The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-01-10
COLLIGAN FOUND GUILTY
WEST H4VEN ARSON CASE ENDED
 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
Jury, After Being Out Over an Hour, Finds That He Set Fire to the Hall and Parsonage Barns--Will be Sentenced This Morning at 10 o'clock.

Francis G. Colligan, of West Haven,
 was found guilty on two counts of ar
 son in the superior court yesterday ar | ternoon. The jury that has heard the
 case from beginning to end ever since
 1t opened, January 2, went out shortly
 after o'clock in the afternoon, and ar
 ter being out an hour and twelve mln-
 utes returned and gave verdict or
 guilty on both counts of setting ire to
 the barn of Frank Hall and the parson-
 age on November 14. The circumstan-
 tial evidence in connection with the
 Hall fire was much greater than that
 in connection with the fire in the par
 sonage barn; in fact, there was nothing but small white bottle with a mark
 on it to connect Colligan with the lat
 ter fire, and it was the general opinion
 of those who have followed the case
 that if he was convicted at all he would
 be convicted on one count only-that Of
 setting fire to Mr. Halls barn. It IS true there were many points that were
 brought out by the state that looked decidedly bad for the former janitor or the town hall, yet there was a. feeling among some that all these points could not be placed directly against the ac- cused and so strong was this bellet Tn many citizens of the borough that they looked for an acquittal. The facts nave been weighed carefully, however and Colligan has been found guilty of set ting both fires. He will be sentenced this morning at 10 o'clock by Judge Thayer, and 1t has been varously esti- mated how much he will get.
 Coligan stood up when the verdict was given and seemed very much un- concerned and it apparently didn't bother him much whether he was found guilty on one or both counts, or whether he was proven innocent Immediately after the verdict was given Colligan's aged father, who has attended the trial from the minute 1t opened, went up to his son and wept slightly as he spoke to him. The old man was wrapped up in his son, notwithstanding the fact that Frank has made plenty of trouble for him during his life on account of his drinking and he said that he belev- ed him innocent. He said after the tri- al that Frank was not the one who set the fires, but as he has been found gull ty the old man said he hoped the sen tence would be as light as possible. The elder Colligan, who is himself held on bonds on charge of arson, now doesn't seem to care what the authorities do with him, as his home life vii be com- pletely wrecked from now on.
 The charge of Judge Thayer to the jury yesterday afternoon was a long and explicit one, and in it he warned the jurymen to be careful and thought full in weighing all the evidence in the case, especially as it was circumstan- tial evidence alone. The charge to the jury lasted over thirty-five minutes and of course was preceded by the plea of the state by State Attorney Williams MT. Williams plea to the jurymen was as usual one of great power and every piece of evidence was carefully dwelt upon The state attorneys address fol- lowed the wind-up of the plea by the defense, that of Attorney Lynch which lasted over an hour and half.
 The trial of Colligan has been the most interesting one, as far as West i Haven is concerned, that has ever been brought up before court here, and it is one in which every citizen of the bor- | ough has had marked interest. The | firebug question has stirred the West | Haveners to high pitch of excitement, | during the last year. as fire | after fire has broken out, and up to the i arrest of Colligan the solution of the | seemed to be as far off as ever.
 The trial of the elder Colligan will | come up before the borough court short ly.