The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-30
The FULL PENALTY
PATERSON MURDERERs GET LIMIT
or THE LAW.
THREE GET 80 YEARS EACH.
JUDGE DIXON SEVERE IN HIS AR
RAIGNMENT.

Kerr Gets on with Fifteen Years for
His Plea of "NOn VuIt'-Judge
Dixon Expresses Hope That Conse-
Iuences of Crime viii show the
Young of the Community That
Happiness Cannot he Secured Out
side of Virtue and Honor.
Paterson. N. j., Jan. 29.-Walter C. Nc
Alister William A. Death and Andrew
j. Campbell, who were found guilty OF
murder in the second degree for the kill
ing of Jennie Bcsschieter, on Oct IS 1900,
by the administration of choral and
subsequent rape, together with George
j. Kerr. who pleaded non-vult conten-
dere TO a charge of rape, were brought
into the court of oyer and Terminer here
to-day for sentence by Judge Dixon. Nc
Allster, Campbell and Death we're each
sentenced to thirty years Imprisonment at
hard labor and Kerr to fifteen years inn
prisonment at hard labor The sentences
OF all the men are the fun terms of i'm
prisonment which the law provides but
ir the case of Kerr fine of 81 900 might
have been added.
The courthouse was crowded In the
courtroom were the father stepmother
and sister of Jennie Bosschieter Counsel
for all the defendants pleaded for Gle
mency. McAlister and Campbell looked
extremely pale and Death had the ap-
pearance OF suffering greatly under the
strain.
Judge Dixon addressing the three pris-
oners said:
you stend convicted of murder In the
second degree. Had you been found gull
ty of murder in the first degree the pun
ishment would have been death, but the
leniency of the jury in the exercise of
their lawful authority saved you from
the gallows, We must administer la VS.
as they are. 1t is true these sentences
will destroy your lives. obliterating every
prospect OF an honorable existence among
the people. The court cannot make any
distinction, but must sentence you for
this crime
Il trust tho fearful consequences from
this crime win help young men and
young women Of this community and point
out to them that they cannot hope to Sc
cure happiness outside of virtue and
honor. The sentence of the court is that
each of you be imprisoned in the state
prison at Trenton at hard labor for a
term of thirty years"
George j. Kerr was then called 70 the
bar, and by his attorneys entered a. plea
| of non vult contendere to the charge OF
assault, Counsel asked the court to ex-
ercise ciemency. He spoke of the pris-
oner's father said to be dying. and Of his
sisters. wife and six children. Judge
Dixon at once passed sentence. He said:
"The evidence In this case does not say
that you helped In administering the drug,
but participated in the ravishment of the
girl. In one respect your case is worse
than the others. You were older and
had more obligations for virtue. You had
a wife. worthy of the highest affections,
and children for your concern, but you
disregarded all and permitted yourself to
drift away from a proper domestic life,
and now you stand here a wreck of vice
and crime and such a erime No wonder
1t shocked the community and startled
every womanly and manly heart. That
ptlless ride, that dastardy outrage, the
poor victim laid dead by the roadside,
regardless of whether she would be found
by kind friends or by beasts. How glad
ly would / spare your relatives, but In tho
exercise OF my duty / cannot withhold
anything which the sentence of the law
requires. The sentence of the court Is
that you be imprisoned in the state prison
for term of fifteen years . lard labor"
McAlister, Campbell, Deal and Kerr
made a statement to the public this af-
ternoon. 1t says:
I'VE are resigned to our fate and pro-
pose 10 race the future with many ned- Us,
dark as II is.
I'VE have no criticism to make, but we
want to thank the newspapers of Pater-
son for their sense of fairness.
I'VE coud say many thi gs that would
tend to abate the public indignation, but
we propose to bear our punishment in ST.
lence.
I'VE propose TO earn the three days a
month which the law RENTS for good
behavior.
" e are ccntent to suffer ourselves, but
we keeny feel the aw 'u sorrow brought
Upon our fami les and friends who have
stood 50 nobly by us through it all.
"Never at any time was there any i'll
feeling between ourselves We feel that
we have been victims to a graf extent
OF the unreasoning outside opinion, based
upon the wild and nfiammatory reports"
The statement closes with thanks 90
their counsel, who at the peril of their
reputa' ions. stood nobly by us"
Whi'e Judge Dixon was sentencing the
prisoners, Hugh Kerr the father OF
George. within a stones throw of the
court house. lay dying because OF his
s0n's Disgrace