The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-07-11
The Sun COngaua Our COOd Voters Upon Their Loyalty Last Tuesday
ONCE SENTENCED TO BE HANGED
NOW A FREE MAN.

NOW a FREE MAN,
mot Guilty" is the verdict returned
by the jury in the Bob Harris case.
When Judge Rizer read the words
Saturday evening in clear ringing
tone, a silence fell over the crowd in
the county court room and even the
prisoner was unable to recover him
self for a few moments, as he, along
with all others, expected at least a
verdict of murder in the first degree.
AS had been stated in these col
umns before Bob Harris and Joseph
Harris, his father, were arrested for
the killing of officers Craig and Ripper
in the city of Rocky Ford on the night
OF July 4th, 1911. In the fall of that
year these two men we're tried and
Bob was convicted of murder in the
first degree and was sentenced to be
hanged The father was found guilty
of aiding in the murder and was Civ
en- a sentence of twenty years in the
state penitentiary at Canon City. Both
cases were taken to the supreme court
and were sent back on error.
In the meantime these two men,
father and son, were held in the peni-
tentiary and when the time came for
retrial they were brought to La Junta.
The trial of Bob Harris, who was ac-
cused Of doing the shooting and who
was sentenced to be hanged, was
started in the District court in La
Junta Monday morning, June % with
Judge Rizer on the bench. 1t took two
and one-half days to get jury, after
SO men had been examined. The tes-
timony was commenced on the after
noon of Wednesday, the gath, and Sat
urday at $3.50 the case was given to
the jury When the twelve men re-
tired to their deliberating room on
the third floor of the court house
there was great deal of speculation
as to what their verdict would be.
Soon after FIVE o'clock Saturday
evening, little over one and one-half
hours after they retired, the jury an
nounced that they had arrived at a
verdict. The court and attorneys were
summoned and the twelve men again
filed into the court room and took the
seats they had occupied during the
week while hearing the evidence.
The verdict. duly signed, was then
handed to Judge Rizer. Every ear in
the room was strained to hear the
words which were to decide the fate
of the prisoner. The judge read the
verdict over to himself to make sure
that he was right and then read it
aloud as follows: 1--WE your jury find
the defendant, Robert Harris, not
guilty"
A few moments later he turned and
spoke something to his attorney as
if to make sure that he understood
the judge correctly. Judge Rizer then
the jury and at the same
time gave Mr. Harris, who for the
last two and one-half years had been
living in the fear of dying on the gal
lows, his freedom.
Mr.. Harris then arose and thanked
and shook hands with each of the jury
room and dropped out of sight.
The unexpected verdict in the case
of Bob Harris has, in a way upset the
plans for the trial in the case of JOS
eph Harris. His case was to be heard
at once but the judge and prosecuting
attorney have not yet decided when
they will take it up. On account of
being unable to get jury here with
out great expense to the county, the
case may be tried in Pueblo, or it may
go over until the October term of the
District court.
The witnesses examined by the
plaintiff were Dr. Barber DR.. Pollock,
DR.. Wilson, Chas. b. Boyd, Mrs. J. A.
Ripper, Mrs. ]. B, Crang, E. w. Bal
ley, Ernest Lane, Earl P. Bennett and
Tim OLeary. And the testimony in
the former trial given by John Tins
ley, H. w. Potter, H. j. Sprinkler and
G. M. Coffman, was reproduced, these
gentlemen not being able to attend
the trial.
For the defense only Bob Harris,
NhO uOiOhuohI, anu lib luluOly JOS6pIl
Marris, with Mrs. Harris, together
with Limon |. Henry, were put on the
stand. Mr.. Henry, the attorney for
the defense, visited the scene of the
murder about a week after it hap
pened, and he gave testimony as to
the lay of the house, blood stains here
and there, etc.
Probably the most interesting tes-
timony was from the defendant, when
he attempted to show his position
when he claimed he was attacked by
the officers. He gave an illustration
by getting on his knees, when he
claimed he was struck by the officers,
and he gave a dramatic scene with
Prosecuting Attorney Davidson by
showing the manner in which he
twisted the gun from the officers and
shot them Robert Harris testified
that while the trouble was going on
in his house he got down a bible and
read chapter.
The arguments in the Bob Harris
murder case were concluded Saturday
afternoon and the case was given to
the jury at $3.50 o'clock Megaphone.