Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-02-13
MILLER JUDGED
GUILTY.; GIVEN
LIFE SENTENCE
Jury DelibeTatas Nearly II Hours
Before Returning Verdict On
Schaul's Slayer.
DEFENDANT APPEARS CALM.
Shows No Emotion As Men Who
Decided His Fate Record Their
Findings IN Cfreuit Court


Miller alias James Ellsworth, must
gay for the murder of Jacob
Schaul.
After elaboration OF approx
mately IA hours a verdict Of
guilty was returned by the jury in
morning. and punishment fixed as
aforesaid
Decision OF the IL men who
judged Miller guilty of the murder
of Schaul, a Rock Island pawn
broker. who while in his place OF
business and alone on Saturday
night, Nov. so, was shot through
the abdomen by Miller following
an unsuccessful attempt to hold
up the pawnbroker, eliminates and
brings to a close a bitterly con-
tested trial Of more than a weeks
duration.
Only a scattering of spectators
were in attendance in the circuit
court room when the jurors in
grave solemnity filed into the jury
box after arriving at their verdict.
B. F. Schriver, associate coun-
sci with T. P. Sinnett for the de-
Tense, was the only attorney pres
ent Of those who fought the case.
a number of Interested lawyers
together with several stalwart
deputy sheriffs sat tmm ediately be-
hind the prisoner at the bar and
Just within the low railing sur
rounding the prisoners dock. A
cluster of newspaper men and Off
Gals leaned on the rail near the
circuit clerks chair.
He whose fate hung IN the bal
ance was brought into the court
room. He appeared calm and col
lected.
Have you gentlemen agreed
upon q verdict" asked Judge W.
T. Church.
The center OF interest was divid-
ed as William Mold, foreman of the
jury, rose to his feet
we have" he said, handing the
written form of the ruling to the
bailiff. who in turn handed it to
George w. Gamble, circuit clerk
without emotion, his eyes on the
speaker. Miller listened as the YER
dict OF guilty was read to him.
Perfectly calm, not knowing and
apparently not fearing, the muir.
derer newly branded waited as the
preliminary sentences to the fixing
of punishment were heard He re
tanned his tmpassiyeness as the
penalty was imposed and after a
whispered consultation with Schri-
yer. was led back to his cell at the
Jail.
Spend Night in Argument.
MiI1er's fate rested with the jury
at $50 last evening after a day
of stirring arguments. A night of
argument resulted in an agreement
being reached al $40 this morn
ing.
Especially biting and vitrolic
the defense. Not content with
dealing with the issues in the case
the Moline attorney launched
torney, his assistant, Detective
Tom Cox and the citizens who
were witnesses for the people.
He declared all were perjurers
and falsifers. He characterized
the case as a gigantic frameup and
Cox as the master mind who gath
cred the evidence and directed the
proceedings. The damaging evil
dence Of the cartridge which would
not fit the gun Miller claimed was
his was unanswered by either at
torney for the defense, vino passed
it off alleging that Schieperl per
jured himself
SchriTer Charges Perjury.
Schriver was less personal in his
attack. He maintained, however,
that this case is blacker with per
jury than any other ever tried in
this court He alleges that the per
jury was not on the part of the
witnesses for the defense. He cit
ed the fact that Brownlee was a
mechanic employed in a shop and
said he had no interest in the case.
He declared that Sullivan had not
conducted himself on the stand as
one who was telling falsehoods
with reference to the placing of the
gun IN his care. The attorney COM
pared the witnesses as introduced
by state and defense and laid
stress upon the fact that although
Miller escaped from the county
Jail he voluntarily surrendered
himself TO the sheriff Mr.. Schriver
touched but little upon an analysis
of the testimony of the prosecution,
passing that of by branding the
whole as q web of falsehood and
perjury. He declared that it was
impossible that Schaul, a man of
50, would be able to take away from
this younger one the gun with
which he was shot, as he stated
Just after the shooting
Let your verdict be thugs. you
shall hang by the neck until
dead!'" was the closing plea of
States Attorney Floyd E. Thomp-
son before the instructions of the
court were read to the jury by
Judge Church. The final argument
of the prosecutor was most bril-
liant, moving appeal
You sirs, have a mans job, q
mans duty to perform for this
community. 1t is far from a pleas
zht one. It is one that truly re
quires that you be men, and big
men! And / know each of you is
big enough-a man! Are you go
ing back to your families with the
news that you acquitted this thing !
that calls himself a man or boy, |
1 think his attorneys call him, this |
thug, self-confessed burglar and |
stickup man whom prisons have |
failed to reform? No, you are mott |
You can't.
"A penitentiary sentence will do |