The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-12-06
VERDICT RETURNED LAST
NIGHT AFTER SO BALLOTS
Prisoner, Who Appears Nervous for
First Time Since Trial Began, is
Plainly Reheved-Later Persists
In His Innocence and Says ver-
dict is Unjust.

Guy Van Tassel. the professional
ban man" who on the night OF Nov.
is. 1906. shot and killed Policeman
Luke Fitzpatrick at Sixty-third street
in Chicago a few hours after he and
his pal. Charles Hanson. had robbed
the safe in J. ]. Austgen's grocery on
South Holman street. In Hammond.
has been given a term OF life imprison-
ment at Joliet J. ]. Austgen was
one Of the witnesses against Van Tas-
sell
The verdict was returned last night
in Judge Kersten's court after the jury
had been out more than seven and
one-half hours. and after thirty nine
ballots had been taken. The jury re-
tired at 12:45 o'clock.
on the first ballot seven Jurors
voted for the death verdict. which was
asked for by Assistant States Attorney
Short. on the second ballot the vote
stood six for hanging and six for life
| Imprisonment. Until 6 O'Clock the
1 votes remained the same The dis
cusslon during the afternoon was hot
and at times the voices of the jurymen
could be heard In the courtroom.
After dinner the men IN favor OF
hanging began to weaken, and on sue
cessive ballots the vote for death
dropped until only two held out for
that penalty.
An 9:20 o'clock 1T became unanimous
for life Imprisonment.
Prisoner shows His Relief.
The long delay had affected the
nerve Of Van Tassel, and when he was
taken in to hear the result, for tho
first time during the trial he was
plainly nervous. When the verdict OF
life imprisonment was read he ap-
peared relieved.
Later, when he had regained his
nerve, he expressed the opinion that
the verdict was unjust and persisted
in his declaration OF innocence.
There wasn't one OF the states
witnesses" he said, that dared to look
Every one of them perjured them
selves"
Mildred Baumeister, the Michigan
City girl who testified that Van Tas-
sci was with her the night the police
man was killed. remained until the
verdict was read She was not per-
mitted to see Van Tassel. Mrs. Edin-
cott his mother, was not in court
Murder After Robbery.
Policeman Fitzpatrick was killed at
the Madison avenue station of the
South Side Elevated railway at ] a.
M, on November 10, 1906 The police
: had been notified that a safe had been
I blown at Hammond. and had been
5 warned to be on the lookout for the
two men.
? Fitzpatrick was sent TO the elevated
! station, where connections are made
: with the cars from Indiana towns. He
, saw Charles Hanson and Van Tassel on
the platform and went up 10 talk with
: them One of the men reached for
weapon and Fitzpatrick tried to get
his own weapon from his pocket. His
heavy Uniform coat hampered him and
before he had unbuttoned two buttons
Hanson shot him twice.
Policeman Murphy, who accompanied
patrick, was backed down stairs by
Van Tassel, who later fired more shots
into the PROSTATE body OF Fitzpatrick
Hanson later was captured and tried
and sentenced TO life imprisonment in
Joliet.
Van Tassel escaped and was arrested
last September in California. While II
the county Jail he made two unsuc-
eessful efforts TO escape.