The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-06-28
FIVE YEARS
FOR BARKER.


sentence OF five years in the peniten-
tiary was passed today upon Thomas
G.. Barker for the shooting Of Rev.
John Keller by Judge Blair. The
full penalty Of the crime of assault t
with intent to kill of which Barke
was convicted last Friday, is seven
years imprisonment and $4,000 fine.
BY reducing the term of imprison-
ment to five years and omitting the
fine, Judge Blair tempered justice
with mercy but not to the degree
that was expected by many especial
ly the convicted mans friends.
The Judge also ordered Barker to
remain in State Prison until the
costs of the prosecution were paid by
him but that was nothing more than
legal tormality. The costs of the
prosecution referred to amount TO a
little more than S75. 1t is custom
ary for the Court to remit these costs
and that will be done IN the case OF
Barker. Under the New Jersey law
Barker's sentence will be reduced to
four years ano five day If the pris-
0ner gets the full commutation for
good behavior.
Unless notice of an appeal is serv-
ed upon the Sheriff within fifteen
days Barker will be taken to the
State Prison at Trenton to begin his
term. In the meantime he will be
kept in the county Jail. 1t is not
certain that an appeal will be made,
Had the sentence BEEN lighter, Bark
cr's counsel would not have consid.
cred an appeal but it is probable that
one will be made ii the $1,000 neces-
sary to carry out the action can be
raised,
Barker received his sentence with
out trace of emotion. His dcmean-
or in the Court was one OF complete
self control. When heleft the Court
House and crossed the green to the
jail, in charge Of two Deputy Sheritls
with the shadow of his long term up
on him, Barker walked jauntily but
his lips were set hard and his face
was pale. Neither the wife of the
convicted man nor his victim was in
Court to hear the sentence. They
were not expected. No clergy men
were there. The Court room was
crowded with spectators, however,
mostly citizens of Arlington. Many
OF them were women.
Albert c. Wall, of counsel for the
prisoner, made brief appeal on
Barker's behalf. He spoke in an i'm
pressiye and sympathetic manner
Judge Blair made no reply to Mr..
Wal's remarks, but addressed Barker
as follows: "a jury Of your own Sc
lection has found you guilty OF as
sault with intent to Kill, and the
high character of that jury salts hes
the Court of the entire correctness OF
that verdict, 1t is signal illustra-
tion Of the vindcatiOn Of the viola
ted law and is in complete harmony
with the lofty traditions OF this law
respecting and law.enforcing Com
monwealth.
"The conviction will teach whole
some lesson to those who, in the fu-
ture, may be tempted to take the
law into their own hands in their eff
forts to avenge either real or imag-
nary wrongs. The circumstances
developed In the trial presented no
legal or satisfactory defense to the
charge of shooting, and your conyic.
ton was therefore inevitable.
"Many communicatioas.haye been
address ed to the Court III your be.
half. While the; Court feels that
there is nothing in your crime from
any strictly legal standpoint, which
should relieve you from the extreme
penalty of the law-seven years i'm
prisonment and a $4,000 tine-it also
feels that something may well be
pardoned to human weakness in the
face of great provocation and some
leniency, perhaps, shown for the ex'
ercise<of very natural though Who'll
ly unwarranted passion.
Warden Sullivan said that when
Barker was put in his cell he appear
ed to be stunned