The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-12-09

was pale. District Attorney Fred
ericks made a brief statement Of the
case. reading the prisoners confession
for the first time. As he spoke the
court room was still. James B. Nc
Namara stared hard out of window.
There are two sentences" said Mr.
Fredericks with deliberation, (which
the court may pronounce. possibly of
equal severity. One Is death and the
other Is life Imprisonment However.
in the minds Of a great many persons,
and. possibly In the mind Of the de-
fendant U do not know. but / assume)
the sentence Of imprisonment for life
would be considered In some degree
less punishment than death.
There has been no dickering or
bargaining in this matter. Counsel on
the other side are we'll aware Of the
usual custom of granting some degree
Of consideration to g. defendant who
has pleaded guilty, not on the ground
of mercy. but on the ground Of service
to the State.
This defendant has pleaded guilty.
BY so doing he has settled that which
for all time, in the minds Of a great
many. would have been a doubtful
question. He has served the State
In other ways. and II Is my Judgment
that some small degree Of considera-
ton should be extended to him be-
cause Of that fact"
To that point the prisoner was
calm and unmoved. but the Judge
startled him.
'The court" began Judge Bordwell.
turning to the prisoner With an in
quiring look. desires to ask you one
question and one only Mr.. McNa-
mara. You have stated in the writing
which the district attorney had read
that you placed 16 sticks Of dynamite
known as 80 per cent pure. in The
Times building and caused 1t to be
exploded. The question ask you Is
this: Did you seek to purchase. for
that same purpose. dynamite of a
higher degree Of percentage
The defendant paused and seemed
to lose his composure. Finally ne
spoke:
mo. your honor. no SIR"
"You did not?"
''No. SIR"
There Is very little. or no ray Of
comfort. Mr.. Mcnamara" continued
Judge Bordwell. ''in the assertion by
you that you did not intend to de-
story life. The widows and orphans
and the bereaved parents will look
on that statement at this time as
mockery The circumstances are
against YOU In making any such claim
A man who would put IS sticks Of
so per cent dynamite In a building
full Of explosives Il do not now refer
to the explosives Of which you may
have had no knowledge. really
mean combustible materially say
that man who. under these circum-
stances would place a dynamite charge
Of that quantity In such a building.
In which you. as a printer. knew gas
was burning In many places, and in
which you knew there were scores Of
human beings toiIing. must have had
no regard whatever for the lives
OF his fellow beings. He must have
been a murderer at heart.
"You well merit the maximum pun
ishment prescribed by law"
The prisoner quivered and his head
dropped. He twisted his fingers in
his hands behind him and then lifted
his head again.
THAT the judgment of the court
does not condemn you to death upon
the gallows Is due to the existence Of
no extenuating circumstances what
ever but because 1t appears to the
court the part Of wisdom to do other
wise.
1t Is the judRr ont of he court
that as a punishment FOR he crime
OF murder in the first Cc,-ree. to
which you have pleaded .ui'ty YOU
shall be confined in aa " 9-'.on
OK this State. at San Qu.u,. and
during your natrrcl NAV
be seated"
Apparently relieved 1~ 49,. Il, one
could be with n life sent nee con-
fronting him, the pr 'oner sat down
beside his brother w o then arose.
After the court had read the in
dictment. charging that John ]. Nc
Namara had pleaded guilty to having
caused the destructicn Of the Llewel-
lyn Iron Works the district attornev