The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-06-04
zIMMER FOUND
GUILTY BY JURY
Convicted of Second Degree
Murder for Killing Rich
Buckeye Farmer.
WILL ASK FOR new TRIAL
Verdict Comes at Close of Thirteen
Days of Trial and Jury Was Out
Thirteen Hours-Prisoner Is
Cool, but His Wife Bursts.
Into Violent Weeping.

ChaTdon. - In the midst of an
electrical storm which periodically
illumined the court room, the jury
in the case of Ernest thinner, slayer of
William Eggleston, returned a verdict
of second degree murder Thursday
morning just as day was dawning.
Second degree conviction carries
penalty of life sentence in the peniten-
tiaTy, subject, however, to shorter
term for good conduct in prison. The
verdict came at the close of 13 days
of trial and the jury was out 13 hours.
Notwithstanding evidence that Eg-
gleston had wrecked the thinner home
through liason with Mrs. thinner and
that Eggleston had threatened the life
of thinner, it is said that in all OF the
jury deliberation there was not at any
time a single ballot for acquittal. Sew
eral of the jurors, it is said, held out
for several hours in favor of sending
Zimmer to the electric chair.
viii Ask for New Trial.
Commenting on the verdict, Attor-
ney Putney, for the defense, said:
Eve shall ask for a new trial. The
revolvers used by Eggleston have
been in this courtroom during the
trial and were not produced. l have
found this out since the case went to
the jury"
Prosecuting Attorney Patchin re-
cnnn1nI fhat hoA hnnn
made for the revolvers. Clerk Bond
said the revolvers were in his desk
Earl Eggleston brought them to Sheriff
Ballard Monday.
thinner took the verdict coolly. He
did not give way to his feelings as on
previous days of the trial. AS the
jurymen came into the corridor after
their verdict, thinner spoke to the
foreman, Alton Dewey, declaring the
verdict unfair.
None of us wish you any i'll will,
responded Dewey.
thinner was led back to his cell
He threw himself On his bunk. 90
wish it had been me that was shot,
he said. God knows that l told only
the truth"
What is the verdict?" asked Mrs
Zimmer as she met a reporter.
She was told.
"My God!" she exclaimed.
Then she burst into violent weeping
Defense Is Unwritten Law.
The shooting of Eggleston occurred
on the morning of Jan. II on his farm
near Chardon. thinner had learned
of Eggleston's relations with Mrs
thinner and had gone to the Eggles
ton home to demonstrate. He say
he met Eggleston in the barnyard ant
that before he had time to talk Eggles
ton fired at him. He then dashed
back into the barn, got his own gul
and returned the fire after Egglestol
had shot three times, he testified.
The two families had occupie,
farms near each other for severa
months. thinner then moved t.
Cleveland, but said Eggleston followe,
him. Returning to Cleveland after tn
shooting of Eggleston, thinner wa
captured on Central-av and taken bacl
to Chardon. He spent 113 days il
Jail before his trial was started.
Zimmer's trial began May II.
was held in the little courthouse a
Chardon and rs veniremen wer
called before a jury was secured
Zimmer's' defense from the first wa
the unwritten law, although his a
torneys attempted to show also tha
he had been driven to the act by emit
tional insanity. In all 112 witnesse
testified.