The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-21
Trial, Conviction and Sen
fence Of Wilson to EleC-
trio Chair in Record Time.
MURDERER UNAFFECTED
Slayer Of Romer First Victim OF
Electric Chair in State to Be
Sentenced From This County.
To Die Week of March 2.
His Story of the Crime.

hours to try, convict and sentence to
the electric chair George Wilson. alias
Williams, the negro murderer of Fred
erick r.. Romer, the Orange under
taker, in the Court of Oyer and Termi-
ner before Judge Jay Ten Eyck yes
terday. The negro, according to his
own confession, battered the under
Hotel, Orange, on December ID last,
and will pay the penalty some time
during the week beginning March 2
next in the death chamber at the State
Prison in Trenton.
Wilson was taken back to the county
Jail Immediately after the conclusion
of the trial and sentence and remained
as cool as at any time, and with the
same animal-like lack of feeling. He
alto his supper heartily and slept we'll
during the night. He made no criti-
clsm at any time of any incident in
connection with his trial.
Tho trial and sentence establish a
record for speed unparalleled in the
criminal history of the county, and
probably the State.
The trial was begun shortly after 10
o'clock. At $40 O'Clock in the after
noon the jury went out. and fifteen
minutes after that Foreman Albert
Mink. IT,, had said Guilty of murder
in thef first degree and within five min
utes more the sentence of death was
pronounced. The prisoner heard the
.-.a..4 ...4l, :, 90 raagtia min anA fol-
lowing that came the first sentence to
death in the electric chair passed in
Essex County.
On the conclusion of the testimony
the lawyers, George A. Douglas, for the
murderer. and Prosecutor Henry Young,
summed up the evidence and then the
judge delivered the charge.
He reviewed the testimony, with
the law laid down for the benefit OF the
Jurors, telling them that there was but
one way of looking at the case and
that was that the negro had taken a
human life while committing a felony,
and that was murder in the first de-
gree.
After the jury. returned and delivered
the verdict Prosecutor Young moved
that sentence be imposed upon h pris-
bleI, anu tie WAS plbuSll ltOli thO PSb
under heavy constabulary guard.
II see no reason why the case should
nor be disposed of at this time" said
The Judge. who hen turned to Wilson
n put the formal inquiry:
.TIave you anything to say why judg-
ment should not be pronounced?"
"Only what l said before, that 1 did
not go in there to rob anybody or muir
der anybody"
'grhe verdict of the jury settled that
question: came from the court. "rhe
only question now is as to the impo-
sition of the sentence.
''The sentence is that you be taken to
the county Jail, from whence you came
and there be kept in strict custody, and
from thence you be taken by the Sheriff
within ten days after the warrant has
been served and delivered to the prin-
cipal keeper of the State Prison, to be
kept in solitary confinement until the
week beginning Monday, March 2, 1908,
and when. some day within the said
week., at his discretion as to time and
within the walls of the building pro-
vided by the Board of Inspectors OF
State Prisons for that purpose, or with
in the land or enclosure adjoining there
W. Lip pllAlNipdl h0NpSi VI biO Sdlu
State Prison shall execute the punish
inent of death upon you by causing tc
pass through your body a current OF
electricity of sufficient intensity tt
cause death as speedily as possible, the
APPLICATION of such current to be con-
tinued until you be dead.
Wilson's story oil the stand yester,
day Afternoon was in line with the con,
fession he made
'And MAJ the Lord nave mercy or
your soul"
II didn't have any money in my
pockets he said in answer to ques
tions by his counsel, land 1 dldn'
have an oVercoat all winter. l fell
awful cold and went into the hotel colo
and friendless and I said to myself, .
used to work for Mr.. Kieb,' and l wen
down to the cellar to get warm, be
cause l was awfully cold. I was dow
there for almost fifteen minutes befor,
Mr.. Kieb came down. He came dow
twice, looking at the furnace. Fl,
didn't see me. I heard somebod!
coming downstairs and l gets tn
shaker. as ] knew l had no bushes
in the place and was likely to get muir
dered.
After that | went upstairs to tn
attic. I didn't go into the street, be
cause I was hungry and felt the ba
* effects of the weather. / was in tn