The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-21
INDIAN IS GUILTY
! Of MANSLAUGHTER
Tom Rice Hears Verdict With
Characteristic Stoicism
Of His Race.
BIDS FAMILY FAREWELL
PRISONER ANXIOUS TO LEARN
II He WILL BE SHUT UP.

After celebrating for almost two
hours, the jury in the case of Tom
Rice, the Shibwits Indian charged
with manslaughter in having on De-
.cember II. 1909. inflicted wounds OH
John Rice, another Indian, that re-
suited in his death a week later. re-
turned a verdict of guilty as charged.
The defendant received the verdict
of the jury without betraying the
least emotion, and was just as stoicai
as he had been all during the trial.
he was taken back to the county jail
by a deputy marshal, there to await
Sentence as it is not likely an appeal
viii be made. The verdict carries
with it imprisonment for a term of
years in the federal prison at Leaven-
worth
United States District Attorney Hi
ram z. Booth began summing up for
the prosecution when court convened
after the noon recess. His address TO
the jury occupied twenty minutes,
after which Edward Ferry summed
up for the defense. He pleaded that
his client had acted in Self-defenSe.
Assistant United States District Attor-
ney William McCrea made the closing
argument for the state, after which
the jury was instructed by Judge John
A Marshall.
During the time the jury was de-
lberating, Tom Rice. the accused, was
seated in the Office of the United
States marshal putting away at a CT
garette, and between puffs convers-
ing with Alice, his wife, and Sally
Rice, wife of the murdered man. His
little 7-year-old boy raced and scam
pered around the room, all unmindful
Of the impending fate of his parent
The witnesses at the trial, including
Sally and Alice Rice, were paid their
witness and mileage fees after the
jury had retired, and some time be-
fore the verdict was announced the
defendant kissed his wife and boy
goodbye
The faithful wife did not, however,
leave for home Immediately with the
remainder Of the witnesses, but lin
gered to learn the fate of her spouse.
When Rice realized, after the YER
dict of guilty had been returned, that
he was going 10 be separated from his
family, he requested that they be per-
mitted to visit him in the county jail
for a final leavetaking. This was
granted. and the woman and child
were permitted an hours conversation
with the prisoner
Rice seemed to anticipate the
Jury's verdict, and had resigned him
self to his fate before the trial was
concluded He had inquired of some
of the other Indians what kind of a
place Leavenworth was. and he
seemed to be anxious to know if there
was a farm at the prison, where he
gould work out in the open air
The trial OF the case had occupied
two days, and was unique in the an
mails of criminal trials in this city.
When the trial opened yesterday
morning. Tom Rice was placed on the
stand to testify in his own behalf. He
Is a splendid specimen of the Shibwits
tribe, large, strong and Wiry, and ac-
cording to those who know him, he is
a pretty good Indian when sober. Ac-
cOrding to the testimony of the de-
PENDANT, which was given in rather
good English, he was acting in self
defense when he struck the aged John
Itice the fatal 18th of December. Re
said John crept up behind him and
struck him in the back with a club
and that the defendant then ran rc
the woodpile, with John after him,
with an open knife in his hand; that
he picked up the ak and struck the
pursuer, and as John Rice dropped the
knife and picked up a club, he struck
him again with the ak in the back.
On his return from Caliente, New.
Tom Rice said ne beat his wife be-