The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-04-06
REMARKS |TM|CHT
NAVE BEEN WORSE
Stanley County Con-
fessed Murderer Re-
ceives Sentence.
KILLED
Crime Followed Belief That
His Victim Alienated AZ
iections of Wife.

Pierre, S. D.-William Heinz, In
the Stanley county court. was this
morning given a life sentence on his
plea of guilty to the charge of hav-
ing murdered Ralph E. Miles. The
prisoner was cool when taken into
court and showed no trace of excite
ment over what his fate was to be.
After the sentence was pronounc-
ed, the prisoner said: THAT is pref
ty bad, but 1t might have been
worse"
Heinz will be taken to the peni-
Tertiary in a few days to begin serv-
ing his sentence.
The state pardon board today rec
commended clemency for John Kellar,
sent from Hutchinson county on a
charge. of larceny.
Pierre, S. D.-No murderer ever
showed less concern over the out
come Of his crime than has William
Heinz. who entered a plea of guilty
to the charge of murder of Ralph B.
F1 4
Miller. in the Stanley county court
at Fort. Pierre, Tuesday. The crime
was evidently M of revenge, and one
for which Heinz is ready to take any
punishment meted out to him by the
court; or Heinz is really mentally de-
ranged as has been alleged, although
the jury summoned to try him on the
grounds of insanity found that he is
sane. There has been trouble of
more or less standing between the
men, who were both we'll along in
years. Heinz accused Miles of be.
ing the cause Of breaking up his fam
lily. when Mrs. Heinz brought suit for
separation, and Heinz is alleged TO
have made threats as to what he
would do. and that he would get even
with Miles.
Under such circumstances, when
about the middle of last February.
Miles was found lying dead in his
homestead shanty with three bullet
holes in his body, at least n Of
which was fired through a window
shattering the glass, Heinz was I'M
der suspicion of having committed the
crime. He vas not to be found in
in the Office of an attorney in this
city consulting in regard to the di-
vorce proceedings which were being
brought by his wife, and showing no
trace of excitement, or desire to make
a getaway. He vas arrested and
taken back to Stanley county, where
the coroner's jury found that Miles
had come to his death from gun-shot
wounds supposed to have been in
f1icted by William Heinz.
After his arrest it was alleged that
Heinz showed evidences of insanity, ,
and when the case vas called the ate
torneys appointed to defend him rails
ed the question of his sanity, and he
was placed on trial to settle that
question before further action was
taken. After a hearing of a week,
the jury brought in its verdict that
1t considered Heinz sane
A motion to put the trial over the
term was denied, and the counsel for
the defendant in the insanity hear
ing asked to be relieved Of further
conduct of the case, and were allow
ed to withdraw. Other counsel were
appointed, and to them Heinz would
make no statements as to what de-
Tense he would make, or what his
plea would be. telling them they
would learn that at the proper time.
When taken into court for his plea
his attorneys were as much in the
dark as to what he would do as was
anyone else, and when the indict-|
ment had been read to him, and he,
was asked what his plea was to the
charge, he without any emotion what
ever quietly made the plea of gull
ty' and sat down.