Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-31

leader, replied "It'5 to your intei
est, and it is to be expected. So we /
have just got D use our own Judg- /
ment and go by the NV and the evil
dence as we see it"
"The law and the .yidence?" Joel /!
P. repeated.
"Sure,'' old Sam replied "The law
is that a Teller guilty of murder must
hang and the evidence is that you re
guilty.
do you mean that you are going
to hang me without giving me any
show for my life?" Joel P. asked mild
ly and without excite nent.
Old Sam scratched his head and
was thoughtful for minute. Ihen
he said: mo, don't reckon we ought
to do that I'm opposed to doing any
thing rash. For my part I'm IN faVor
of giving you fair trial first, then
hang you afterward. We can get up
a court here in about two minutes ana
have the whole hing over IN no
time.''
Joel P. didn't appear to be greatly
pleased by Sans suggestion, ana ne
said SO. He suggested that II thes
had already made up the mlnds 10
hang him there was no use IN going
through the mockery of a trial.
A few of the rest 1ere of Joel +. 8
opinion and said that they ought to
take him to the County seat for trlal.
But old Sam stood out for trial on the
spot.
81 don't want any man to have 1t
to say that Sam Ogg never give MIN
a fair show he said, with magnan-
unity. s'What would they know OF the
rights and wrongs OF this case down
at the county seat?''
There were a lot of cowboys pres
ent, and they said they wanted to get
! all the fun out of the thing they could,
SO they sided with Sam and voted to
| give Joel P. a trial.
Before Joel P. knew it court was
organized and old Sam was made
Judge. Sam picked out II men to act
| as a jury, and lining them up before
him held up his hand &C said:
.You do, each c. You, solemnly
swear that you will listen to the evil
dence in this case and weigh 1T we'll,
and find the prisoner guilty accord
ingly."
| The witnesses told of finding the
! body, and about the bullet holes.
4 When they got through Joel P. was
invited to make his defense, which he
did in about so words, denying every
4 thing and remarKing that he was in
nocent.
Old Sam then instructed the jury
assuming the most solemn kind OF
manner.
gents" he said, '.the evidence il
this case clearly points to the guilt o.
the prisoner. and there is nothing fol
YOU to do but ind him guilty O
course, nobody has sworn positively
3 shat he did kill the man, but all the
circumstances point SO plainly to tina
: fact that there i: room left TO
l doubt The deceased, as we know, oc
5 cunied this claim Then all at one
he disappears and the prisoner lmme
, diately is found in possession here
V Naturally, there can lie but one con
$ cjnsion. and that is the prisoie
e killed the deceased TO get possession
4 of +he claim. The prisoner, of course
denies that he is guilty, but we mus
g not let anything he says sway GU
t Sam nausea and looked around t
S see how his remarks Lad impresse
the crowd. After moment ne cleal
t ed his throat, turned to the jury an
said:
>, Gents, are you ready to retur
$ your verdict in this case, tlndlng tn
n prisoner guilty as charged?"
!. The iurymen all nodded their head
/ very solemnly. Sar then turned
u Joel P. and said:
prisoner at the bar, after a fa1
Is trial before court of justice, an hor
y est and impartial jury, Giving you til
1t benefit of all reasonable doubts, hi
found you guilty OF murder in tt
n first degree. Have You any kick
te make about judgment being passed Q
e YOU according?"
l. "As an innocent man. Joel P. r
/ piled calmly, 81 resent this outrag
IS Of course. You want to hang me witt
sr out giving me any show for my life
d Hold on there, prisoner" Sam il
terrupted. Il want to know what ye
< mean by saying you amt had no sho
IS for your life. Amt we just give W
le fair trial before eourt and jury
fe "a fine court and jury" Joel
Of said. why, you don't know any mo
y about Law and iusti than So maj