The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-19
Most Sensational Murder Trial
Held in Los Angeles Is at
Last Ended.
NO VERDICT REACHED
AT MIDNIGHT SATURDAY
Case Has Revealed Depth of
Human Depravity Not Often
Witnessed.


Stackpole murder trial entered on its
final day today. The case has been on
trial now eight days. All that re-
maincd to close the case when court
opened this morning was the conclusion
of the address of District Attorney
Fleming and the delivery of the instruc-
tions of the court to the jury.
At late hour tonight word came
from the juryroom that no verdict
ton of the court the jury was then
locked up for the night. Court room
gossip. tonight was that the jury had
agreed to verdict, except with regard
to punishment.
The case, which went TO the jury at
noon, has been n sensational one from
the start, and the public attendance has
been larger than that of any murder
trial in Los Angeles in years. Throngs
of people crowded the court room daily,
necessitating the clearing Of the room
every day Of all excepting seated spec
tators. On one occasion the crowd be.
came so bolsterous and unruly that they
broke through the panels of the court
room door after it had been closed to
them. The majority of the crowd has
been composed of women.
Sensational Testimony.
The testimony of Mrs. Scheck, wife
of the murdered man, was the most sen
sational adduced. She made a full and
free confession of her part of the plot
and murder, making no attempt to
shield either Stackpole or herself. She
admitted her illicit relations with
Stackpole, and told how for months
they together had planned to do away
with her husband. Her testimony
showed that poison and other methods
had been discussed, but Stackpole final
ly took all upon himself and plotted
finally the details of the murder as it
13, shortly after midnight, Mrs. Scheck
related how, according to the prear-
ranged plan between herself and Stack
pole, the latter came to the Scheck home
with a dark mask over his face and
was admitted to the bedroom Of Scheck
by herself. There he shot Schecls
twice with a pistol, once through the
head and again through the heart, kill
ing him instantly. Stackpole then left
the house, and after giving sufficient
time for him to escape, Mrs. Scheck
gave the alarm. She said two burglars
had entered the house and killed her
husband
Immediately following the Coroner's
inquest, Mrs, Scheck and Stackpole
were arrested on suspicion. Mrs.
Scheck broke down and confessed to
the. police and Stackpole at his pre-
hminary hearing was held to answer,
In his own defense, in the present
trlai, Stackpole went on the stand and
made general denial of the charge.
There was little corroborative testi-
mony on either side. A package of
ninety love letters written by Mrs.
Scheck to Stackpole and deposited by
the latter In safety deposit box. were
introduced by the prosecution, and sup
plled many Of the salacious details of
the case. The plot to murder was fully
shown IN these letters On the stand
Stackpole admitted having been con.
vlcted of robbery in Alameda county
In 1890 and in Salt Lake City in 1902.
He Is a carpenter by trade and came
formerly from Butte City He is about
"a years of age, Mrs. Scheck is 10. Her
husband was slightly older
Mrs. Scheck was scathingly arraipped
by counsel for both State and defend
ant
Stackpole, whilo waiting this after
noon for the verdict of the Jury. made
clever and almost successful effort to
escape from the building. Unnoticed
by the bailiff he strollcd out through
the door of the courtroom into the
chamber of Judge James, where an
open door led into the corridors of the
court. He had scarcely entered the
Judges chambers when the deputy
caught sight of him and sprang for the
door: The officer succeeded in rush.
ing IN front OF StaclSpole and throwing
the door shut and locking IT, He then
elapped handouts on the prisoner and
led him back into the courtroom.