself as Satisfied.

Pekin, ILL.,, March 6.--After deliber-
ating for II hours the jury in the
Mossr murder trial arrived at ver-
diet at S a. M. and at $40 the verdict
was read as follows:
"'We, the jury, ird the defendant,
Samuel Moser, guilty in manner and
form as charged in the Indictment
and we fix the punishment of the said
Samuel Moser at 81 years in the pen
itentiary."
Samuel Moser sat through the read
ing of the verdict without a sign or
tremor of fear. He had remarked
that he did not believe they would
hang him and he would be satisfied
with penitentiary sentence. As the
jury was polled, Moser's eyes were
fixed with anxiety upon each juror as
he answered to his name. When the
verdict was read he gave sigh of re-
lief and halfway sort of smile
crept over his countenance.
81 am satisfied" is all Moser would
say in reply to a question as to what
he thought of the verdict. A few min
utes later he retired into an ante
room 10 consult with his attorney
and was later taken back to the jail.
His steps was as elastic as formerly
and his face showed more signs of in
telligence and life than had been visi-
bic all during the trial. That he was
pleased was plainly evident.
The first ballot stood ten to two
for conviction, ten being, for the in.
Fiction of the death penalty. Finding
the two would not agree to the death
penalty seven ballots were taken be-
fore an agreement was reached.
The indictment failed to fix the age
of Moser and Attorney Green inter.
posed motion for a new trial The
law in this connection is as follows:
"A person shall be considered of
sound mind who is not either an idio,
nor lunatic,not affected with insanity,
and who hath arrived at the age of
IA years, or before that age if such
person know the distinction between
good and evil"
Back of the crime that Moser COM
mited lies story of peculiar religious
fanaticism-the driving to quadruple
murder of man who desired TO love
his wife and children in violation of
one of the prime tenets of the New
Amsh sect to which he belonged and
for which he was banished from their
church. On the night Of May 10, driy-
Ell almost insane by his expulsion
from church, Moser shot down in cold
blood his wife and three sons. After
killing his wife and two sons Moser
Leaned over the smiling baby in the
cradle, kissed it, then fred. The bull
let did not strike n vital spot. The
groans OF the ,hild, however, were
soon stopped by two additional bul-
lets. His terrible work finished The
father and husband gathered up his
dead and laid them in a row In the
humble parlor. lie then fed to Utah.
but, overtaken by remorse, gave him
sci up to an officer in Satl Lake and
was brought back to Pekin for trial.
The defense set up the plea OF In.
'anity, alleging the peculiar tenets OF
the New Amish church for his crime,
alleging that he was denied the right
to love his family, benedict Moser, u
wealthy farmer near Morton, ILL.,, aid
not assist in the defense of his son
on the ground that his religion pre-
vented him from so &C ing, The Amish
faith requires that all love be given to
God alone.