Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-24
DEATH SENTENCE
Passed Upon Col. Lynch, FRI
day, at London.
Found Guilty Of High Treason, in
Fighting With the Beers.
Generally Believed that the Sentence
Will Be COMMITTED.

London, Jan. 23.-When the trial of
Col. Arthur Lynch, member of Parlia-
ment for Galway, on the charge of high
treason was resumed today, counsel
for the defense began summing up.
There was no attempt to deny that Col.
Lynch supported the Beers, but counsel
contended that his naturalization was
in no way prompted by reasonable in
tent and was solely for the advantage
he would thus secure for journalistic
purposes. Subsequently the defendant
actively supported the Boer cause in
the belief that he was legally natural
lied burgher.
Replying for the prosecution the soli-
citor general, Sir Edward Carson,
maintained that Col. Lynch joined toe
BOer army as a discontinued Irishman,
thereby committing most cowardly
and most serious act of treason. His
naturalization continued the solicitor
general was only a flimsy preteXt.
Counsel then proceeded to detail the
prisoners alleged acts of adherence to
his country's enemies.
The lord chief justice summed up
very briefly. He said that if in war
time a British subject Joined the King S
enemies, whatever his purpose he was
guilty of an unlawful act. Naturaliza :
ton during war time afforded no excuse
whatever for subsequent acts. There
was abundant evidence he said of overt
acts in aiding the Kings enemies.
| The jury after being out half an hour
returned a verdict of guilty.
When asked if he had anything to
70 r.r1,x !, oh 10
| fenced to death, Col. Lynch replied:
Thank you, will say nothing"
The sentence of death was passed on
each of the four counts in the indict-
| ments. The prisoner then bowed to the
court and was removed in custody.
| In delivering sentence Justice Wells
said the crime of high treason, of which
the prisoner had been found guilty, was
| happily so rare, that it seemed to be
almost an anachronism. No civilized
community had yet failed to punish
severely detection from loyalty, wheth-
er in the way Of open warfare or secret
| intrigue. In the darkest hours of his
countrys fortune, when engaged in u
| deadly struggle, Lynch Joined the
! ranks of its foes and shed the blood of
mis- fellow subjects fighting for their
| country and sought to dethrone Great
| Britain from her place among the ma
tons. The only palliation which could
| be offered was that it had been the
| fashion for some years to treat lightly
matters Of this kind, and men had been
encouraged to play with sedition and
| toy with treason. The nation had
| treated with contemptuous Indifference
| speeches and acts of sedition; but it
was one thing t. talk sedtion and quite
a different thing to bear arms in the
ranks of the country's foes.
Lynch throughout bore himself with
unfaltering composure. He walked out
steadily between the jailors and past
the bench where his wife and other
relatives We're seated. 49,
Mrs. Lynch has been given permits
sion to see her husband.
Although formally sentenced to be
hanged, Lynch's sentence VIII no doubt
be committed.
After the prisoner had been removed,
he and his counsel had conference
regarding the course to be adopted in
the future. Later it was announced
that no action would be taken at pres
ent. Counsel can proceed with apply
ing for writ of error, but it is thought
likely that this will be rendered un-
necessary by the communication of the
sentence to a short term of imprison-
ment, in which case it is proba BILE that
the prisoner will accept the situation.