Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-01-25

SoNSu AAoih tue Auii penalty OF lnS
law and avoiding giving his life on the
gallows to pay for taking a life, only
through the plea for clemency by the
jury which tried him, Albert Tyler is
now serving life(O sentence in the
Maryland Penitentiary.
AS told in The Capital yesterday,
Tyler was found guilty of first degree
murder, for the killing of his son-in-
law, Robert w. J. Robinson, in the
Circuit Court yesterday afternoon and
when Court convened this morning,
Chief Judge William II. Thomas and
Judge James K. Brashears had been
handed petition signed by all the
twelve jurors, asking that he be
given the lightest sentence possible
for his crime.
Immediately upon the opening Of
Court the twelve men who formed the
jury took their seats in the jury box
at the order of the Court, and were
addressed by Chief Judge Thomas,
who said that the Court wanted to
know if the petition for lighter SEN
tence had been considered by them in
their deliberations in the jury room
when they were arriving at their YER
dict. He Immediately received affir-
native assurances from each of the
jurors and the further statement that
the petition had then been agreed
upon but had not been presented with
the verdict because of the fear of
legally complicating matters.
Tyler was then brought into the
Courtroom from the little cell adjoin-
ing. He had spent restless and al
most sleepless night and showed plain
ly the effects Of the strain he had
been under and the ordeal he had still
to pass through. His natural stoop-
shouldered pose was increased, but he
walked steadily through the crowded
aisles to the prisoners dock and set
thing back in the chair it contained,
never took his eyes from the faces Of
the judges, gazing steadily first at
Judge Thomas and then at Judge Bra
shears.
albert Tyler, have you anything to
say why sentence should not be pass
ed upon you by this Court?'' said
Chief Judge Thomas.
Intense silence and utter stiffness
prevailed through out the Court room,
while every eye in the crowded room
was leveled at the murderer.
"No, sir" said Tyler, in a steady,
though somwehat husky voice, as he
grasped the arms of his chair and half
rose from his seat.
Judge Thomas then told the prison
er how the petition of his Jurors,
and that alone, had saved him from
the gallows.
"You have been fairly tried, ably
defended, and, so far as the Court
could observe, no proper and legal
effort was left unperformed in your
behalf. Your case was given to a
jury of twelve honest and upright
men and you have been found guilty
of murder in the first degree, and
the Court entirely agrees with the
finding Of the jury.
Your crime was the most vi.
eious and outrageous that has ever
come within my observation since
have been on the bench. The DISPOSE
ton Of the Court, without the petition
of the jury would be to impose upon
you the higher penalty of the law. We
cannot ignore this recommendation
as to do so might have the effect of
| lie aiding Jurors not to do their full duty
since this jury took it's petition into
consideration when reaching its YER
dict.
1--WE feel that you would have de.
served the highest penalty of the
law, but at the same time feel that
we are constrained to heed the petit.
ton for lighter sentence. The SEN
tence of the Court is therefore, that
you be confined in the Maryland Pen
itentiary during the period of your
/ natural life.
During the administration of this
rebuke and the sentence which fol-
lowed it, Tyler sat staring straight
before him and at the Judge. He
showed no feeling, either of relief OF
distress and after the verdict had beer
formally entered in the docket, wa:
carried back to the small cell, where
he was allowed to see and talk with
Walter Tyler, his favorite son, and
the one who took his part in the Tyler
family quarrels.
In the meantime the commitment t
the Penitentiarv was being made GU
by Deputy Clerk Woodward. Whel
this was done and the paper had beer
given to the Sheriff, the prisoner wa
again brought through the Cour
room and out of the building by wa,
Of the private room Of thu Judges.