The Stanford interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1911-1912, 1911-09-19
LINCOLN COUNTY JURY
GIVES DEATH PENALTY.



The Lincoln county jury which
tried James Ellis ut Somerset last
week gave death verdict against
him. The Jurymen returned to their
homes her Sunday morning and were
met at the depot by friends aud re-
lativcs who congratulated them upon
their action.
A dispatch from Somerset tells of
the closing scenes of the celebrated
trial:
After being out three hours with
An hour for supper. the jury in the
ease of James Ellis, charged with
the murder of Squire Beatty at Burn
side some time ago, announced nj \
O'Clock Saturday night that they had
reached verdict. The court room
was crowded. Judge Bethurum sent
Tor the prisoner and upon his arrival
the Jury was brought in y. u. Den
ham rs foreman. read the verdict.
He said, Eve. the jury. find the de-
PENDANT guilty aud fix his pcualty
at death"
Each Juror said il was his verdict
Fills showed no sign of weakeneing
and his expression changed bat little.
His wife threw herself ~ his arms
and cried. HIS sister also erred aloud
Ellis tried To peciiy them. His chill
drcr hung to his neck. On Tuesday
Judgc Bethurum will set the day fo:
execution.
This IL the first death penalty in
flicted in the court~thcrc for larry
years. A great crowd M Burnside
citizens was present To hear the YER
diet The jury on the first ballot ,ot
ell guilty, one iuryman mir. j. NJ.
isitnrl holding out for life sentence
eleven were for death. On the Sec
ond ballot the verdict for the death
pennltv was unanimous.
The trial of lIelton will be called
~ Tuesday. JUDGE Bethurum has
sent To- Casey county for - jury.
Most of Saturday was taken up
with arguments. The defense fin
ished it, evidence AT 10 o'clock af-
ter which the prosecution offered sew
eral witnesses TO prove Heath, good
character Uuited States Attorney
Edwin =. Morrow spoke first for the
state aud he IN most dramati"
way pictured the murder of Beatty
and Heath aud all that led ND To IL.
liz picture at the grief-~tricken
mother when she was bruiallv order
ed away from the body of her son
immediately following he killing
brought tears Ia the eyes of suany
spectator. and Ellis sister. who has
been constantly in the court room
could not control her emotion. The
sobs of Mrs.. Beatty could he heard
over the hushed court room. Mr.
Morrow spoke for AN hour aud half
All the while that J. y. Sharp was
speaking in his behalf Ellis held hi,
smallest child IN his lap while the
Others PLAYED about his knees Wher
Sharp would make u good point ia
his speech. a. Ellis thought he. would
smile and nod his head. Sharp
spoke for nearly two hours aud was
ihe only one to speak for the defense
lie said that no two witnesses had
testified Ia the same thing in the
trial that every one of them saw the
tragedy IN n different way; that he
did not see how jury could send
man To- death in the electric chair
under such circumstances. Sharp
pointedlv called attention of jury ~
array of legal talent for the prose.
cution that filled the entire side of
IN. court-r room. lie minated quite
broadly that Eli, wa, being perse-
cItrd intead of prosecuted. that
wealth WAS arrayed against AN mno-
cent pnTtV.
commonwealth Attorney Jarvis
closed the ease at } o'clock, when
the Jury retired to its room Ia con
slider its verdict. Jarvis addressed
the jury for nearly two hours. plead
for n verdict of murder in the first
degree.
IL will not read the instructions of
the court a. to manslaughter. for
they do not, in my opinion. proper
Nv enter the case. This was murder
an the FIRST degree"
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nEasAsaAAs