The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-05-06
Found Guilty
Of Murder in
First Degree
j. r Lawson, Noted Labor Leader,
Sentenced by Jury to Pass the
Rest Of His Life In Colorado
State Prison

Trinidad, Colo, May 3.---John r !.
Lawson, member of the executive
committee Of the United Mine Work
ers today was condemned to spend
the remainder of his life at hard la.
Dor in the Colorado penitentiary. He
was found guilty of first degree muir
der in connection with the death OF
John Nimmo, deputy sheriff killed
in strike battle October 25, 1918.
Under the Colorado statute making
it the duty of the jury to fix the
penalty at death or life imprisonment
the jury in the district court fixed
the milder punishment.
Lawson sat immovable as the jury
filed into the courtroom. There was
only a sprinkling of spectators. Judge
CRANKY Hillyer had announced lunch.
con recess until o'clock and 1t was
not quite that hour when the jury
reported.
In the midst Of tense silence the
clerk asked: Gentlemen, have you
reached a verdict?'
The foreman replied "Yes," and
handed the written verdict to the
clerk, who passed 1t to the Judge.
Lawson sat beside his counsel his
eyes fixed on the jury.
Judge Hillyer glanced at the yer.
dict then handed 1t back to Bowdery
Floyd, the clerk who read aloud:
I'VE, the jury, find the defendant
guilty of murder in the first degree
and fix the penalty at life imprison,
ment."
A gasp, sharp intake of breath
ran around the still crowd. Lawson
did not move. A slight smile played
over his features.
Remains Free Under Bond
There was silence for few clock
ticks, then Horace N. Hawkins, chief
counsel for the defense, asked that
the jury be polled. AS the clerk read
the names, each man assented to the
verdict. Then there were brief legal
formalities and the crowd filtered out
the door.
Thirty days were given to file mo.
ton for new trial and Lawson was
released temporarily in custody OF
his counsel.
Judge Hillyer announced tonight
that the labor leader would be releas-
ed on $4,000 bond pending action on
bis motion for a new trial. Lawson's
former bond in Las Aimas county was
$4,000. The new bond was arranged
for at a conference between Judge
Hillyer and Horace n. Hawkins, chief
counsel for the defense.
Seated at his lawyers table after
the verdict, John r. Lawson talked
calmly of the outcome of his fight for
life and liberty.
"They may get me, but they can't
defeat the cause of labor" Lawson
said. I'm not worrying about my
self-it's the fight | have been max
ing for the working men that / am
interested in and that will go ahead
just as before. Even for me, it's a
long way to the penitentiary. My at
torneys will not give up until every
thing possible has been done to save
me-"
Late tonight Attorney Hawkins is
sued an additional statement in
which he said:
"Rockefeller's gold is claiming
John r. Lawson as a victim. Rookie
feller's lawyers worked up the evil
dence and Rockefeller's detectives tes-
titled in the. case to secure convic-
ton. The verdict is an unspeakable
outrage. In any other community an
acquittal would have been had in five
minutes The conviction Is stirring
the nation. kilograms are pouring in
on us from all over the country and
the beginning is not yet"
Lawson tonight sent a message to
his wife, telling her that he was con
victed. Mrs. Lawson, an invalid suf
fering from a nervous breakdown Is
in Los Angeles. During the trial she
telegraphed asking that she be per
mitted to attend. Lawson, however
thought her strength would not be
sufficient for the strain and urged hel
to stay in California,
Thinks Colorado indicated
Denver, May 3.-Fred Farrar, at
torney general of Coloado, comment
ing upon the conviction of John r
Lawson, said:
The prosecution of Lawson was
conducted solely by the attorney gen
erals office. | think this is the first
case on record where one of the lead
ers of a union has been convicted OF
crimes of violence arising from the
conduct Of strike. OF course there
Wag the Mcnamara case but the DrOg