The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-20
Jury Quickly COnvicts Him on
Charge of Sweating
Gold Coins.
SENTENCE FIXED FOR
SATURDAY MORNING
Defendant Is Visibly Affected
When the Verdict Is
Returned.

Eben J. Gregory. who, for the past
three days, has been on trial in the
United States District court, before
Judge Marshall, on the charge of
"sweating" gold coins, was found
guilty by the jury which heard mis- case
Thursday afternoon on three Of the four
counts of the indictment. Gregory will
be brought before Judge Marshall Sat
urday morning for sentence. The maxi.
mum sentence, which can be imposed on
the charges of which he is found guilty,
is five years Imprisonment on each
count and fine Of $4,000 on each. Tt
is expected that he will be sentenced
on only one or two OF the counts, which
means that long term in the United
States prison awaits him.
The counts upon which Gregory was
convicted were the first, second and
fourth. The first two were for pass
ing lightened gold coins, and the fourth
with having used nitric and muriatic
acid as means OF tightening the coins.
II had been expected that when court
opened Thursday morning Assayer F.
NJ. Bishop, who had previously testi-
fled in the case, would again be put
on the stand. Mr.. Bishop had been
asked to make some further tests of
one OF the slugs, which had been an
exhibit for the government, to ascer-
tain whether or not it contained plati-
num- He had testified that it did not,
but counsel for the defense believed
otherwise, and the matter was again
submitted to Mr., Bishop. With the
and was not called. This was taken TO
mean that he had found upon his sec.
ond test exactly what he did on tho
first, that there was not platinum in
the slug. which was in direct contra.
diction 10 the testimony given by Gre.
CORY himself
Argument to Jury.
Attorney Frank Hoffman. counsel for
the defendant, at once began his argu.
ment 70 the jury, and, after a lengthy
address, asked the jury to find his client
innocent, as the government had failed
TO show that he was guilty of the al
legged charges.
Hiram Il. Booth, United States dis
trict attorney, followed Mr. Hoffman,
and stated the case in a clear. concise
manner Judge Marshall instructed the
jury, explaining the law which gov
erned the case, and also enlightening
the jurors upon the various counts re-
turned III the Indictment. The Jury
left the courtroom TO consider the evi.
dence at 1915 O'Clock and remained
out only little over an hour and
half, when they announced their de-
sire to 90 to dinner. They returned
shortly after clock, and at 2;20
sent word TO the court that they had
agreed upon verdict. They had taken
but one informal ballot
Gregory had been in the office of
United States Marshal Smyth, where he
had been in conversation with his wife,
brother and his little child. As soon
as tho announcement of the Jury had
been received, Gregory was taken into
the courtroom, and, when the foreman
was asked the verdict, Gregory stood
erect and never moved j muscle.
Gregory Turns Pale.
Gregory seemed TO read the verdict
before it was made known, but with
the coming OF the words "guiltvn
instant, shut his jaws with q snap and
sat down His wife, who. through
all the months of his confinement in
the county Jail and his trial, has stood
so steadfastly by him. was not in the
courtroom at the time the verdict was
announced. She apparently knew what
was awaiting her, and remained in the
office of Marshal Smyth. Judge Mar
shall recommitted Gregory TO the
county Jail to await sentence, and the
prisoner was led into the marshal's OF.
flee There he told his wife Of the
verdict. 1t was 4 tremendous strain
upon her, but she stood it nobly, never
indicating 20 her convicted husband the
suffering she was enduring on his ac-
count.
Whether the charge Of having a
counterfeiting outfit in his possession
will be pushed by the government, or
On On motion m ion OF Judge Booth fsV # was .ing, nnt
over to the April term of the court.
The general opinion is that if Gregory
receives heavy penalty, the case will
never be tried, while, should he get off
with light penalty, the case will be
heard next April.
Yellow supper at First PRESBYTERIAN
oh, =.