The Washington times., 1929-02-08
JURY FINDS
He SLEW
THREE
BOYS

RIVERSIDE, Calf, Feb. 8 Q.N.s.l
youths. Gordon Stewart Northcott,
21-year-old Canadian, today was in
the shadow of~the gallows.
The jury which found Northcott
guilty deliberated but three hours
and fifteen minutes and convicted
him on the fourth ballot. The
jurors failed to recommend mercy.
Failure to do so automatically
forces the judge to sentence the
youthful rancher to be hanged. The
sentence will be announced Monday
afternoon.
Northcott was found guilty of MUIR
dering Lewie and Nelson Winslow
and an unidentified Mexican youth.
It is charged that he dissolved the
bodies of the Winslow boys in quick
lime after they were buried at his
chicken ranch. The body Of the
Mexican youth, with its head sew.
cred, was found near Puente, Calf.
Mother Sentenced
The young Canadian is also under
Indictment for the murder Of Walter
Collins, another boy. His mother,
Mrs. Louise Northcott, is now serv-
ing a life term after confessing to
the Staying of the Collins boy. North
colt was named as an accomplice in
this crime.
Northcott was the coolest person
in the courtroom when the verdict
was announced. He smiled sardoni-
cally as he heard himself doomed and
mumbled a sneering thank you"
under his breath.
After Judge Freeman thanked the
jurors for their work, Northcott,
unshaken. arose to his feet and said:
Il, too, wish to thank the fury
for its attention to it's duties"
After Deputy District Attorney
Earl Redwine told the court that
Monday was agreeable to the
prosecution for passing of sentence,
| Northcott, with a shFug Of his
shoulders. declared 'It is inmaferial
to me when sentence is passed"
That Northcott will appeal the
case, is almost certain. He said
the fight had just begun" when
he was being escorted back to his
cell from the court room.
For the past % days the jury
| has been listening to the mos
! gruesome sort of evidence. North
! colts chief accuser. Sanford Clark
! his 15-year-old nephew, testified the
| Winslow brothers and the Collins
| boy were brutally mistreated befoI {
| they were murdered and buried.
! He said he was forced to become
4 an accomplice to the crimes. tn
Mexican youth was killed. he saiL
/ when Northcott, according to hi
uncie's story. told him he had dis
! covered the Mexican stealing money
| Young Clark also named Mrs. North
colt as an accomplice in the murdep
of the Collins boy.
Addresses Jury
Northcott conducted his own de
fense after. the first few days of
the trial. He dismissed his three
attorneys when he decided they
| were not conducting the case in a
way to meet his approval. He ap
peared to take great pride in his
role of attorney.
He said he gained his legal
knowledge from a correspondence
course. Occasionally however, he
became downcast when he was
thwarted by the prosecution attor-
neys and bewailed his lack Of ex-
| perience.
In making his final plea, North.
colt addressed to the jury for four
hours. He sought to show that
he was the victim of ''frame-up, /"
concluding with this statement:
If you find I am guilty It is
up to you gentlemen to take away
my life or grant me liberty. I
have done the best I could. thank
you
During the course of the trial,
Northcott attempted to establish
that he was the offspring Of his
father, Cyrus Northcott. and his
sister, Mrs. Winnifred Clark, who
is now in Canada.