Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-01-18
SENTENCED FOR LIFE
Continued from page u

Continued from page II ;,
though the jury were charged clear v
down to assault, and they might have I
a verdict of assault, but there
was not the slightest evidence to war t
rant it. 1t is true that there was but 6
circumstantial evidence, and the evil S
dence upon the part of the defense was I
but the evidence of Mr.. Lehman that I
was direct. 1t is an illustration of the I
difference in strength of direct and cir
cumstantial evidence. 1t is easy, as
courts have said, to fabricate direct
story and give direct evidence. THAI
the story of Mr.. Lehman was a pure X
fabrication, taken in the light of all
the circumstances and evidence intro
duced in this case, there cannot be the ;
slightest doubt. There is only one rea-
son in the world why one should doubt
and that is, it is almost incompre-
hensible; one can scarcely understand
how a citizen who bore the reputation
that Mr.. Lehman bore could commit
such heinous offense as the one the
evidence in the case shows he must
have committed.
But his reputation, in my judgment,
is not supported by his character.
Considerable has been said with refer
ence to the motive. The man who |
merits the kind of reputation that was
testified to that this defendant bore at
the time of the commission of this
crime, does not indulge in the things
that this defendant by his own admis-
sions said he indulged in. 1t is not
a question of what is a sufficient mo-
tive, it is simply was there a motive.
Of course it was not sufficient motive
to kill his wife, this love, this unholy
passion of this man for Alley Fenton,
, but that it existed there is not in my
, mind, nor do I believe in the mind of
the jury, the slightest doubt. I be-
lieve the story of Alley Fenton. Why
this man did this thing is beyond my
comprehension,
l am mighty sorry for his people,
my sympathy goes out to them more
E than l can say, but am not unmind-
! full of the fact that there are some
. other people who are entitled to much
sympathy, and that is the Hall family.
4 There was a young life, not yet in the
= prime of life, cut off. Life was just
! as sweet to this young girl as it could
a possibly be to this defendant, and ii
q would seem to me much sweeter thar
= life could possibly be to the defendant
:, in the face of the evidence in this case
; How any twelve men capable of .reas
:, oning from cause to effect, with a re
v alization of the obligations resting
upon them after taking the oath they
y took as jurors, to well and truly try
and their deliberations make between
"a the State Of Ohio and the, defendant,
~ don't believe juror could arrive at
is different conclusion, it is beyond m.
J. comprehension, unless it might hav'
. been without mercy.
h This defendant in my judgment owe
b. this jury a vote of thanks for hi
n life, that is, if life holds anythin,
a for him, if he feels that it is wort
l. the living, because they undoubtedl
saved his life They might have re
turned, and the evidence would hav
warranted it, verdict Of guilty i
IN the first degree without mercy. HoV
as they could arrive at different verdio
tb l don't understand.
a. The verdict to my mind is more tina
70 supported by the evidence 1t is on
mn of the strongest circumstantial case
al have ever heard of. I couldn't III
derstand when this trial commence
n how this man could be guilty of hay
,r ing done this, but I couldn't sit her
n3 and listen to this evidence and reaso
oh from cause to effect and come to an
os otter conclusion than did this jur
O0 In my judgment it was a righteou
vo verdict.
I am sorry that the fair name {
I'm Fulton county had to be disgrace
he by the commission of such an offens
ve as this, but that is neither here NJ
as there. The law has said what OIL
M duties are, and we must dischars
nd them. We have but to follow tt
,c- verdict of this jury.
Mr.. Fowler said it would be mo-
reasonable that thugs murdered tn
. woman than that this man, oh,
much more reasonable. If there we
any circumstances, any reason to b
lieve that thugs did do it, that it W;
!. more reasonable that thugs did it ths
l.. that Mr.. Lehman did, it is that it
1' almost beyond ones comprehensi(
to believe that man could deliberat
ly murder his own wife, and do it
the evidence shows he must have dol
IT, it.
Ge Motive for it wasn't and isn't i
,,Is dispensible. Man sometimes,
@ sat things without having a motive, b
al ordinarily they don't, but to my mil
.se the motive was established in this cas-
Whatever the jury may have thoug
od about that l couldn't say, but We
ter probably they thought motive HI
Ike been established.
Did AS I said before, so far as the Cou
ny is concerned, he very likely commit
In! errors, may have committed some sc
ne ious ones, don't know. If they wei
ios 10, they were most certainly unintentio
Us ly, and with the hope that the d
-. fendant would at all times have t
ds' solved in his favor, and I belle
md that this jury gave him the benei
led from the long time that they were &
its. liberating and from this evidence a
this verdict, I believe they gave tt
- defendant the benefit of every dou
lily that could possibly be given him
this case. He has had one trial, a
the Court believes it has been a f;
trial and an honest and impartial w
dict has been returned here.
q Judge Wanamaker said less than Fl
his weeks ago, fair trial does not me
ity simply fair to the defendant, but til
ter it was fair to both the State and
ard defendant; that the State has rigl
as well as the defendant has righ
DaJ and that verdict is impartial as
. tween the two, the jury is impart
lido. as between the State and the defer
lio ant: and that is what l meant whel