Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-06
SENATOR BURTON
Is SENTENCED
Is Given Six Months In
Jail and a Fine
of $4,000
SEVERELY SCORED BY COURT
Motions For New Trial and Arrest Of
Judgment are overruIed-Burton had
Nothing to Say Why Sentence Should
Not Be Imposed-Aceepted sentenes
Calmly.

-
ST. Louis, April 6.-United States
Senator Burton, of Kansas, was today
sentenced to six months imprisonment
in the county Jail and fined $500, hal
having been convicted Of using his in-
fluence before the postoffice department
in behalf Of the Riato Grain Company
and having received payment from ths
company for his services.
When Judge Adams asked Burton
Have you anything to say as to why
sentence should not be passed upon
your the senator stood trembling and
|evidently suppressing his emotions.
Then with strong effort, he said:
Your honor will please allow me to
respectfully decline to say anything
The court room w~>s almost empty,
with the exception OF a few persons In
terested in a previous case and the
silence was almost oppressive as Judge
Adams. in a low, modulated tone, be
gan delivery Of the sentence to be irn-
posed.
Before pronouncing sentence Judge
Adams overruled motions for new
trial and arrest Of Judgment. AT the
conclusion of the sentence Burton, who
had not taken his eyes from the court
and who had scarcely moved as he SUPP
ported himself by a chair back turned
nj
his eyes on the floor. His attoeney.
Judge Krun. Immediately flea AtI1
Of exceptions in the case and oiEeEed:
bond dor ten Thousand, which was &C.
eeptea Burton ard Judge Krus.s tnan
hurriedly departed from the cc6rt
room and went to local hotel He.
declined to discuss the sentence and
said he would depart tonight for hto
home in Kansas. The case will now ~
appealed to the United States district
court of appeals, the highest tribunal
in the matter.
In pronouncing sentence the court
said: After fair and impartial trial
BY jury Of exceptional intelligence
you have been found guilty of the Of
lenses charged in the indictment
against you. The motion for q new.
trial In your behalf afforded me an Op.
portunity to carefully review and con.
slider the evidence. As result of this,
am satisfied the jury reached just
and true result. The evidence abun-
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 1t.
Your conviction necessarily results In
your punishment. Its Importance, In
my opinion, is not confined to its ef-.
feet upon you. Your exalted station In
life and the character Of your offend,
ing give unusual Significance to your
conviction. 1t demonstrates that the
law of the land is equal to any emer-
gency and that it can be administered
regardless of the personality and sta
ton of the accused 1t also demon.
strates to all people that public once
can not be prostituted to self serving
purposes; that public Office is not &
sure or safe passport to private thrifk
.sThe humiliation attending your
conviction and statutory disqualihca-
tions resulting therefrom, which for<
ever incapacitate you from holding any
Office of honor or trust or profit under
the government of the United States
are in themselves heavx punishment
for your offenses and leave but little
in the way of severity which could be
added. 1t is neither my pleasure nor
purpose to impose any unnecessary
punishment. I think the majesty 81
the law will be sufficiently vindicated
and public welfare sufficiently safe-
guarded by imposing q single sentence,
warranted as it is on any one Of the
six counts in the 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 fine Of $4,000.