Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-04-07
PRISON FOR BURTON
Kansas Senator Sentenced tc
Six Months In Jail.
MUST ALSO PAY A FINE OF S2,5OC
Judge Adams Declared Jury Found a
just Verdict-Accused Declined
to Make Any Explanation
or Omment

10 MAKE ANY E~NplahatAoA
or Comment.
ST. LOUIS, April limited States
Senator ]. r. Burton Of Kansas has
been sentenced to six months impris
onment in Jail and to pay a fine of 81,
500 for using his influence before the
postofice department in behalf of the
Rialto Grain and Securities company
of st. Louis and for having received
| services.
When Senator Burton, accompanied
by his attorney, came into the United
States district court Judge Adams
spoke of the motions that had been
filed for Il new trial and for arrest OF
judgment. The court, after briefly re-
viewing the motions, overruled them
both. The court then said to the de-
PENDANT:
Have you anything to say as to
why sentence should not be passed
upon you?"
Evidently suppressing his emotions
with a strong effort, Senator Burton
stood leaning with both hands on a
chair back as lie 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
who had remained out of curiosity, and
the silence was almost oppressive as
Judge Adams, in a low tone, said:
after a fair and impartial trial by
a jury of exceptional intelligence you
have been found guilty of the offense
charged in the Indictment against you.
"a motion for a new trial in your be-
halt has afforded me an opportunity
carefully to review and consider the
evidence. AS a result of this | am sat
istied that the jury reached a just
and true result. The evidence album
dainty warranted their verdict, II l
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 its eff
feet upon you.
Your exalted station in life and the
character of your offense give unusual
significance to your condition. 1t dem
onstrates that the law of the land is
equal to any emergency and that it can
be administered regardless of the sta
ton of the accused. 1t also demon
strates to all the people that public of
fee cannot be prostituted to self serv-
ing purposes and that public Office is
not a 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. | think the majesty of the
law will be sufficiently vindicated and
the public welfare sufficiently safe
guarded by imposing Il single sentence,
warranted as it is, on any of the six
counts. indictments on which you were
convicted.
"This sentence will be that you be
confined in the Iron county Jail for a
period of six months and that you pay
Il fine of $4,000"
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 himself
by the chair back, turned and sat
down, with his head bowed and his
eyes on the floor. His attorney, Judge
Krum, Immediately filed a bill Of eX-
ceptions in the case and offered a bond
for $4,000, which was accepted.
Senator Burton walked to his hotel.
He declined to discuss the sentence,
but said he would leave at once for
his home in Kansas.