The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-02

Agreement Is Reached - Defendant
May Be Sent to Penitentiary for Ten
Years.
Guilty"
long drawn sigh breathed from the
crowd, which gathered in Judge
Brooks court room at 4:30 yesterday
afternoon, as Clerk Ryberg read the
words which pronounced Fred w.
Ames, former superintendent of po-
lice of Minneapolis. a felon. For a
moment no one spoke or moved. All
eyes turned involuntarily upon the
convicted man and upon Mrs. Ames,
who sat beside him. Neither gave sign
that they heard the verdict, save that
the hand with which Mrs. Ames grasp
ed the edge of the counseps table as
she leaned forward and eagerly
scanned the jury, whitened with
convulsive pressure.
Attorney Welch arose to his feet.
"If the court please" he said slowly,
IT would like a poll of the jury"
The spell was broken; again there
was a stir and shifting Of feet. The
clerk called the roll of the jury:
'Is this your verdict?"
1T is" came the the twelve sue
cessive answers. The lawyers moved
forward and conversed with Judge
Brooks in low tones; few Of the on
lockers -shuffied out of the court room;
the rest remained in deathlike silence.
The convicted man sat motionless be-
side his wife.
Judge Brooks was sitting in the trial
nf 1ar
when at 43O bailiff announced that
the Ames jury, which for twenty-five
and half hours had been considering
the guilt or innocence of Ames, tried
on charge of extorting SIS from Addie
Mills for police protection, had at last
arrived upon a verdict. Judge Brooks
Immediately adjourned the trial and
summoned the defendant and the at
torneys to appear in court.
AS the jury filed into the room Ames
and his wife scanned their faces In a
pathetic endeavor to read the verdict,
but not a juryman looked their way.
Judge Brooks asked the usual question
and the foreman answered that de-
cision had been reached. Amid intense
stiffness the verdict was opened and
read.
Is Still a Free Man.
Ames is now under bonds to the
amount Of $500, under which he will
be at liberty until 10 o'clock this morn
ing, when he will appear in court for
sentence His attorneys will then make
a motion for new trial and stay in
execution pending an argument. A
stay bond to the amount fixed by the
court will be required of AmeS, under
which he will be released pending q
ruling on the motion.
Ames chewed the end Of an unlighted
cigar while the lawyers talked, and his
face took on a healthier color.
Now and then he spoke to Mrs. Ames
and once he attempted a smile, but
with poor success. Mrs. Amfs said but
little. Her face was grave and SORROW
full, yet she did not break down. The
onlookers regarded them in silence
from outside the railing until they left
the courtroom in company with his
attorneys.
May Get Ten Years.
The maximum penalty for the crime
of which Ames stands convicted is ten
years imprisonment or a fine of from
$1,000 to $4,000 or both. The minimum
is two years and fine or both. In ad-
dition, the convicted man is forever
disqualified from holding any Office
in the state.
The verdict, while not totally unex-
pected, came somewhat as a surprise.
1t was generally thought that the jury
would disagree. little before noon
yesterday G. G. Pettigrew, foreman Of
the jury, sent message to Judge
Brooks asking that the jury be per-
mitted to listen to certain evidence.
After consultation with the attor-
neys the jury was called into court.
They asked that the testimony of May
Macintosh be read to them Judge
Brooks permitted the reading of the
testimony. 1t was then apparent that
the crisis had come. May Macintosh,
with Otto Wirtensohn, was the chief
witness of the state in connecting
Ames with Cohen.
Evidence Was Fatal.
Her evidence was direct and damn
ing. She had testified that Ames had
told her when she saw him at the city
hall that 1t was all right to pay money
to Cohen. The defense did not try
to break down her testimony, but re-
lied upon the effect of denial by the
former superintendent when he was
placed upon the stand. After the jury
retired no more was heard from them
until their announcement Of an agree
ment.
The other indictments against Ames
will be permitted to rest until the stat
us of the present conviction is decided
by the state supreme court, where the
case will probably go. If the case Is
sustained the rest of the indictments
will be nolled.
The county attorney would say moth
ing on the outcome of the case and
Mr.. Ames announced simply:
Il have nothing to say
Fourth Man Convicted.
Ames is the fourth Of former officials
of the police department to be convicted
of bribery and extortion. Irwin Gard
ner, the first to be convicted, was sem
fenced to six and one-half years. Norm
w. King was sentenced to three years.
Continued on Third Page.