The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-31
Courtroom Crowded With Femi-
nine Spectators, Whose Sym
pathies Are Deeply Moved.
JUDGE ABsTAINs FROM SPEECH.
Peter Yerkins Is Arraigned on
Charge of Conspiracy in Con
nection With the Crime and
Pleads Not Guilty.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Monticello. N. Y. May :3o.-Mrs. Kate
Taylor, who was this morning found guilty
OF the murder Of her husband. Lafayette
Taylor. was this afternoon sentenced to die
in the electric chair in the week beginning
July s. In pronouncing sentence. Judge
Howard said:
II shall not harrow your feelings by an
attempt 10 lecture you. You have. in my
Judgment. been well defended by able and
skiliful counsel. who have done all they
could for you. You have also, in my opin-
ion. been fairly and ably prosecuted. and.
In my Judgment. there could have been no
other result.
THE law leaves no discretion to me. and
the sentence of the court is that you be
conveyed to the State Prison in Dannemora
and there be put to death in the manner
provided by law on some day in the week
beginning July 5. 1903"
The convicted woman was brought into
court a few minutes before II o'clock. She
had not lost the remarkable, GOODNESS which
she had preserved during the entire trial. yet
she looked apprehensive. When ordered to
stand I'D for sentence she did 1t with a
smile.
BRAvADO ALL GONE.
As the foreman pronounced tine verdict Of
guilty Mrs. Taylor covered sher face with
her handkerchief and sank Into her seat.
Ali the bravado which had characterized
her actions was gone and she seemed ut
terly broken. Thus she sat during the sub
seqrent proceedings. and as she was taken
back to Jail she still shielded her face and
walked with bowed head.
The jury convicted Mrs. Taylor after
nineteen hours Of elaboration
The courtroom of Judge Howard was
packed to suffocation when 1t was learned
that the jury had agreed. The greater part
OF those present were women.
They had been loud in their denunciation
of the accused woman all through the trial
and had argued that the jury could not
return any other verdict than that OF guilty.
yet when the verdict was announced these
women changed as II by magic. and in
stead Of being clamorous for the life Of
Kate Taylor. a wave Of sympathy swept
over the crowd and instead OF argumenta-
tive discord there was nothing heard ave
the sobbing Of the women as they stood
about in little groups in the Courthouse and
on the outside.
YERKINs ARRA1GNED.
Immediately Following the verdict, Judge
Howard ordered that Peter Yerkins. uncle
of Mrs. Taylor, who is Under indictment as
an accessory to the crime she has been
convicted Of. be brought before him for
pleading Yerkins pleaded not guilty. 1t Is
alleged <hat he conspired with Mrs. Taylor
for the death Of the latters husband His
trial was set for the September term of
court.
Mrs. Taylor was arrested and lodged in
Jail at Monticello on February 8. charged
with having killed her husband on Tuesday.
January %, by shooting him in the back
with a revolver.
According to the confession Of her ls-year-
old daughter. Ida May Taylor. the woman
afterwards d~ismembered the body and put
1t in the cook stove. 1t was said that she
later threw the charred bones Into the
chicken yard.
Two weeks subsequently the disappearance
Of Taylor began to excite Mrs.
Taylor told the neighbors tha her hus-
band had gone over the mountain on busi-
ness. When trying to make a deal with
Peter Yerkins. her uncle. Mrs Taylor was
forced into a confession that she had killed
her husband and burned the body.