Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-10-28

| Hyatt viii assist county ATTORNEY
Trucker in the prosecution.
Tom Basket had fight in his sa-
loon Saturday, in which he threw
one Mr.. House through the glass
door, and for which he ought to have
been arrested. He fought Roll Brew
er and his daughter late in the day.
If the officers, whose duty it is to
keep the peace and arrest law break
ers, had done their duty, Basket
would have been in Jail and the
blood of an innocent man would not
now be upon his hands.
THE BASKET TRIAL.
The trial of Tom Basket for the
murder of Richardson was held at
the February term, 1889. The jury
finally selected consisted of Peter
Leksell, of Marion township; Lars L..
endrickson, Of Hamilton; P. "A.
Swanson, of Lyon; J. H. Sweeney, of
Lyon: o. n. Silvernail, of Williams;
Geo. w. Kroskup, Of Marion; David
Hook. of Marion: H. e. Daily, of
Webster: Alex Thompson, of Lyon;
E. B. Miller, of Independence; Fred
Lente, of Liberty; Joe Evans, OF Mar
ion.
A graphic description of the trial
appeared in the Freeman of March
9Th and we reproduce it here:
Such is the verdict in the Basket
trial. The case was given to the
jury at o'clock p. m. last Thurs
day, and at II o'clock the same ev-
eng they returned with the verdict:
1--WE, the jury, find the defendant
guilty of murder in the second de-
gree"
Last week we published a sum-
mary of the greater part of the evil
dence Nothing substantially favor
able to the accused was eyinced
from any subsequent testimony.
The judgment of the court will be
pronounced upon the verdict on Fri
day of this week, after which Thorn
as Basket will become one of the
wards, so to speak, of the state Of
Iowa. This case has been on trial
for eight consecutive days, and ev-
cry inch of the ground was stub
bornly contested. The state was rep
resented by County Attorney Tucker,
assisted by Hon. ]. l.. Kamrar, OF
this city, and Hon. NJ. D. Mcconnell,
of Fort Dodge; the defense by d. c.
Chase. At the outset it became mali-
ifest that on the part of counsel for
the defense it was daring, skillful.
tactician leading a forlorn hope.
Technically and legally, the trial
was a battle of giants in which the
accused struggled against the newt
able
The facts in this case are still
fresh in the minds of the Freeman
readers. 1t will be remembered that
Tom Basket was on trial for shoot
ing James Richardson on the Esd
day of June last--the crime being
committed under such circumstance
of atrocity that he was promptly In
dicted for murder in the first de-
gree. It will also be recalled that
the coroner's jury impanelled to sit
upon the case the day following the
commission of the crime-compCsed
of c. r. Fenton, J. NJ Funk and S
s. Doak-declared that "the deceas-
ed came to his death by pistol shot
in the hands of Thomas Basket, anC
that the shooting was wilful, ma
licious and premeditated.
The sole reliance of the defendant
upon the trial was in the plea O
self-defense: and never was suci
plea urged with more persistence
ingenuity and legal ability, than up
on this occasion by D. c. Chase. Th'
summing up of the case, which occu
pied nearly a day and a half, was ;
forensic treat-barring its crimina
association-andt the court room wa
filled as it never was filled before
Hundreds were unable to get within
, hearing, after the court room AM
it's avenues had been crammed +
SUI ffocation. During this ordeal tn
defendant, to all appearances, wa
q an indifferent spectator to the dram
in which he played so conspicuous
q part, except for a few moments hi
n eyes moistened as his counsel dreN
= vivid picture of Basket and hi
p three young children-making
, most touching appeal to the jur
that justice might be tempere
q with mercy" 1t may be added,
the credit OF human sympathy tina
there were but few dry eyes in a
that vast audience under this stil
Il ring and eloquent appeal The pie