The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-07-03
Father Of Lynched Boy Now
Safe Ia Dakota Penitentiary
Says, Il Am Not Guilty When Judge Lowe Pronounced
Sentence-Taken at Once to Bismarck Prison-Repu-
dates Sons Confession-His Conviction Compicates
the justification of the Lynchng of Charles Bannon

Crosby, June 29.-James F. Ban
non was convicted here on the
second ballot, Sunday morning at
3 O'Clock, June 18th for completely
in the killing of the Haven family
in February 1880, at their farm
Shafer, Mckenzie County, North
Dakota. The first ballot was 10
for conviction to 2 for acouittal,
the second unanimous for convic-
ton.
Sentenced Immediately
When the jury reached it's agree
ment Judge John H. Lowe was
summoned from bed in a Crosby
hotel to receive it. In the little
town of Crosby scores of people
had remained up anticipating a
verdict.
They hurried to the court room
when it was announced.
Standing erect and betraying nc
emotion Bannon heard the verdict
Asked by Judge Lowe whether he
had anything to say he replied in
a clear voice:
CT am not guilty"
Sentenced to Life
The court then pronounced the
life sentence. Bannon was takeI
from the court room to a waiting
automobile and inside of ten min
utes was on his way to prison a
Bismarck in custody of Sheriff
Thompson of Mckenzie county ant
Deputy Sheriff Charles jacobson
He was silent on the "trip and slep
a part of the way, addressing onl.
such remarks to the sheriffs a
: were necessary.
, A few minutes before he wa
summoned to hear the verdict h
! had been sitting awake in his cel
e humming softly to himself.
! Prison Monday
] Bannon was dressed in the stat
? prison at Bismarck Monday. H
a entered the prison door protestin
his innocense and indicating tia
: he will exhaust every effort t
= have his case re-opened.
? Bannon is 55 years of age. B
e the law of averages covering prii
s on life he has an expectancy
r life covering not to exceed tie
5, years.
l. Jury saw Picture
n The Jury convicting BanrOn n
d turned it's verdict at 8 a. m. SUI
L day morning after two ballots. IT
is first ballot was 10 10 2 for col
II viction.. The second was unan
le nous.
v Before the Bannon trial bega
he it was earned following the tris
I'd every member of the jury had WI
d, messed a motion picture present
RS ton of the picture, "The Grimm
IS Code"
E. The picture told a story deta
ne ing the horrors of prison life a
setting up a strong case agar
the conviction on circumstant'
m evidence of persons accused OF ca
ital crimes.
Attorneys attending the tr
and Witnessing the picture mark
the fact that every member OF
jury saw it. They declared it "
r the strongest argument that col
/ possibly be made under similar
c11nstances for the defense.
Case to Jury Saturday Night
ate The case went to the jury abt
Ia & o'clock Saturday night follow
me hours of dramatic pleading by
srs trneys for the state and defens
on The closing plea for the st
out was by Thomas Craven, OF WI
ing ton, special assistant attorney g
eral. States Attorney Taylor
uo Mckenzie county summarized
OF states evidence and asked for c
4g viction in a brilliant address
w. which he carefully marshalled
rs analysed the states case. sta
on, Attorney McIlraith of Divide co
/. Continued on last pAEe.)