Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-06
Body Deliberates Only Two
Hours Before Bringing
Verdict.
FIRST In IS YEARS
-
Capital Punishment Ordered
Last Time in Spring
of 1882.

William Carter, Negro murderer,
must hang.
This is the verdict brought in by the
Jury in circuit court two hours after
il began its deliberations on the case
Which was tried In the record time of
two days. In the decree Of the jury
the first capital punishment IN Rock
Island county in So years is ordered.
The slayer Of Peter Jelyek received
tie verdict without wincing When
tie clerk read the edict Of the body
Carter fixed his eyes upon The court
official.
"And wo fix his punishment as
death" read the clerk.
All eyes turned toward the slayer,
who showed no signs OF feeling. He
maintained that bold, defiant attitude
that he had assumed al all times dur
ing the trial, that he showed when
while on the stand he repudiated the
confession secured by Detective Tom
Cox within eight hours after the muir
der occurred. As a matter Of fact Car
ter appeared more cool and collected
than did his attorneys and members OF
the Jury, all Of whom appeared nery-
Gus as the solemn verdict was read
The arguments in the case were
completed at els when the jury re-
ceived instructions from Judge Ram
say. Deputy Sherins Murray and Hanna
hen took the members OF the jury to
l. q al n
court house about Z o'clock. AT .
o'clock a tapping on the pipe running
from the Jury loom indicated that a
verdict had been reached.
1t is quite probable that an appeal
will be taken in Carriers case. but even
should no appeal be taken the execu~
ton OF the slayer will not be possible
under the law until February, 1918,
the statute fixing the time with refer
ence TO the converting OF the supreme
court.
The death sentence reached by the
Jury was worded as follows;
we. the jury, ind the defendant
guilty of murder in manner and form
as charged In the indictment, and find
his age at the time OF the commission
Of the crime to have been 80 years
and we fix his punishment as DEATH
Not since the famous Heilwagon case
IN 1882, 35 years ago, has the black
seal of death been attached 10 YER
1ict. By some strange coincidence OF
lueer turn OF fate, Carter, the doomef
nan, was born the same year anC
month William Heilwagon wa:
hanged
Carriers trial was speedy one II
every sense Of tho word. Jelvek wal
murdered Nov. and the indictmen
followed in the same north. Although
States Attorney Floyd Il. Thompson
had in mind an Immediate trial, th'
date for the opening of the case wa
set for Dec. 3 in accordance with tn,
request OF Cart@'s counsel. Tn
hearing opened Monday morning an,
the case was given into hands of tn
/, fury last evening.
Peter Jelvek, the man for who's
death Garter must hang. came to Roc
Island from his home in Minneapoli
about three months ago having sc
cured employment on the arsenal a
carpenter. He secured lodging in tn
Eberhart apartments, 1924 Fourt
avenue, with an acquaintance name
Hellvard Bangstod.
Killed in Bed.
On the day of the tragedy, Sunda
morning, Nov. 4, Jelvek and Bangsto
occupied the same bed in the room
The southeast corner in the Eberhal
apartments According to the test
mony given by Bangstod. Jelvek afos
at o'clock In the morning and wei
TO the bath room, returning again I
ned. Hearing noise in the hall bot
looked up TO see Negro entering Il
ROOM This Negro was identified /
Bangstod as being Will Carter. Bot
men sat up In bed and shouted &c
put OF here" Disdaining to answer, Il
intruder leveled his gun at Jelye
There was a report and flash and Je
yek Mrched forward without a wor
The Negro slowly backed out Of Il
foom and disappeared. Bangstod spoil
to Jelvek but received no answer. The
he rushed out into the hall and told Il
other occupants Of the house that JIG
vek had been killed. A Negro W,
seen by David DeSmet, taxi drivS
running iFUin tue dpdFtLnehts.
The police were notified of the shoe
ing by 4. c. Eberhart, owner of L
apartments. A few minutes later Ca
Ter was arrested in the Williams re
taurant on Third avenue betwe
Twenty-second and Twenty-thi
streets. When Carter first entered t
restaurant he told the waiter he W
TOO busy to look over the bill OF ia
preferred him and ordered bowl
chill. Hearing a Bridge line car a
preaching he ran out leaving the Oh
lnly partly eaten. Seeing oficers H
md Durham on the car he was abo
o board. he shouted to the conduc,
hat he had forgotten his change a
rushed back into the restaurant I
officers followed Carter and plac