Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-06-26
ROONEY WEEPs At LEARNING
VIEWS.

John Rooney, the Condemned Muir.
derer, Breaks Down When he Hears
Courts Decision.
Fargo Forum: John Rooney knows
his fate.
All day yesterday he begged to be
told the truth regarding the case. His
pleadings were almost irresistible,
and at 6 o'clock last night DEPUTY
Shc,if Hansen communicated to the
condemned man the findings of the
higher curt. in which the death SEN
tence of Judge Pollock was affirmed.
Rooney's face blanched his lips
luivered. and his whole frainc was
in a state of noticeable agitation as
the fatal words fell fror. the officers
lips.
The man who had calmly, even firm
", without a CULVER and urfalteringly,
stood before Judge Pollock and lis
tened to the reading of the death SEN
tence on two occasions; the man who
had once been practically under the
shadow of the gallows, stool for a
moment with a far away look In his
eyes. A crimson cast supplarted the
marble white that had martlea his
cheek; there was a twitching Of the
muscles of his face, and he turned
without saying a word, sank down in
the coarse woollen blankets that CIV
cred his iron couch and sobbed like
a child.
For the first time since his ccnvic-
ton the doomed man seemed to fHi;y
realize his impending fate.
The officers and guards who sur
rounded the man turned from the
scene and Rooney was allowed to give
vent to his feelings uninterrupted.
He rested very poorly during the
night. and at close intervals sobs
emanated from the darkness of his
dimly lighted cell.
This morning he appeared a little
brighter and more hopeful. He ate a
light breakfast and took a little walk
in the limited space of his cell. He
was visited shortly after 10 o'clock by
his attorney, Mr.. Stambaugh, who
held a long conference with his client.
Mr.. Stambaugh cheered him up with
the assurance that all hope had not
been abandoned, and that mere were
other sources Of escape from the
sentence as passed.
Mr.. Stambaugh declined to make
known the conversation between him
self and Rooney. In answer 20 the
question as to how Rooney accepted
the finding of the supreme co;.rt, Mr.
Stambaugh said:
"Oh, Rooney is a philosopher. d
course he doesn't feel as well as II
he lad won the battle, but ne is more
hopeful than last night, and thinks
he will ultimately come out Of the
scrape all right.
mo, I cannot say at this time what
steps will be taken next in Rooney's
behalf. We have not received a copy
of the decision yet. Should the rul
ingc of the supreme court affirm Judge
Pollock without modification there Is
still a question that can be taken t.
the supreme court Of the United
States. l am informed that the ruling
has been received at the Office Of
the clerk Of the district court and
shall look it over this afternoon. ant
upon the receipt Of the full finding
will be in a position to state exactly
what we propose to do. The case
has not been abandoned, however, yor
can put that down for a fact"
The ruling, as received by the clsri
of the district court, is a strict afirma
ton of the order Of Judge Pollock arg
it is more than likely that the case
will be taken to the United State:
supreme court.