The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-29
VANCE CONVICTED
OF WIFE MURDER
Continued from PAGE 1.


,rr Hanchett said: II hope if there
has been a mistake that it will be dis
novered before il is too late, but the
iurv undoubtedly aid their duty as they
saw it."
zone person is back of all this trou-
HE" said Mrs. Vance, undoubtedly al
Iuding TO Mrs. Amanda Ward sister of
Mrs. Mary Vance. "She has colored all
this up against him. From this time on
that woman win go downward" Mrs.
vance gesticulated wildly and her voice
mas so choked with passion as TO be al
most indstinsuishable. II do not see
how you could have arrived at the the
ory that Tom Vance poisoned his WIFE
Mr. Hanchett, obviously embarrassed
by the unforeseen attack of Mrs. Vance,
but not daunted, said: Eliminate the
charge that Thomas Vance poisoned his
wife if you wish. Even then there are
two witnesses who saw the prisoner
strike, beat and kick this woman"
Mrs. Vance was greatly angered by
this reply, and said: Yes. but ii is a
disgrace to the state OF Utah that a lit
tie girl Of the age of Lena Vance should
be allowed to go upon the stand and
swear away the life of her father after
she he'd been tutorsd by such woman
referring to Mrs. Amanda Ward).
MIR. Hanchett, with admirable pa
tience. replied; Strike out the testi-
mony Of Lena Vance. if you will. Who
tutored the Syrian woman. the peddler,
who saw Vance strike and kick his
wife?'
Mrs. Vance was at "A loss for an an
sWer, but reiterated her statement that
IL was shame that the little girl had
been allowed TO testify against her IA
Their.
Mrs. Vance was then led away by her
husband, who realized that she was
making herself conspicuous by her at
tacks on the jury. She left after vain
ly hunting for her umbrella, which had
been carefully distracted while she was
In the midst OF her TRADE
Discussion With Attorney.
While nearly all the jurors were pres
ent, J. Abbott MaEinnis son of Judge
Maginnis, and associate counsel for the
defense, evidently smarting under the
verdict against him, came into the coun-
" clerks office and said to the jury:
My God, how could you arrive at such
a verdict?"
Mr.. Hanchett again acted as spokes-
man for the whole jury. and entered
into a discussion of the evidence of the
case with Maginnis. in which he pre-
scented the impression made on the jury
b. the evidence with clarity and con-
ciseness. ASter a discussion of the
main points Of the case. Mr.. Hanchett
alluded to the evidence shown by the
state proving that Vance was amply
able to reach the glass of water at the
bedside OF his wife, and the extent of
his reach which was measured by r. c.
Loofbourow, he said: IF there were
not present in his testimony upon the
stand all the elements of guilt, I don't
know what you would cali them. 1t
was proved absolutely that Mrs Vance
came to her death through poison, and
the evidence tends to show that Vance
had both the opportunity and the desire
to administer the poison to her.
Vance Hangs Himself.
In answer to direct question by Ma
ginnis as to how Mr.. Hanchett thought
the defense had been conducted. Mr.
Hanchett paid high compliment to the
attorneys for the defense. and stated:
You left no stone unturned." Mr. Han
chett continued:
Up 10 the time Vance himself took
the stand. ! am speaking for myself
now, my mind was made up 10 return
a verdict of murder in the second de-
gree, that is. as I understand murder in
the second degree. 1 thought that the
verdict might be possibly stretched to
murder in the first degree. with a rec
concentration for mercy. When Vance
took the stand in his own behalf, he
had not testified for more than ten or
fifteen minutes before ! myself could
see, and I believe I speak for all the
jurors, when l say they could see, that
Vance was reeking with guilt We did
not condemn Vance TO hang. He con-
demned himself"
Mr.. Maginnis then spoke of the testi-
mony of Amanda Vance and of her evil
dent aninus against the prisoner. and
Mr.. Hanchett said: 1.-THE testimony of
Amanda Ward went for little with the
jury. and for absolutely nothing so far
as 1 myself am concerned. If Il had
been eliminated entirely il would not
have affected the result of the verdict.
She was naturally prejudiced against
Vance, and full of spleen against the
man she thought had murdered her sis
ter" Maginnis then referred to the
prejudice which had been melted by the
stories IN the newspapers. both during
the trial and at the time Of the death
OF Mrs. Vance. This was also alluded
10 by Mrs \. B. Vance
Not Prejudiced by Newspapers.
Mr. Hanchett replied: Thomas Vance
mad as fair and impartial hearing as
was ever given a man Both sides ,,-a~a