Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1909-04-23
WILL SUFFER THE PENALTY.
James A. Barton, the Murderer, is
Sentenced to Penitentiary for Life.

James A. Barton, the Murderer, is
Sentenced to Penitentiary for Life.
Monday morning James A. Barton,
the self confessed murderer of Ste
phen d. and Annie r. Ticker, was
arraigned in the circuit court before
Judge McGee and after the reading of
the information charging him with the
murder of Stephen ID. Tucker, thru
his attorney, G. Nj. Cleveland, took the
statutory time to make his plea. Tues
day morning he was again called into
court to enter his plea. which was.
guilty.
Barton is man about twenty seven
years old, light complicated, is about
five feet and ten inches tsll, and at the
time of his hearing seemed to be very
composed and not the least bit ner
vous. He showed no outward signs of
emotion other than that his voice as
he answered the several questions put
to him by Judge MCGEE was a tritle
husky.
After entering the plea of guilty,
the sheriff was directed to return him
to his cell until two o'clock on the fol
lowing day when sentence would be
passed.
Yesterday the court room was
packed at the time for court to open.
Barton was brought in by Sheriff
Jensen about five minutes prior and
seemed tritle uneasy. When or
dered by the judge to stand up, he
took his position and several times
was noticed to wipe his eyes with his
handkerchief. The judge then ad-
dressed him as follows:
"Mr. Barton you heard read the in
formation charging you with the crime
of murder, and you having been ar
raigned on the Goth day of this month
and on the Dist day of this month you
entered your plea of "Guilty" to the
charge in that information Have you
anything to say at this time, or your
counsel, as to why sentence should not
be passed upon you?"
Attorney, G.. M. Cleveland, then
arose and addressed the court as fol
lows: 81 desire to read few aflida-
Wits which have One the affidavit
of prosecuting attorney of the county
in which he lived for time, which is
as follows in part, "That during my
term OF office as States Attorney from
January LIST, 1903 to the 18th day OF
December, 1907, James Barton was ar
rested in this county for forgery, and
had charge of the procution of the
case against him as prosecuting at
torney. Barton was then young
man attending business college in this
city. Immediately after his arrest. DR..
IL. Williams, then practicing physi-
clan of high standing in the communi-
ty, made and affidavit as to young
Barton's mental condition and the
cause of such condition that led me
to make an investigation Of his re-
sponsibility for his acts. He was ex
amined by several physicians and they
advised me Mr.. Barton was of unsound
mind and irresponsible for his acts.
also have several statements of his
own neighbors and statements of men
whom | know to be creditable, but
from my own conversation ! came to
the conclusion that he ought not to be
punished for the acts when i'm such
mental condition, so did not prosecute
him
| learned from his folks that he was
bitten by mad dog in infancy when
about five years of age, that the bite
had effect in a peculiar way and that
when about eighteen he suffered Il SO
we're spell of Typhoid fever; there was
DO absolute cause for the crime of
forgery he made in this county, for
he was not in need of money and he
made no effort whatever to conceal the
crime he had committed He acknow-
ledged it when questioned about it
.AhA oSCdlc1 w bLllIlh IL WAS proper
l was advised by physicians at that
time that he would in all probability
never be restored to his right mind,
and dismissed the case for the reason
aforesaid''
Another affidavit of George B.
Campbell to the effect that he had
known Barton since his birth and up
to the time that he left that part of
the country a few years ago, and knew
his father and mother who reside on a
farm near Odessa, Missouri That his
parents are highly respected in the
community and we'll to do That
Campbell was engaged in the real
estate business at Odessa, Missouri for
several years. and while engaged in
said business the said Barton applied
to buy a tract of land consisting of
about eighty acres aud appeared as he
said for himself and for his father.
1 That Barton said be had no money to
buy the land but that he had made ar.
engagements With his mother Whereby