Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-11-19
LIFE TERM FOR FIVE MEN
Train Robbers Ordered to Leaven-
worth Prison Until They Die.
JUDGE MUNGER IMPOSES PENALTY
After Sentence is Pronounced Amid
Solemn Hush, Attorneys for BAN
dts Declare They VIII Take
Appeals for Quintet.

"The sentence Of the court is that you
and each of you shall be imprisoned at
hard labor in the United States penltenl-
tentiary at Leavenworth, Kan. for the
terms of your natural lives"
Such was the final chapter in the noted
Overland Limited mail robbery case, pro-
nounced in solemn accents by Judge
Thomas C. Munger in the United States
district court Thursday afternoon at 81
o'clock.
Judge Munger had informed the attor
neys for the defendants half an hour
earlier that he had decided to overrule
their motions ror new trials and for ar
rest Of judgment, and that he had directed
United States Marshal w. P. Warner to
have the prisoners William Matthews
Donald w. Woods. Lawrence ]. Golden,
Fred Torgenson and Frank Grigware
brought into court for sentence.
The prisoners were led into the court
room shortly before o'clock shackled
and under heavy guard. Their handouts
were removed in the court room Sur
rounded by deputies. they resumed the
seats in the center of the court room,
which they occupied during the two weeks
OF thei1 trial Matthews ana Grigware sat
in front, with Torgenson, Woods and
Golden Immediately behind. All of the
prisoners were neatly shaved and well
dressed. Woods had shaved off his blonde
mustache, but otherwise the convicted men
looked much as they have during the
trial.
| Grigware seemed to be the more troubled
than any other, though Matthews, Torgen-
son and Woods seemed nervous. Torgen-
son, ordinarily pale, was a shade more
| pallld than usual. Golden was the least
| disturbed and looked defiant
Women Come to Hear Sentence.
| A number of women were present in the
court room, aside from group of fifteen
or twenty other spectators, including
brother OF Goldens, who had just arrived
/ from Spokane The elder Grigware was
not in the court room, but remained out
! in the lobby with Bob Splain and one or
two Washington friends. Attorneys Fle-
harty and Macfarland sat beside their
clients and District Attorney Charles A,
Goss sat the other side of the table from
them. The rest Of the group was made up
of Pinkerton men and postoffice inspectors
and few who have attended the trial from
the start and who occupied seats back of
the bar rail-
In announcing his decision overruling the
motion for a new trial and for arrest Of
judgment, Judge Munger made care
full review Of the evidence duplicating
Matthews in the robbery and showing his
constant collusion with the other four ac-
cused men. He spoke also Of Golden's
connivance with Matthews and the other
men, and indicated that he could see no
reason for granting new trial in any Of
their cases.
do you wish to move that sentence be
pronounced at this timer" asked the court
OF Mr.. Goss.
Yes, your honor We wish sentence
passed on each of the. prisoners"
The court then asked the prisoners If
they had anything to say.
Matthews was the first to speak Il am
not guilty of this crime. l had nothing
at ell to do with II. I was at no time at
the scene Of the robbery and know nothing
about It."
All But Woods Declare Innocence.
Golden, who is really handsome young
fellow, arose from his seat with a semi
defiant air and said Il am not guilty,
your honor. l was not at Fremont the day
of the robbery, ana / was never in South
Omaha in my life, nor was 1 ever in the
vicinity Of the crime 1 have known Tor
genson but six days in all my life before
this trial. / never roomed with Torgen-
son. There are twenty-five people in
Omaha who could testify that was not at
the scene Of the robbery and who could
prove where l was every hour Of that day
and night"
He said further that he did not go under
an assumed name, and that he could not
nave been the man who came around the
head of the engine and shot at the head
light. as he was as tall as Woods, and
that the testimony showed that II was a
small man who shot al the head light
He denied that he ever carried gun or
that he ever took a drink Of liquor in his
life
Grigware had but little TO say, simply
announcing that he was not guilty Of the
crime. and that he was never In the yicin-
ity OF the crime.
Torgenson declared his innocence and
denied being a participant in the crime, OF
In the vicinity Of its commission.
The court waited a few moments and
asked II anything more was to be said
Woods remained in his seat and said moth
ing.
The court then remarked about the un-
pleasant duty that developed in passing
sentence, but indicated that the law had