The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-01-28
MURDERER
SAYS: ri
WAS BORN
TO Hang

Schmitt Laughs Over Com
les in Newspaper While
Women Jurors Weep
BY HAL ARMSTRONG
II required a trifle ieAs than five
minutes Thursday afternoon for the
jury OF eight men and four women,
in the case of John Schmitt. TO ar
rive at the conclusion that the kill
ing Of Detective Jimmy O'Bricn laz<
Friday night was first degree MUIR
der. as charged. and that Schmitt
should swing for it
In five minutes after they RETIRED
AT 4:05 o'clock. their verdict was
ready. But IL was not untii so min
utes later that the customary knock
was heard on the jury room door.
indicating its members were ready 70
come out.
ITS A HUNG JURY
SOME or THEM THOUGHT
The delay caused considerable live
~ comment in the court room and
corridors outside that were thronged
with people. There were various
conjectures.
Its hung jury. sure as I'm
standing here" said one Wild gues-er.
NO" said another. The jury's
just reading over the judges insruc-
tions."
A third advised: There's some
body weakened at the last minute.
Somebody's on that jury that's
against capital punishment But
they've got TO find him guilty OF first
degree. He admits that himself. and
so does his lawyer
DIDN'T COME OUT UNTIL
WOMEN FINISHED THEIR CRY
But none Of them had guessed the
truth. When II was all over. and
Schmitt had been taken back to the
county jail. member OF the jury
Std:
I'VE all knew what our verdict
was going TO be when we got into
the jury room. Nobody weakened.
We decided Schmitt must hang. and
we made our verdict. Our foreman
signed II. and we were ready to 20
out and have II read--and then some
OF the women broke down. We didn't
come out until they had finished
their cry
And while those women were
sobbing in the jury room, Schmitt
stood in n little room off from tho
court. looking at a funny paper,
laughing.
At o'clock he was led back tnto
the courtroom. He seated himself
near Judge Fra;er's bench. Hix face
was grave, but he was unper1urbed.
UNNECESSARY RED TAPE
BORES THE DEFENDANT
Herbert Munter. aviator and fore
man OF the jury, handed the verdict
TO the bailiff. The bailiff handed It
TO the judge. The judge handed it to
his clerk and ordered Il read. An
this was the prescribed legal method
OF delivering a verdict. The express.
sion on Schmitt's face showed plain
ly what he thought of it--that It was
unnecessary red tape. bosh. bunk
IL nettled him.
The verdict was read. Schmitt
grinned.
Come on. sheriff, let's co. he said
to Sheriff Starwich standing beside
him. And he walked out OF the court.
room as IL bound for dinner, which.
indeed. he was. He went to the
county jail and ate a hearty meal.
A man of steel is Schmitf- He is
to hang. and he is glad OF it. He l.
thru with life.
II WAS BORN To
HANG" SAYS SCHMITT
Some people are destined to bc
killed by autos" he said. Some are
born to fall out OF a 10-story window.
l was born to hang"
Louis Silvain. attorney commanded
by the court TO defend Schmitt, said
after the trial:
"He is the first man I ever saw
that couldn't get any information
out OF. asked him where his family
was. He looked at me and grunted.
l asked him If he had any relatives.
He snapped:
"'Nar
'I said. 'Schmitt. you have some
rights in court And he gave me an
other look and growled:
Get 1t over with as quick as you
can. What's the use of stalling?'
Silvain said he had been sharply
criticised by some for appearing as
Schmitt's attorney, and by others
x,,I,a acotcpJ hin, IF ssya i1roadfps~ that