The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-11-14
OTIS e v
A LIFE SENTENCE
MURDERER PLEADS GUILTY AND
is SENTENCED.
Eyeless, Emaclated and Tottering
Otis Green Sent to Fl. Madison
to Remain There Until
Death Sets Him Free.

ment in the p~enitentiary at Fort Madi-
son to-day by Judge Bishop. Screen
narrowly escaped death by his self.in.
t1lcted wounds, after killing his wife on
the morning of September 8, and is still
tottering on the verge of the grave.
Experts who have examined him do not
believe that he can survive seven years
at the most and although he is only %
his life imprisonment will not take the
half generation to conclude that it
would in a similar case to a strong
The sentencing of Green to-day by
Judge Bishop VA done quietly, without
any scene, in the judges private Office.
Green's only relative present was his
aunt, Mrs. Q. w. Steele, Of Corydon, a
sister of his mother. Green accepted
the sentence stoically, his eyeless SOCK
cts revealing no emotion. Until death
relieves him he must go through life
blind and in confinement, for the killing
of his wife.
After shooting his wife and killing her
instantly and attempting self-destruc.
ton, Green was taken to Mercy hospital
while the grand jury investigated his
case. A month ago he was indicted for
murder in the first degree and as soon
as he was able the prisoner was trans.
ferred from Mercy hospital to the county
Jail, where he has been lodged in the
eternal darkness from which he is suffer.
ing, ever since. When a%rraigned before
Judge Bishop a fortnight ago he pleaded
not guilty and Major Charles Mckenzie
was appointed to defend.
The relatives of Green then secured
the services of c. w. Steele, of Corydon,
a law partner of Lewis Miles, United
States district attorney, to assist in the
defense of Green. Mr.. Steele arrived in
the city yesterday, and at once confer
red with Major Mackenzie as to the best
lines of defense. A consultation was held
in the Jail with Green, and the legal
aspects of the case presented to him.
AS a result Of the conference Green con.
sented to enter a plea of guilty to MUIR
der i'll the second degree if the state
would accept that plea in lieu of trial
on the indictment of murder in the first
degree and take whatever sentence
Judge Bishop might impose.
The proposition was submitted to
County Attorney McLennan, and he
consented to the plea. Green was &C.
cordingly taken from his cell in the
county Jail up to the court before Judge
Bishop this forenoon.
Green has so recently been removed
from Mercy hospital that he is still in a
precarious physical condition. Both of
his eyes were removed by the surgeons
after the murder and attempted suicide,
and Green's escape from death was mar.
row. His long battle for life wore down
his constitution and his body is enact
ated and trembling with pain. He was
supported up the stairs to-day by two
deputy sheri1s and taken at once to
Judge Bishops private Office, where he
sank into a chair exhausted. His face
is covered with two months struggling
growth of black beard, and he is a pitt
able, almost revolving, sight.
The matter was explained to Judge
Bishop, and he consented to accepting
the plea of second degree murder, in
sisting, however, that Green sign a
written plea. Major Mackenzie drew
one up on a sheet Of legal cap paper
and the pen was placed in Green's shak-
ing hand. His eyeless head could not
tell where the paper was nor his feeble
hand sign his name, so one of the law
yers wrote Green's signature and the
guilty murderer made his mark. The
signature was witnessed, officially, by
Major Mackenzie and Mr.. Steele.
Then in the presence of the two law.
yers and Mis-. Steele, wife of the defend
ants counsel and his own aunt, Judge
Bishop pronounced sentence, sending
Green to Fort Madison for the remain.
der of his narrow life there to be con.
fined until death releases him. The
court did not insist that the prisoner
~ "dOAS OAtCACO Wd5 p1OuOu1CCu dE
is customary, as Green wal not able.
After q few minutes talk and a fare.
we'll with his aunt Green was almost
literally carried back to his cell by the
officers and will remain there until Mon,
day when he will be taken to Fort
Madison by Sheriff Mattern.
In explaining the plea afterwards ont
of Green's lawyers stated that the mat.
ter had been fully explained to Green
and he agreed with his lawyers that this
was the best thing for him to do. If, al
any time in the future, Green's friend
and family may wish to interest the gov
ernor in his case it will be much easier
to 60 before the governor begging elem.
ency, with Green having entered a pie.
of guilty than if he had been tried anc
convicted. As 1t is now the recommen