The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-01-27

Judge Sherman's statement was that
"on the l3lst day of March. 1904, an inno-
cetn woman OF spotless character. was
murdered while alone in her own home.
IN the quiet town OF Weston
"The officers of the law. in the perform
ance OF their duty commenced a careful
and painstaking Investigation to ascer-
tain and discover the murderer II was
soon evident that the murder was not
committed by tramp or a stranger, but
by some one who knew the family. and
was we'll acquainted in the vicinity. The
officers investigated every rumor. and fol-
lowed every possible suggestion and clue,
until the evidence pointed so strongly to
you that they could delay no longer. You
were arrested and subsequently indicted.
"Able counsel were then appointed 10
defend you. From that time to this time
have lsbored increasingly and tirelessly
and have expended a larger amount OF
the public money in your behalf than
was ever expended before in capital
trial I'm this commonwealth.
After a careful and prolonged trial
before an able. impartial and fair-minded
jury. you have been found guilty The
jury after rrrattfre- -deifioerAt+etf decided
that you were the man who used the
knife and committed the murder. but
upon the question of degree. they asked
the court for further instruction. After
fully understanding the law in this re-
spect they declared you guilty of murder
in the first degre.
subsequently your counsel asked the
presiding justices to set aside the verdict'
Of the Jury as not warranted and as
against the evidence and the weight OF
the evidence After fun hearing the jus
tices were obliged TO refuse and deny said
motion
Since then the case has been reviewed
by the supreme judicial court. the high
est court I'm this Commonwealth and that
court has found no error in the proceed
ings or at the trial.
Recently this court has heard consid-
cred and overduled a second motion for
a new trial Your conviction for the great
crime Of murder in the first degree has
been sustained. as proper. lawful and just.
when this murder was first discovered
the public was greatly excited Nine
months passed before You were put upon
your trial. In the meantime Mabel Page
had been buried and partially forgotten.
and sympathy turned somewhat from the
dead TO. the living
when YOU left the lifeless body Of
Mabel Page on the floor of the Page house
that day you carried away with you
many mute and silent witnesses or your
guilt: enough, with the other evidence I'm
the case. 10 satisfy a jury Of your peers,
II good men and true, beyond reason
able doubt. of your guilt.
II believe that many crimes are COM
mitted because their perpetrators have
not understood the force and effect OF
circumstantial evidence.
IL feel confident that many murderers
would have hnpn tprrp1 nrpNantp1
from committing their great crimes II
they had known what Chief Justice Shaw
often declared. that circumstantial evil
dence may well be fully as safe and salts
factory to prove guilt as what is called
direct evidence.
Il am sorry for your family, and pity
you. that you have como to this tragic
end. But am compelled to say that It is
hard to imagine moro wanton. wicked
and causeless murder than this OF VTr-
tuous and blameless woman
you stand here now for sentence: and
II becomes my painful duty as a magis-
trate and minister OF the law, 10 pass
sentence upon YOU
1T is considered and ordered by the
court that YOU Charles l.. Tucker. shall
be taken to the jail I'm this county and
there kept I'm close custody until within
ten days prior to Sunday. the 10Th day of
June next. when you shall be removed
to the states prison In Boston In the
county of Suffolk, and there kept in close
confinement until the said 10th day OF said
June when the week beginning on said
day. you shall suffer death by the pas
sage OF electricity through you body and
this Is the sentence required by law"
After hearing the judges declaration
fuckers face blanched and a llm gather
ed in his eyes as he stood In the iron cage
while the court dwelt on the wantonness
and cruelty OF the murder.
At the end OF the Judges remark. how
ever a quick flash OF relief passed over
his face as II he was happy that the or
deal OF sentence was over Tucker was at
once returned to jail where he will be
kept until the first day OF June. II was