The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-10-25
Penalty is Death in Electric
Chair-Appeal Will
be Taken.
JURY oEuBERATED on CASE r
ten HOURS BEFORE VERDICT
Coart's Instructions Were to Return
First or Second Degree Murder or
Acquittal Verdict-Wife Swooncd
When She Heard Rusband's Fate.
New York. Oct. 25.-The twelve
men who refused today to discuss

O'Clock this morning verdict OF frst
degree murder against Police Lieuten.
ant Charles Becker. the first Of the
seven men to be tried for the murder
day. october 80. Supreme Court Jus
tice aoff will fix time for the pris-
oner's death in the electric chair.
Gxhausted by the ordeal John F..
Mcintyre. chief counsel for the de-
tense. nevertheless began. today to
take preliminary steps looking to an
appeal and stay Of execution for
his client.
!. After having been out for ten hours
the jury returned its verdict. Judge
Goff was summoned to the court room
to receive the verdict and after It had
been read, he remanded Becker to the
Tombs until October 80 at which time
sentence will be passed. Mrs. Becker.
who was sitting outside the courtroom
swoor ed when the verdict was an
nounced.
The case will be fought out in the
court Of appeals and Becker, pacing
his cell in the tombs. expresses hope
Of the outcome. At the same time he
denounces what he styles the rigorous
impartiality in the latter's charge to
the Jury and his conduct Of the trial.
Mrs. Becker, who tainted in the cor
ridors Of the criminal court building
when breathless messenger sprint
ing for telephone shouted guilty"
was under the care Of relatives at her
home in the Bronx early today Like
her husband she never dreamed Of a
first degree verdict but rather count
ed on disagreement Of the jury.
Justice Goff 1t is understood has
'scne to the country for a rest over
IA" week end.
one Of the first places to which the
~tws cf the verdict was taken was
v. west side prison whore are quar-
."'',.d the informers Jack Rose. Sam
''I.',~!!n,?s. ...ari1sls" Webhar and Harry
"ilon, Tho four apparently expect
III a. Disagreement for> they were AA
FIST asleep with the exception of
$.,hepps. He at first was suspicious
''hen told a first degree verdict had
tann returned. Then remarked la
Mr.. Whitman is a smart man."
The keepers at the Tombs say
i:ecker did not sleep last night. Beck
or declined to make any statement be-
fore a conference with his lawyer.
Becker sat in his cell in the Tombs
while across the "Bridge Of Sighs" IN
the darkened criminal courts build
ing. twelve men struggled to deter
mine his fate. The prisoners destiny
was placed in the jury's hands yester-
day afternoon after Justice Goff
hours. The charge in effect was a rul-
ing that the guilt or innocence Of the
prisoner rested almost solely upon the
debatable point as to whether Sam
Schepps was an accomplice to the
crime. The court itself was doubt
full as to Schepps status and declined
to guide the Jurors in deciding. He
then instructed them to return a ver-
dict Of first degree murder or second
degree murder or acquit the defend
ant. Manslaughter was eliminated.
structions dealt with first degree MUIR
der the penalty for which is the cleo
trio chair.
Ask For Evidence.
Twice during the afternoon the jury
communicated with Justice Goff. The
jury asked for the stipulation made by
the state with the four informers
Rose, webber. Vallon and Schepps.
The request was granted. Later the
jury asked for the testimony Of the
persons who had talked with Schepps
In Hot Springs. This was denied be-
cause portions Of the testimony taken
at Hot Springs was excluded by the
court.
0cCkGr nOlUS Op WCtls
Becker didn't finch as Harold Skin
ner. the jury foreman. pronounced the
counsel. said he would take an imme-
diate appeal. The twelve solemn
faced Jurors flied into the court room
shortly before midnight and Becker
was brought from the Tombs. For u
moment he studied their motionless
faces. and tense silence prevailed. JUS
tice Goff entered the room and the
clerk asked the Jurors for the verdict.
ly. Becker swallowed hard. Becker's
pedigree was then taken and he an
swered the questions In a low voice.
Mcintyre. who had covered his face
with his hands when the verdict was
given. then asked that further pro-
ceedings be deferred q week. until ap-
peal motions could be prepared. Beck
Jury Debated for Eight Hours.
Jury had deliberated nearly eight
hours before reaching the verdict. AL
though the case had been In their
hands since 1880 o'clock. the actual
deliberations began at 4:07 o'clock
when the doors Of the room swung
behind them on their return from
those doors. how the debate ebbed % and
flowed who stood out eight hours
against the hnal verdict, how many
ballots were cast-these are matters
to whose secrecy each juror was
pledged. After the verdict was given
no one was allowed to leave. the room
until the jury filed out. Justice Con
had given orders that anyone disturb
Ing the proceedings In the slightest
degree should be brought before him
for punishment Two hundred per.
sons or more gathered at the court
room door. With her ear almost al
the keyhole sat the prisoners wife. AZ
the last Juror left the room. by anoth-
or exit, the door few open and q man
rushed excitedly into the corridor. The
down tho steps to the telephone booth
when q policeman shouted: "What's
the verdict?" The fleeing man looked
over his shoulder. Guilty." he shout
Cd. For moment there was silence.
keen. intense and gripping.
1t was Z Woman'S mufled scream
and the sound Of . falling body that