Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1913-04-03
S|NGO IS
Gull Y Of
MURDER
Such Is the Virdict Brought
in by the Jury in Cir
cult Court.
VICTORY FOR PROSECUTION
Sentence Will Be From
Seven to Fourteen Years
for Crime.
VICTORY FOR PROSECUTION

The trial of the State of Wisconsin
against Martin Singo came to a close
today at 1900 o'clock by the jury
bringing In verdict Of guilty of muir
der In the third degree.
This is the first murder trial that has
occurred In Sank county for genera
sion almost and only one other within
the knowledge of the residents of the
city.
District Attorney j. II. Hill filed an
information for murder in the first de-
gree which includes and puts at issue
all the degrees of homicide, including
iustifiable and excusable homicide.
The defendant entered plea of not
guilty and defended on the theory of
self-defense.
The theory of the state in this case
was that the defendant smarting under
the provocation of Squabbie In
saloon at Merrimack went ont of the
door and was followed afterward by
the deceased. That when Peter n avich,
the man now dead, came out OF the
door he saw the defendant Singo there
and either in continuance of the
suuabble which had ensued in the sa-
loon or because of some new reason ap-
bearing at that time he gave the de-
PENDANT a push which sent him
stumbling down the steps, across the
sidewalk near hitching post in front
of the saloon. That the defendant at
that time had the drawn knife in his
possession, though not seen by any of
the witnesses, and that he got up with
the knife in his possession, walked
up the steps where Navich was stand
ing at the time he gave the push and
there inflicted the assault which re-
suited in the death of Nsvich.
The story of the defendant as de-
tailed by him on the stand,
was to the effect that just as he
came out of the saloon in the
village of Merrimaek, Peter Navich,
the deceased man, grabbed him
by the back of the neck and began
striking him and he at that time
got out his knife and struck backward
with the intent only to make PeteI
Navich leave him alone. That, con-
sequently, being put in fear and in
imminent danger of great bodily
harm, his act was justifiable as q mat
ter of self-defense and excusable.
The jury by it's verdict of murder
shows that the theory of the defendant
was rejected and that the theory of The
state was approved. 1t is reported
that half of the jury were in favor o
q conviction for murder in the frs
degree.
When asked by the court if he haC
anything to say he replied that 81
had never been arrested before anG
had been law abiding. When tht
Judge had pronounced his sentence a
seven years at hard labor at Waupun
he thanked him for his leinency. [
was the minimum sentence that coult
be given by the court.
Upon the rendering of the verdic
by the jury the court thanked then
for their close attention TO the cas-
and stated that their verdict ought t
meet the approval of the community
Judge Quinlan of Marinette, ones c
the youngest circuit judges in th
state, presided at the trial. Judg
Quinlan has a notable record as
criminal lawyer, achieved by hin
before being called to the bench.
f. r. Bentley, the law partner @
District Attorney Hill, ably assisted il
the prosecution.
The Jury.
Theodore Kramer, r.. Schlag, Gle
Il. Pelton, William FL. LESSER, JAG
Egerer, E. Fl. Cady, JompA BiaAl, Jr
w. II. Dierken, Psass eDaes, Fran
Foss, Rudolph Welded, Max Kraus,
The Witnesses.
arthur Johnson, Steve Tefssa