New Britain herald., 1924-12-24
Gets Life Im- prisonment and 35 Years in Prison Is Sentence Given Woman-Jury De- liberated All Night.

Mount Vernon,1ll., Dec. 24,--The jury trying Lawrence NJ, light and Mrs. Elsie Sweetin for the poison of her husband. Wilford Sweetin, early today returned a yer dict of guilty" flight WAS given life imprisonment, while Mrs. Sweet in was given thirty-hye years in the pententiary.
 After deliberating all night, the jury reported at S:3O o'clock this morning that it had reached all Reports said that the jury had been in disagreement over the degree of guilt.
 Will Ask New Trial
 The jury had delibcrated about eleven hours, retiring at 10 o'clock last night. It considered the case all most continuously during the night and this morning except for short time for breakfast, The jurors stat cd after the verdict that the jury had been unanimous for finding both defendants guilty from the first ballot. but that there had been wide as 10 the punishment to be inflicted upon Mrs. Sweetin. The decision as to her. the jurors said, compromise.
 Only two of the jurors had favor ed inhicton of the death penalty upon Flight. None voted for the hanging of Mrs. SWeetin.
 The defendants received the ver- dict in silence and with no outward display of emotion,
 Attorneys gave notice that they would ask for a new tr.aI.
 Goes to Jury at 10 ?. III.
 The case went to the jury shortly after 10 o'clock last night after sev- cn hours of argument during which tho state demanded the death pen alty for both defendants.
 Judge J. C, Kern instructed the fury on six possible verdicts:
 Guilty of murder, with death as the punishment; guilty of murder, with life imprisonment; guilty ol murder. with not less than fl years imprisonment; guilty of mansiaugh- ter; not guilty, and not guilty by reason of insanity.
 flight and Mrs. SNeeun retained their compoeure under d bitter ar raignlrert tn the 9nal argument oi Frank G. qhompsoa. Gro5ccntoy
 "They stand there two murdcrers equally guilty under the law" Thompson said to the jury. "Cnler your oaths do your duty"
 flight and Mrs. Swectin are un- der indictment also for the poisoning of Mrs. flight.
 Eyo For An Eye.
 "Hight said that they wanted mercy, not iusticc," said Thompson ,"but in Illinois We still have the old Mosaic law of an eye for an eye. A life has been taken fin Jefferson county and death should be i'm posed .
 In spite of the strong probability of a Christmas eve verdict, the spirit of Christmas played only a minor tole in the arguments. Referring tc m appeal by Attorney Nelson Lay man in his address in behalf o' flight, Thompson said:
 "Thov talk 10 you about Chrost- mas and l ask you to think of last Christmas and remember who Wa' here then and is absent now. Bu' for this crime Wilcord Sweetir would be playing santa Claus for hi' toys"
 Thompson called flights insanit! plra an "artru. dodEe.'
 Nothing was ever heard of thi! man being insane until after he wal arrested aal charged with thi crime" he enid. This insanity dodg' is a man c. s'@aw. The fact that man is Sumormal does not eXcust the commission of a crime
 DcnicS square Deal.
 Nelson Leymau, de9'nse couneei in his argument described flight a' a "poor tju'r country preacher. wh' has always hal inc worst of life anf has net hal square deal in thi' case"