The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-04-22
BURTON AT
THE BAR
How Kansas CRATER
Received His
Sentence.

IN<hANo<hS ~ -''', %hf''' W
States Senator Joseph r. Burton of
Kansas. recently convicted of receiving
fees illegally from the Rialto Grain and
Securities Company, as their attorney,
was today given a sentence of six
| months in Jail and was fined $500 by
Judge Adams in the United States Dis
| trict Court here.
Judge Adams, summoning Senator
| Burton to stand up, spoke of the mo-
tons that had been filed for new
trial and for arrest of judgment. The
court, after briefly reviewing the mo-
lions, overruled them both. The court
then said to the defendant:
Have you anything to say as to
why sentence should not be passed up
on you?"
Trembling and evidently suppressing
his emotions with a strong effort, Sem
ator Burton stood leaning with both
hands on chair back, as he said:
your Honor will please allow me to
respectfully decline to say anything"
The courtroom was almost empty
with the exception of a few persons
interested in the previous case, who
had remained out Of curiosity, and the
silence was almost oppressive as Judge
Adams, in low, modulated tones, be-
gan delivering the sentence. The court
said:
After a fair and impartial trial by
jury of exceptional intelligence you
have been found guilty of the offenses
charged in the indictment against you.
behalf has afforded me an opportunity
to carefully review and consider the
satisfied that the jury reached the just
and true result. The evidence album
dainty warranted their verdict, and I
find no reason, either in the law gov
erning the case or in the proceedings
attending the trial, for disturbing it.
your conviction necessarily results
in your punishment. Its Importance,
in my opinion, is not confined to it's
effect upon you.
Your exalted station in life and the
character of your offense give I'M
usual significance to your conviction.
land Is equal to any emergency and
that it can be administered regardless
of the personality or station of the ac-
caused. 1t also demonstrates to all the
people that public office cannot be
prostituted to selferving purposes
and that public Office is not sure or
safe passport to private thrift.
THE humiliation attending your con-
viction and the statutory disqualified
tons resulting therefrom, which for
ever incapacitate you from holding any
office of honor, trust or profit under
the Government of the United States,
are in themselves heavy punishment
for your offenses, and leave but little
in the way of severity which could be
added.
1T is neither my pleasure nor pur-
pose to impose any unnecessary pun
ishment. l think the majesty of the
law will be sufficiently vindicated and
the public welfare sufficiently safe
guarded by imposing a single sentence,
warranted, as it is, on any one of the
six counts of indictments on which you
We're convicted.
This sentence will be that you be
confined in the Iron County Jail for a
period of six months, and that you pay
a fine of two thousand, five hundred
dollars
AT the conclusion of the sentence,
Senator Burton, who had not taken his
eyes from the court and who had
scarcely moved as he supported him
self by the chairback, turned and sat
down, with his head bowed and his
eyes on the floor
Attorney Krum Immediately filed a
bill OF exceptions in the case and Of
fered bond for $4,000 which was ac-
cepted, The case viii now be appealed
to the United States District Court of
Appeals.
Senator Burton, who Is senior Senator
from Kansas, was convicted after an
exhaustive trial, i'm which various let
ters from him 10 the Rialto Grain and
Securities Company, the checks which
he received In payment for his services
In behalf Of the concern before the
P0stoliice Department and the testi-
mony of numerous agents of the dow
eminent We're introduced, Senator Bur
toms defense was that no was acting
mnIrlN I'm Ihn rnnnnlIN M nm nIInrnnN