Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-07-03
CONFESSED DEAF MUTE MUIR
pERER or Mr.. AND MRS. MI.
Ian 10 sENrENcEp.
PRISONER TO be TAKEN
70 FORT MADISON MONDAY
Confer Seems 70 Fail to Understand
the Enermity Of His Crime or the
severity Of His Pun;shmsnt.-Jud
vvillstt Declares Confer a Dsssnsr.
sts When Pronouneina Sentences.

John Confer. the deaf and dumb self
confessed murderer of Mr.. and Mrs.
Dennis Milan, of Green Mountain, will
spend the rest of his life in the Fort
Madison penitentiary. unless he should
be sparoled or pardoned. Late Friday.
Judge Willett sentenced Confer to a
life OF hard labor in the penitentiary.
Sheriff j. G. Edgar will take the pris-
oner to Fort Madison Monday to be-
gin serving his sentence.
The courts sentence followed care
fully conducted proceedings based on
what is known as a true information
prepared and filed by E. N. Farber and
County Attorney Ray P. Scott In this
complaint was set out two charges OF
first degree murder, one for each Of the
murders Of the husband and his wife.
Confer had pleaded guilty to the in
formation. But in order to supplement-
it, Coroner A. r. Lynn was placed on
thea witness stand and examined re-
garding the nature and extent of the
wounds that killed Milan and his wife,
and County Attorney Scott was ques-
toned regarding Confer's confession.
The prisoners written confession was
made q part of the permanent record
of the case.
Confer Fails to Understand.
That Confer is both mentally def
cient and either a degenerate or per-
vert was shown by the statement of
his attorney, Robert E. Johnson I'M
der appointment Of the court, and Con-
fers comprehension of the crime and
sentence. His attorney said Confer
seemed to fail to understand the enor-
nifty Of the crime or the severity of
the punishment.
It was not until little time after
Judge Wil1ett had pronounced sentence
that Confer understood what the court 8
punishment was. Then his attorney
wrote it on pad Of paper. Confer, who
lad been sitting, with his eyes upon the
.ioor. began crying bitterly. He wiped
his eyes with his sleeve and then a
grimy handkerchief.
A little later he wrote on pad and
handed it to Sheriff Edgar, Il didn't
want life. wanted only year."
Confer Reads Sentence.
Before passing sentence on the pris-
Ananer, Judge Willett told Confers at
torney to ask Confer il he, had any
4 thing he wanted to say to- the court
: .Shy sentence should not be, passed.
Cotfer shook his head when tue aues.
ton was written on sheet OF paper.
After passing sentence, Judge WiHert
instructed the sheriff to keep Confer
in the court room until he had the SEN
tence entered in his docket 80 that
Confer could read it. This Confer did.
ITO my mind" said Judge Willett in
pronouncing sentence. this 10 one OF
NJ tn ho OF
OF Marshall county II this case was
tried before a jury and they had de-
ternlined this defendant guilty and
that, he should be hung, it would be
different. If this man was like the
court or counsel and was as equally
responsible to society. would feel diff
ferent.
Says Confer 4 Degenerate.
Here's q man that it Is patent is a
degenerate He lacks two of the prin-
cipal senses. On the face Of the re-
turns he is pervert and in view of his
condition to my mind 1t would look
like it was reaping vengeance to take
his life judicially.
II believe. however, that the good OF
society and his betterment demands
that he be incarcarted in prison during
his natural life at hard labor. Such
will be the sentence Of this court"
Was Bloody Murder.
About $3.50 the night Of March 81,
Confer. who was employed by Milan.
shot and killed Milan and his wife, who
were deaf mutes, in their bed room in
the house on the Evans estate farm.
The supposed motive has always been
that Confer became violent when
Milan refused to allow him to go to
town.
The last murderer to be sentenced
in In the district court also pleaded
guilty He was James Quick, who shot
and killed his wife. the night OF May