Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-21
BASSETT'S NERVE
Laughed and Told Stories While
 Awaiting Jury's Verdict.

'
 terday' returned verdict of guilty ot murder in the second degree agains
 Charles Bassett for the murder O
 Thomas c. Lockwood at his home ol
 Park road, February 27 last. By thii
 verdict Bassett is saved from the gal
 lows, but in his own words he would | rather be hanged than get life impris 1 onment. which Is the sentence, ant 1 the only one. for murder in the sec
 ond degree. The jury retired at 12:3( and at 1 adjourned for luncheon un der the surveillance of Sheriff Dun l hams deputies, and at ? o'clock re suned their deliberations until o'clock last evening when they return. ed their verdict At 3:15 a knock was heard on the double door of the jury
 room and everybody surmised the jury was ready to report, for in view
 of the evidence being straight against Bassett, his word alone being
 opposed to the testimony of nine wit
 nesses, including Leonard and Genes
 ky. But the summons was merely a
 request for more ballots and Clerk
 Marsh handed ill three pads, each half
 an inch thick.
 The longer the jury stayed out the
 greater hope there was for Bassett,
 and when the hours slipped by and no
 report came from the jury, people be-
 gan to think that after all Bassett's
 remark would come true, that he
 would have his Christmas dinner with
 his folks in Brooklyn.
 After the jury went back at 2
 o'clock Bassett winked to Sheriff
 James Walsh of New Haven and re-
 quested to be escorted to an ante
 room. He was immediately taken to
 the one off the court room and there
 he remained until the jury's summons
 was heard on the door. He spent the
 time smoking cigarettes, with which
 the jail officials keep him well sup piled. He told some stories and no one would for a moment take him to be a man standing in the shadow of the gallows. He was the merriest of the gang of court reporters. sheriffs and those who were lucky in getting seats after court resumed in the after noon. He told of his adventures with ''crooks" Tn New York and Brooklyn. encounters with the police and the law. of brayadoes in court, and his knowledge of the criminal laws of other states surprised everybody. He knew in what states burglary meant hanging He was well aware that al- most all crimes are graded in New York state He told of a burglar friend of his whose bravado in court after being sentenced piled up twenty years additional on his shoulders, and then the man had to be dragged away by the sheriffs out of tbe court room. In this way Bassett entertained the callers at the ante-room and amused himself. It was evident that not for A moment during the whole trial did lie lose ..is nerve and that ne helped, plan his defense. After court adjourn ed he thanked his counsel, Attorney Russell. for his great work and said he could not wish for better attor- ney. And as Bassett has no doubt been often so situated as to be able to appreciate the services of a good lawyer, his remark to Mir Russell was quite a compliment.
 Tomorrow morning he will be sen tenced. but that may not be the end. for he has already taken steps toward m appeal. and as he has nothing to lose, but on the contrary everything to gain, be will see his case as far as 1t can go.
 Basseft was taken down to jail last night. The crowd outside the court house was not as large as 1t was in the afternoon at o'clock. The people got tired of waiting and went home.
 There appears to be general aissat- sfaction with the verdict, almost ev- .rybody who followed the trial ex- ,ecting Basset would be found guilty # murder as charged in the indict- nent. The jurors were very reticent bout how the verdict was reached, md it was said about the court house his morning that they agreed among | themselves to say nothing about Il. l it was reported that on | he first ballot nine voted to report ! or murder in the second degree and hree for acquittal Those three held | hat Bassett had proved his alibi. des- lite the evidence of the nine witnesses yho testified to seeing him. Cenesky | nd Leonard in town on the day of l he assault and on Sunday the day pre- eiing. or that he killed Lockwood. ! Dne juror held that the case was not I, n incident compared with the Capo- ianco case. and that he knew what e was speaking about because he \ ras a juror on that one.
 On the second ballot the three iu- DTS who had voted for acquittal now oted for a verdict for murder in the lror who had served on the Capobi- nco case made the comparison of the vidence in both. In the former trial lere was direct evidence that the sc- used had killed Solomita. while ia le present one there was only the eyl ence of two accomplices. and no oubt they testified against Bassett OYSler to save themselves. Exclul- lg their evidence there was only ti,' of Cenesky's father and other and their bOarier. Bantler the aloon keeper. the milk dealer At ood and the boy Ziff. son of tho swnhroker in Water street. Bridge | prt. with whom Leonard and Cenesky id Basseft pawned the overcoat and ockwood's watrh. and zin's father. ho. if was testified. did the business ith Bassett. failed to identify him. The court in his charge told the jury