The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-05
is GUILTY.
Reform School Teacher Con-
victed Of Murder.
After Two Hours Jury Returns
Second Degree Verdict.
PRISONER ACTS QUEER.
Shakes Hands With Men Who
Convicted Him.
Father AfIirms Belief in His
Innocence.
PRISONER ACTS QUEER.

The jury in the Lowe murder case
was out two hours Saturday night and
then brought in a verdict finding John
G. Lowe guilty of murder in the second
degree.
The last argument. and that for the
state, was made by County Attorney
Nichols His argument was made at
the night session and he closed his re-
marks by S:15 o'clock.
The jury at once retired with the
five printed blanks for verdict of
murder in the first degree, or the sec
ond degree, manslaughter in the third
or fourth degree and one for a verdict
of not guilty.
At 1918 the buzzer in the court room
was sounded by a button being press
ed in the jury room. 1t was the signal
that the jury had arrived at a verdict.
The lawyers and the defendant in the
case were summoned and the jury filed
in and handed the verdict reached to
the court to read.
The jury was out but two hours. The
finding of a verdict so soon was a sur
prise to all who had followed the trial.
Had the jury been out from "a to 81
hours it would have been no surprise.
The members of the jury which tried
the case were as follows: D A. Null
Fultz, Philip Seig, r. B. Gathers H. 9.
Checksfield, Samuel MCGOWAN, VIM. L
Beeler, D. Willims, T. A. Beckstrom,
F. L. Sexton.
When the verdict had been read c. a.
Magaw, one Of the attorneys for the
defense asked that the jury be polled.
The poll was taken and each juror af-
irmed the verdict. While the poll was
being taken John G. Lowe was seated
in the chair directly behind his father
and his attorneys. He looked at the
jury intently. He did not seem to re-
alize the verdict. When the poll had
been finished Lowe ran to the jury box.
Some of the jurors had started for the
court room door and some We're seated.
Lowe began shaking the hands Of all
the jurors he could reach. He was ex-
cited and turned from the jury to
Judge Hazenss seat but the judge had
disappeared.
Lowe ran about the court room for
moment and suddenly quoted himself
walked to the table, picked up his hat
and turned to his father, Crandan
Lowe The father embraced his son.
I'll always believe you innocent, my
boy said the father.
Il am, father" replied John Lowe.
CrandaH Lowe, who has had the
sympathy OF everyone in the court room
since the trial began, was crying. He
is 4 much older man than he looks to
be and the strain Of the events Of the
past week was sufficient to unnerve
Illtl-
TT may be just verdict. but a bet
ter boy never lived, said the father to
several people who were standing near.
John Lowe was taken to the county
jail by Sheriff Cook and locked up.
The jury in the Lowe case was unan-
imOus on the first ballot for a verdict OF
guilty. The only difference Of opinion
among the Jurors was to the degree OF
guilt
on the first ballot to decide the de-
gree the ballot was. For murder in the
first degree, 81 for murder in the second
degree, 3; for granddaughter in the third
degree, /: for manslaughter in the
It required but five ballots to decide
the degree and on the sixth and last
ballot taken in the jury room all were
unanimous for a verdict of guilty of
murder in the second degree.
The sentence will be passed by Judge
Hazen and may be from 10 years to a
4 life sentence in the penitentiary- AS
James Kaye, who agreed TO plead
guilty of murder in the second degree,
on the charge of killing his wife, did
so without a trial and was sentenced
to q years in the penitentiaFy It IS
/ likely that Judge Hazen will sentence
! Lowe to not less than that number of
years though his crime was not so
brutal as that of Kaye.
The jury spent over an hour in try
! ing to select a foreman for the jury.
4 Two iurymen Kincaid and Oswald,
were voted for but neither wished to
/ serve. It took some time to secure a
unanimous ballot for Oswald and more
4 time to induce him to serve.
/ One of the iurymen said this morn
/ ing, 1.-THE jury was unanimous on a YER
/ dict of guilty on the first ballot. The
! jurymen gave Lowe every benefit of a
doubt but the jurymen decided before
( the arguments were made that Lowe
shot his wife in the front room walked
to the mirror in the back room and shot
himself and then walked to the door
/ leading into the hallway. In walking
! from the mirror to the door he left the
drops of blood seen on the floor and
4 furniture The testimony introduced by
/ the state in rebuttal was convincing ano
! the testimony of those who did not see
anything to indicate insanity was
strong The testimony of the suDerin-
tendent of the Osawatomie insane was
decidedly against Lowe.
The attorneys for Lowe will make 4
motion for the verdict to be set aside or
! the ground that the evidence does MOI
warrant it, Judge Hazen will pass upon
this motion and uoon motion for =
new trial. and if they are overruled il
! is expected that an appeal viii be taken
John Lowe stated many times before
the trial that he did not care about d
/ trial and that he was willing TO go to the
/ penitentiary as it made no difference t.
/ him what became of him. His father
said that he did not want 4 son Of his
convicted of numbering his wife. and ne
secured the attorneys for the defense
Crandall Lowe the father, is wealthy
stockman and wen able to stand the ex
pense Of an appeal.
| John Lowe told Sheriff Cook this morn
+ ing that he was feeling well and that h'
/ had gained % pounds since he left the re
form school He stated that ne was limo
4 cent but that he knew he had been peeE-
ish at the school and thought he had mad'
enemies
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