The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-03-16
Jury Votes
to Execute
TWoBandits
sIayers of W. M. Deerson
Found Guilty of First Degree
Murder and Face Death
in Electric Chair.
Pair Shows No Emotion

A verdict of guilty of first degree
murder with q recommendation OF
penalty of death was returned by a
Jury before District Judge Charles
Goss against Sol Wesley and lie Roy
Mauldron, charged jointly with the
murder of W. NJ. Deerson. shot to
death three months ago in hold
I'D in the store Of Wennie Grogan.
1885 Seward street. The jury started
deliberations at 317 and gave its YER
diet at 5:26 Thursday afternoon.
This is the first time since Nebras-
ka adopted the electric chair that any
one has been sentenced to death IN
Douglas county The death penalty
was all that held the jury for the two
hours The first ballot cast was
eight for a death penalty and four
for life Imprisonment. Five ballots
were taken, each time all the jurors
showing an inclination to give a ver-
dict of guilty, but hesitating to vote
death"
Take Verdict Calmly.
The two men took the verdict with
the same stole indifference that had
marked their demeanor throughout
the trial. When they We're called
from the county jail to the court
room to hear the verdict of the jury.
they arose from their seats in their
cell and walked calmly toward the
exit. With the same Indifference,
hey sat and listened to the verdict.
then to the judge taking two polls
II the jury, and with no trace OF
emotion on their faces, they walked
from the court room to the Jail.
County Attorney Henry Beal ex-
pressed himself as highly pleased with
The way his deputies. sJohn Yeager
and Thomas Sheehan. had handled
the case. 1t was originally planned
hat the county attorney himself
shouG prosecute the case. but owing
10 his recent trip 10 Cleveland. the
deputies were substituted for him.
First in County.
''Phis is the first time that any.
one has been sentenced to the electric
hair from Douglas county" Beal
said 1T pleases me in other ways
han just the thought that my office
mas been successful in the punish
nient Of a crime. I believe that 1T
will tend to decrease crime in Omaha.
some Of the criminals Will hesitate
now before they wantonly take
lie"
The two men were accused of hav-
ing shot and killed W. NJ. Deerson,
while they were attempting to rob
Wennie Grogan. Deerson and Thomas
Rance We're in the Grogan store,
when the two bandits entered. Deer.
son was standing near the door and
fehind pile OF boxes in such a way
hat he was not noticed at first
by the two men.
The bandits ordered Grogan to hold
Up his hands, then turned TO Mr..
Rance and gave him the same com
lnand. Deerson tried to get out of
ne store, and as he placed his hand
upon the latch of the door, one Of
the bandits turned. shouted to him
10 raise his hands and fired before
ihe man could comply. Deerson died
a few hours later.
Captured at Once.
Police captured the bandits few
hours after the shooting and. after
questioning them at police headquar-
ters. secure confession. This con-
fession was introduced as evidence
AT the trial and was denied by the two
men. Wesley declared that he had
signed a paper that was given him
by the police without reading It.
while Mauldron declared that he had
been forced TO sign his confession
and said that he was able to point
out the two detectives that had used
bird degree methods upon him. When
Questioned, he declared the two men
hat he had named We're not In the
court room. Both were sitting in
front of the Judge directly in the
mans line OF vision.
The men will be sentenced in few
days, Judge Goss declared. The jury
has set the sentence that must be
passed, but II Is up to the judge to
set the date OF execution.