Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-26
KNOWN AS E. J. MACDONALD
Capital Punishment Eliminated,
Life Sentence in Prison Imposed.
QUALIFIED VERDICT RETURNED
Defendant Punished for Killing
Woman Who Had Discovered
She Was Bigamous Wife.

Guilty of murder in the first degree,
without capital punishment, was the ver-
dict rendered at 10 o'clock this morning
by the jury in the case of George A.
Gillette, alias Edward ]. Macdonald. JUS
tice Barnard Immediately sentenced the
prisoner to life Imprisonment
Former District Attorney ID. w. Baker,
of counsel for the defense. informed the
court no motion for a new trial will be
made. The prisoner probably will be TAX
en- to the federal penitentiary at Atlanta,
Ga, within the next few days. where he
will be confined the balance of his life
The qualified verdict was expected. and
is generally regarded as a victory for the
defense That 1t was enlinently salts
factory to the defendant was apparent
from the expression on his pallid fea-
lures.
Owing to the fact that the Jurors ap-
parently had not selected foreman ana
to their evident failure to properly grasp
the scope of their powers in deciding upon
a verdict the prisoner was subjected to
an uncomfortable thirty seconds and the
crowd which filled Criminal Court No 2
was given a decided thrill when the result
of their deliberations was called for.
Jury Responds in Chorus.
After the jurymen had answered to
their names and Clerk Lemon had asked
them if they had reached a verdict they
answered they had.
Guilty or not guilty." asked the clerk.
Guilty" they answered in chorus.
Then there was pause, during which
no person in the room moved. The al
ready sharp lines Of dissipation that
marked the face Of the prisoner became
even more clearly defined and he seemed
to shr1vel inches in size.
Then the jurymen glanced from one to
another, obviously at a loss what next
to do, counsel for the defense started
to rise and there was muffled sound as
the spectators shifted uncomfOrtably in
their seats.
dressing the clerk, asked IL the jury
might qualify it's verdict. Answered In
the affirmative, he then announced the
defendant had been found guilty OF muir.
der i'll the first G-gree, without capital
punishment. The prisoners face bright,
O'Shea of the defense exchanged glance
of relief and the spectators, who had been
literally holding their breath, broke into
a low hum of whispered exclama.sons.
Asks for Immediate Sentence.
District Attorney Wilson requested the
court to Immediately impose sentence,
whereupon Justice Barnard stated the
law provided imprisonment for life IN
the penitentiary and that that was the
sentence of the court. Justice Barnard ask
ed the prisoner IL he had any statement
to make, Macdonald replying in low
tones he had nothing to say. Attorney
Baker then informed the court that
counsel for the defense would not file a
motion for q new trial, and Macdonald
was escorted by a United States marshal
back to his cell from where he Will be
removed to the District jail to await the
trip to Atlanta.
The trial of Macdonald, who was
charged with shooting to death in the
Colorado building May "a last. his biga-
nous wife, Gertrude Shaw, opened Tues
day morning and furnished number OF
sensations, chief among which was the
appearance of his lawful wife, Mrs.
Agnes Meagher Gillette Of New York, to
testify in his behalf.
Case Submitted Yesterday.
The case went to the jury at LII
o'clock yesterday afternoon. At o'clock.
when there was apparently no immediate
prospect of a verdict being reached. the
Jury was ordered locked up for the night.
According to report a verdict practically
was agreed upon before the jurymen re-
tired last night, and it was definitely de-
cided upon before breakfast this morn
ing. so there was no delay, the verdict
being rendered promptly on the opening