The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1904-04-07
KANSAS SENATOR GOES TO JAIL
FOR SIX MONTHS AND PAYS
FINE OF $4,000.
MOTION FON NEW TRIAL is DENIED
JUDGE ADAMS DECLARES JURY's
VERDICT WARRANTED BY
THE EVIDENCE.

ST Louis, April limited States
Senator J. H. Burton of Kansas has
been sentenced TO six months impris
onment in the Iron county Jail and
fined $1,000 for having been convicted
OF using his influence before the post
Office department in behalf of the
Rialto Grain and Securities company
of st. Louis and having received pay
ment from the company for his serv-
ices.
The case will now be appealed to
the United States district court of ap-
peals the highest tribunal in the mat
ter.
Senator Burton, accompanied by
his leading attorney, Judge Chester III.
krum, came into the United States dis
trict court at 1890 o'clock. A case
was being tried and Judge Adams
granted recess in that case to take
up the Burton case. Judge Adams
summoned Burton to stand up and then
spoke of the motions that had been
filed for a new trial and for arrest of
judgment
The court, after briefly reviewing
the motions, overruled them both. The
court then said 70 the defendant:
After fair and impartial trial, by
a jury of exceptional intelligence, you
have been found guilty of the offenses
charged in the indictment against you.
A motion for new trial in your
behalf has afforded me an opportunity
TO carefully review and consider the
evidence. AS a result of this | am
satisfied that the jury reached the just
and true result The evidence abund-
antly warranted their verdict and
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
effect upon you.
Law Equal to Any Emergency.
"Your exalted station in life and the
character of your offense give unusual
Significance to your conviction. Ii
demonstrates that the law of the land
is equal TO any emergency and that
it can be administered regardless of
the personality and station of the ac-
cused. Ii also demonstrates to all the
people that public office cannot be
prostituted TO self-serving purposes
and that public Office is not sure or
safe passport to private thrift
The humiliation attending your
conviction and the statutory disqual-
fcations resulting therefrom which
forever incapacitates you from holding
any office of honor, trust or profit un-
der the government of the United
States, are in themselves heavy pun
ishnent for your offenses and leave
but little in the way of severity which
could be added.
1T is neither my pleasure nor my
purpose to impose any unnecessary
punishment.
Il think the majesty of the law will
be sufficiently vindicated and the pub
lie welfare sufficiently safeguarded by
imposing a single sentence, warranted
as it is on any one of the six counts
of the indictment under 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
q fine of $500"
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 chair back, turned and sat |
down, and with bis head bowed and |
his eyes on the floor
Attorney Krum Immediately filed a |
bill of exceptions in the case and Of |
tered bond of $4,000, which was ac-
,epted. Senator Burton and Judge |
Krum then hurriedly departed from /
he courtroom.
In the corridor Senator Burton STOP
ped long enough to light cigar and /
.hen walked to his hotel. He declined |
70 discuss the sentence