The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-05-03
PUNISHMENT IS
FIXED At LIFE
IMPRISONMENT
Attorneys for Strike Leader
Immediately Move for New
Trial, With Thirty Days to
File Petition.

bfiniund, COlO., May 3.--sgOiln
X. Lawson, nutcd labor leader.
today was condemned to spend
the remainder of his life az hard
labor in the Colorado iDcnltcn-
tiary. lie wis found guilty uf
iirst degree murder in connection
with the death of John NlnInO, "a
deputy sheriff killed IN strike
battle October Is. 1918. Under
the Colorado statute, making IL
the duty Of the jury io fix the
penalty at death or life impris-
Onncnt, the jury fixed the mllder
punishment.
lawson sat like stone as the
jury filed into the court room.
There wns hut ~ sprinkling of
spectators. Judge CRANKY illlI-
ser hRd announced luncheon re-
tess until , o'clock and II WIS not
quite that hour when the Jury
came in;O the court. iOr that
reason only the few who had
reached the courthouse early
were Ia their seats.
In the midst ~ u tense siirncc
tho clcrk asked;
"Gcntlcmcn, have you reached
a verdict"
The foreman replied. then
handed the written verdict Go the
rlcrk, who passed Il Ia the Judge.
Lawson sat beside his counsel.
his ccys fiNed on the jnrs. Ilis
rugged features set and stern,
Judge iiiilycr glanced at the
verdict. then handed u back to
iioWdrey Floyd. the clerk. The
clcFk rcad alOud;
We. the jury. lind the defend
ant guilty uf murder in the first
degree and fin the penalty 40 life
imprisonment.
A garp. e. sharp intake OF hreatl
an around the slim crowd gathrrc
or the last act of the labor drami
.awsun did not move. A slight smlI
ilayed over his features. There WI
Hence for few clock ticks, the
Horace a. Hawkins. pale of fac
.osc and asked that the Jury /
,ollcd. The clerk rcad the name
me by one. Each man assented /
he verdict. Then there were bri,
egal formallties To go through wi,
ma the crowd filtered out the do,
'nd down the steps and the dram
VAS over.
Seated at his lawyers table aft,
he verdict was rendered. John !
lawson, former strike leader AN
NH member OF he executive boar
u the United Mine Workers of Amel
ca. talked calmly Of the outcome
NE fight Tor life ana liberty.
They may get me. but they can
lofeat the cause OF labor" he sail
Pm not worrying about myself II
he fight ! have been making Tor N
that I am Interested
and that will go ahead Just as befor
Even for me. IT'S long way To III
yet My attorneys wi
not give up until everything possib
has been done 10 save me"
As the convicted labor lender take
his friends In the crowd sathcr'
around him ana one by one they 4
emily clasped his hand. Like "a pta
re fire the news of the verdict nj
swept through the town. Labor ~
herents whom the sudden renderli
'f the verdict had cnuhgt nuppii
'amc rushing ~ the courthouse. Son
had tears In their eyes ns they gree
I'd their defeated chief.
Lawson and his counsel had COM
IDENTIFY expected an acquittal. or
most q disagreement The Jury h,
been put since shortly after . o'cio,
night when Mond,
morning came without an agreeme
belief that the trial would end ln
hung jury" became all but uniyors
among followers Of the trial. n
verdict caught the TOW
by surrnise.
John Richard-. the Juror who w
slightly iil this morning. recovcrl
sufficiently 10 participate in the nm
deliberations ana to- walk into Il
courtroom with his companions.
Lawson had with him Horace
Hawkins ana Charles Mahoney Of /
counsel The prosecution was repr
sented by Frank West. assistant .
torney general of Colorado. Edwa
y. c1stigau of counsel Tor the d
fense ana Norton Montgomery. I
the state returned 10 Denver satu
dag nlsht. Immediately after the ca
went Ga the jury,