The Washington times., 1925-04-04
ONL. Y
DIE ONCE,
He SAYS,
SMILING
super-Bandit Takes Blow
Calmly Brave Man."
Says Attorney
BY DAVID SENTNER,
International News Service.

HARTFORD, Conn, April 4.
Gerald Chapman, arch outlaw Of
a decade, must die on the gallows.
He will pay the supreme penal
ty on June 25 for the murder of
Policeman James j. Sicily, wno
was shot and killed during q
hold-up Of New Britain, Conn.
department store on October IL
last.
A stern-visaged jury in superior
court today found him guilty Of
the murder and within an hour
Judge Newell Jennings sentenced
him ito be hung BY the neck unsil
dead" at the State prison at
Wethersfield on June 25.
Expected IL. He Says.
/ ''It was what expected" Chap
man said. his face gray and grim.
II was pictured as the arch-crim-
iLal of the century what else could
I expect?"
The verdict, however, was q sur
prise to Chapman. and to many
others. Chapmana had hoped for
a disagreement. There had been
much betting he would be found
not guilty.
Chapman's role countenance hard
ly changed expression when the
foreman Of the jury, in a solemn
voice, announced the verdict:
Guilty as chargedP'
He's Got Nerve" Says GrOelhl.
Chapman's eyes batted nervously.
But that was all.
He folded his arms, gritted- his
teeth and eyed the jurors. One
by one, as they passed out Of the
box.
Hes got nerve" his counsel,
Frederick J. GroenI said. HE
took it better than did"
Judge Newell thanked the jury.
He said he thought they had
reached just verdict.
Society was indicated and the
ten-day drama. was over.
Before imposing the death pen.
atty Judge Jennings denied q mo-
ton presented by Chapman counsel
for the setting aside of the verdict.
The judge put Chapman in the
custody Of the warden of Wethers-
field state prison until June %,
the date set for the hanging.
Thus Chapman's sensational ca
reer of crime comes to an end.
He had been pictured as the mas. =
ter criminal the prisons couldn't
hold. He had, through his steel
nerve and shrewdness, ELECTED adj
miration from many of the trial
fans who for days besieged the
courtroom, but when he was led
away, heavily manacled, after the
sentence today, he was doomed
man without hardly friend.
The jury only took one ballot in
arriving at its verdict, it. was
learned.
Chapman's Face Ashen.
Chapman listened to his doom with
cold gray eyes.
His face was ashen beneath a
prison pallor but his eyes were lce
Half way through the reading of
the fatal words, the bandit smiled
or sneered, one could not tell.
Turning to his counsel, Judge
Frederick j. Groehl, Chapman MUIR
INJURED:
"Ycu did your best, Judge"
Chapman had felt that he would
not be sent to the galIows. He had
expressed himself as believing that
the rather lengthy defiberation If
the jury meant that there would be
Il disagreement, if not a more favor
able verdict.
Jurors File In.
There was a profound silence in
the court room as the twelve jurors
tiled slowly into the jury box. After
the roll call of the jury, Lucuis p.
fuller, court clerk. asked:
Gentlemen Of the jury have you
cached a verdict?"
Samuel Chamberlain, jury fore
nan, stood up.
I'VE have" he replied, his voicS
rembling. Chamberlain handed a
Iealed envelope to the clerk.
What is it?" the clerk asked.
Guilty" said Chamberlain.
Walter S. Case. juror No. 5 kept
guilty." guilty" guilty
Court Thanks Jury.
The foreman might have whis.
,ered the reply for all in the court.
DOM would have heard 1t.
Judge Jennings thanked the jury
or their conduct during the trta