The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-07
Burton of Kansas Gets
Six Months Sentence.
MUST SHELL OUT ALSO
Found Guilty of Using His Influence
Before the Postoffice Department
in Behalf of the RiaIto Grain
and Securities Com
pany.
(By the Associated Press.)

st. Louis, Mo-, April 6.-United States
Senator ]. r. Burton, of Kansas. was to-
day sentenced to six months imprisonment
in jail and fine of 81, 500 for using his in
Guence before the Post 1ffice Department
in behalf of the Rialto Grain & Securities
Company of st. Louis, and for having re-
ceived payment from the company for his
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 a new
trial, and for arrest of judgment. The
court, after briefly reviewing the motions,
Gverruled them both. The court then said
TO the defendant:
Have you anything to say as to why
sentence should not be passed upon your
Evidently suppressirg his emotions with
strong effort, Senator Burton stood
leaning with both hands on chair back
as he said:
"Your Honor will please allow me to re-
spectfully decline to say anything"
The court room was almost empty, with
the exception of few persons who had
remained out of curiosity and the silenc,
was almost oppressive as Judge Adams.
in low tone began delivering the seIr
tence. The court said:
'I am satisfied that the jury reached
the just and true result. The evidence
abundantly warranted their verdict and
find no reason, either in the law governing
the case or in the proceedings attending
the trial for distributing it.
Your exalted station in life and the
character of your offense give unusual
significance to your conviction. 1t demon
strates that the law of the land is equal
to any emergency and that it can be adj
ministered regardless of the personality
and station of the accused. 1t also demon
strates to all the people that public office
can not be prostituted to self-serving pur-
poses, and that public office is not a suro
or safe passport to private thrift.
THE humiliation attending your convic-
tion and the statutory disqualifications
resulting therefrom which forever incapac-
itate you from holding any office of pow
er, trust or profit under the government
of the United States, are in themselves
punishment for your offenses, ard leave
but little in the way of severity which
could he added.
1T is neither my pleasure nor purpose
TO impose any unnecessary punishment
u think the majesty of the law will be
sufficiently vindicated and the public wei
fare sufficiently safeguarded by imposing
single sentence, warranted as il is on
any one of the six counts of the indict-
ments on which you were convicted.
This sentence will be that you be con-
ned in the iron county Jail for a period of
SIX months. and that you pay fine of two
thousand five hundred dollars"
At the conclusion of the sentence, Scna-
ter Burton, who had not taken his eyes
from the court and who had scarcely
moved as he supported himelf by the chair
back, turned and sat down, with his head
bowed and his eyes on the floor. His at
torney, Judge Krum, Immediately filed
bill of exceptions in the case and offered
bond for 100000, which was accepted.
Senator Burton declined to discuss the
sentence.
The case now will be appealed to the
United States District Court Of Appeals.