Evening journal., 1919-05-13
I8.YEAR PRISON
Term FOR LUCAS
P. r. R. Officer Who Xii
led Daughters Admirer,
Enters Guilty Charge
COURT ACCEPTS flea
OF MANSLAUGHTER
CONTINUED From First Pace }

Continued From First Page)
Tor a substantial sentence. lie said he
1ad three afildayits TO show that the
motive was a henious one other than
the protection Of his daughter, as
Lucas claimed. and that the murder
was an especially brutal one.
Neither Lucas wife nor his daughter
was in court when he was sentenced
and as far as could be learned, no
member Of the Deats family was pres
snt. Lucas appeared unconcerned and
came into court chewing tobacco.
One OF the largest crowds that has
ever gathered to hear a trial in the
courtroom was present. 10 received
disappointment. however, as. the SEN
satiOnal testimony that was expected
10 be introduced by the State did not
come ou. because OF Lucas plea OF
guilty. The crowd. Of which women
formed a large proportion, started into
the room long before the time set for
the trial. u was long after noon that
Lucas was brought into the courtroom.
When Lucas was led into the court
room, he was nOnchalantly chewing,
and did not appear TO be in the least
perturbed lie pleaded not guilty to
The Indictment charging him with first
desre murder in an untrOubled voice.
lie received the sentence calmly.
Daniel o. Hastings, who was as
signed by the court 10 represent the
defendant, was the first TO address the
court in regard 90 the case. lie stated
that for many years Lucas had been a
-.,ff,. ofu,,r fo~ fhn pnuner-fvanio Rail
road.
Deals had been paying persistent al
tentiOn 10 Lucas daughter Marian, and
The defendant had warned the dead
man 10 stay away from her. His wife
had told him OF finding Deats and their
daughter Marian together on the day
before nc shot the man. and he had
been unable 20 eat or sleep because Of
his worry over the matter. When he
demonstrated again With Deats at the
railroad station on the morning OF
April :, Deats acted in a surly manner
and Lucus, on the impulse Of the mo-
ment. drew his revolver and shot him.
Mr.. Hastings said that he had advised
Lucas 10 plead guilty 10 a charge OF
manslaughter, not thinking il possible
10 obtain a better verdict from a jury.
He stated that he appreciates that there
is nothing such as the unwritten law
In this State, and that on the motive
that caused Lucas 20 shoot Deats, the
best he could get from a jury would
De manslaughter.
Refer ring 20 the evidence that the
state is said 10 have held against Lucas,
by which IL was intended 10 show that
The mans motive was other than TO
protect his daughter from Deats, coun-
gel said that Lucas emphatically denies
ne allegations.
Lucas is - years OF age, Mr. Hastings
said, and asked the court that 10 not
make the term Of Imprisonment so long
hat IL would destroy every hope that
Lucas has OF once more enjoying his
freedom. He said that he wished TO
Impress that his client should not be
imprisoned for life; that he realized
hat under the new law that the court
could impose a sentence equivalent, in
Lucas case. TO a life sentence.
Attorney General Reinhardt said that
.he defendant was most fortunate that
MS plea Of guilty to manslaughter was
accepted, 70 was a wicked, cruel.
brutal murder, he declared. stating that
after once shooting Deats, Lucas lean
Cd over him and shot the man second
time. He said the state is in posses
sion of another line OF evidence that
gave another view as TO the motive
which Lucas claims caused him TO
shoot Deats. lie has three afildavits,
me said. 20 show that the motive was
most heinous: that Il would hardly
need 20 be mentioned before il would
be condemned.
Mr.. Reinhardt stated that the state
accepted his plea OF guilty Of man
slaughter as IL is desired 10 avoid a
trial OF the character Of the case.
Deats. he said. had been picked out
10 be killed by Lucas as he had certain
Information detrimental TO Lucas.
In pr0nouncing sentence. Chief jus
tice Pennewill said that the duty the
court was called upon TO do was pain
ful one. There were no mitigating cir
cumstances other than his age, the
judge said.
on the day Lucas shot Deats TO death
he was a special ofIlcer, in the employ
Of the p. r. r. Company. Years ago he
was a sergeant on the local police force.
but resigned after having some trouble
with a brother officer. Previous TO that
trouble he was a model officer. He also
served the railroad company with eff
cheney. Following the murder OF
Deats. Lucas friends raised a fund with
which TO defend him, much sympathy
having been expressed for him. His
plea Of guilty 10 manslaughter today
was unexpected by those friends.