The San Francisco call., 1904-04-07
Burton of Kansas Is SEN
tenC6d to a Fine and
Imprisonment.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. April 6--United
States Senator Joseph r. Burton OF
Kansas. recently convicted of receiving
fees illegally from the Rialto Grain and
Securities Company, as their attorney.
was to-day 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-
tions that had been fled for a new
trial and for arrest of judgment The
court. after briefly reviewing the mo-
tions, overruled them both. The court
then said to the defendant:
Have you anything to say as to
why sentence should not be passed
upon you?"
Trembling and evidently suppressing
his emotions with strong effort. Sen
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 i'm the previous case, who
silence was almost oppressive as Judge
Adams, in low, modulated tones. be-
gan delivering the sentence. The court
said:
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 a new trial In your
behalf has afforded me an opportunity
to carefully review and consider the
evidence AS a result of this L am
satisfied that the jury reached the just
and true result The evidence abun-
dainty 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
Your exalted station in life and the
character of your offense give un-
usual significance to your conviction
1t demonstrates that the law of the
land is equal to any emergency, and
that it can be administered regardless
of the personality or station of the ac-
people that public office cannot be
prostituted to self-serving purposes
and that public Office is not a sure or
safe passport to private thrift
THE humiliation attending your con-
viction and the statutory disqualifica-
tions resulting therefrom, which for
ever incapacitate you from holding any
Office of honor, trust or profit under
of TT1ff
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. 1 think the majesty of the
law will be sufficiently vindicated and
the public welfare sufficiently safe
guarded by imposing single sentence.
warranted. as it is, on any one of the
six counts of 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
q 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 a bond for $4,000. which was ac-
cepted. The case will 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. in which various let
ters from him to the Rialto Grain and
Securities Company. the checks which
he received in payment for his services
in behalf of the concern before the
Postoffice Department and the testi-
mony of numerous agents Of the Gov
eminent were introduced Senator Bur-
toms defense was that he was acting
merely in the capacity of an attorney
and did not employ his Senatorial In
fiuence in the work.