Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-08-19
SAYS White AND
j. JET ARE GUILTY
Jury In Marcum Assassination Case
Returns Verdict of Life
Imprisonment.
LITTLE SURPRISE oCCASIoNED
~ after LONG DELIBERA1I0N

LITTLE SURPRISE oCCAsloNED
r. after LONG Declaration
Regarded as a Victory for the
) De1ense a. Prosecution Had Asked
Aor the Extreme Penaltx-Other
Facts Concerning Kentucky,s Cele.
brated Case.
Cyntn1ana, KY, Aug. 15.-The Jury in
the case of Curtis Jett and Thomas
White, charged with the assassination
James b. Marcum, at Jackson, KY,
friday morning returned a verdict of
guilty liking the punishment on each at
lie Imprisonment. The verdict was re-
turned at time when there were but
lew persons In the courtroom, The onlv
attorney present was County Attorney
WEBSTER. Jett received the verdict with
comparative Indifference and calmness.
wh1te, who has been apparently under
severe strain during the trial, flushed up
and his eyes filled with tears. ATTORNEY
Golden, for the defense, stated that mo-
ton for new trial would be made as
soon as possible. The general opinion
seems to be that the motion will be
overruled by the court and that it will
then go to the court of appeals. The
verdict occasioned little surprise here
after the elaboration of the jury had
been so prolonged. The only question
which caused the delay, it is said, was
that of punishment, death or life i'm
prlsonment. The verdict on the whole
is regarded as victory for the defense,
as the prosecution asked that no middle
ground be taken and that the men either
go acquitted or be hanged.
Believed Verdict a Compromise.
The case has been on trial almost
three weeks, having been begun July q.
At the first trial at Jackson the jury dis
agreed and it is believed that the YER
dict was compromise with juror op-
posed to capital punishment The
friends of Capt B. L. Even and other
witnesses for the commonwealth who
have suffered greatly and were living in
fear OF their lives, are greatly relieved
They expected the death penalty, that
they were confident would have been fol-
lowed by confessions from the condemned
men exposing parties high in authority in
Breathitt county who are considered to
be back of the conspiracy. There have
been q lives lost within the past two
years in the Hargis-Cockerill feud in
Breathitt county, and this is the first
conviction. No arrests or indictments
had been made until last May when the
troops were ordered to Jackson to pro-
tect the grand jury and afterward the
trial, jury and witnesses. Jett is still un-
der indictment for first degree murder
for killing Town Marshal Cockerill. Jett
maintained his composure on hearing
the verdict as much as ever, while White
was greatly affected. Jet said Thurs
Gay night the rope had never been made
with which to hang him. but he made no
remarks Friday. His friends say he will
have a new trial and even if he fails in
that effort he might be pardoned in the
course of time. The friends of the de-
PENDANTS showed such relief as to leave
no doubt of their previous apprehensions
of the death penalty.
Motion for New Trial.
The attorneys for the defense were alb
sent when the jury came into court and
Judge Osborne sent for them The court
asked them if they had anything to say
after the verdict was read. Attorney
Blanton and Golden, for the defense,
said they had not. The judge then said
that he would adjourn court until 80
Friday afternoon. Then Golden object
ed as he desired to leave earlier for his
home at Barboursville. Judge Osborne
told them to make their motion for a
new trial. The attorneys then went to
the Office of Blanton and filed motion for
a new trial. When it was announced that
the jury had come out, crowd gathered
at the courtrooms, but it was quiet and
orderly, all the mountain men having
gone to their homes. At 10:45 a motion
for a new trial was filed before Judge
Osborne and he took the matter under
consideration when court adjourned.
Rumor of a Plot.
Winchester, KY, Aug. 15-The dis
covery of two sticks of dynamite in the
cell in the Clark county jail, formerly
occupied by Curtis Jett, the convicted as
sassin of J. B. Marcum, of Breathitt, has
given rise to story of plot to release
Jett during the time he was confined
here awaiting trial. The dynamite was
found in water pipe by the negro, who
is the only prisoner who has occupied
the cell since Jett was removed. The
quantity of the explosive was sufficient
to have blown the Jail to atoms.
s~t-~ Battleship Is Settling.
e Bar Harbor, Me-, Aug. 15.-The United
states battleship Massachusetts,, which
,uas serinuslY damaged by striking the.