A VERDICT AT LAST.
It was not until half past two of the afternoon of Monday, Dec. 16th, that the members of the jury, after being locked up over seventy hours, were prepared to render a verdict. Court was opened at ten o'clock in the morning, but there being no sign of any communication from the jury-room, a recess was taken until two o'clock. Shortly before that hour it was learned that a verdict had at last been reached. Extraordinary precautions were at once taken in and about the court room.
The general public was excluded, and only counsel engaged in the case, representatives of the press, and about two score of police officers in plain clothes were admitted. Judge McConnell took his seat on the bench at 2:25, and a moment later the five prisoners were ushered in over the iron bridge leading from the jail.
John F. Beggs, a deathly pallor on his face, and his blue eyes glaring as though protruding from the bleached bones of a skeleton, headed the line. Next to him came Daniel Coughlin, with a nervous, cynical smile upon his face. Then followed O'Sullivan, his jaws set firm, and the fingers of his right hand tugging nervously at his mustache. Close behind him came Martin Burke, with the same look of stolid indifference that he had worn throughout the trial. Kunze, who brought up the line, was apparently the least concerned of the five, smiling and bowing as he passed in to the reporters and court officials.
Just as soon as the prisoners had taken their seats and the fifteen deputy sheriffs, three to each man, had filled the space behind their chairs, the jury was brought in. Breathless silence prevailed. Everyone present seemed impressed with the solemnity of the moment. Even Judge McConnell, who had maintained a calm and reserved air throughout the trial, nervously mopped his brow, from which the perspiration threatened to pour in torrents. In response to a question of the clerk Foreman Clarke responded that the jury had agreed upon a verdict, at the same time handing up a sealed paper to the bench. The painful and oppressive stillness which prevailed was only broken when the voice of the clerk, who had in the meantime unfolded the paper, rang out clear and distinct in tones that penetrated through the iron doors to the corridors beyond. This is what he read:
We, the jury, find the defendant, John F. Beggs, not guilty.
We, the jury, find the defendant, John Kunze, guilty of manslaughter as charged in the indictment and fix his punishment at imprisonment in the penitentiary for a term of three years.
We, the jury, find the defendants Daniel Coughlin, Patrick O'Sullivan and Martin Burke, guilty of murder in the manner and form as charged in the indictment and fix the penalty at imprisonment in the penitentiary for the term of their natural lives.
One prolonged buzz, as though a thousand bated breaths had been loosened, filled the court-room as the clerk resumed his seat. Then there was a wail, a despairing cry. Little Kunze, the comedian of the prisoners, had broken down at last. The hot, scalding tears chased each other down his cheeks as, with clasped hands and a look of unutterable agony upon his face, he ejaculated again and again, "My God! My God! God knows I am innocent! I never was in Lake View that night! Oh! God knows I am innocent, gentlemen!"
Very different were the feelings of John F. Beggs, who occupied the extreme right of the line. No sooner had the last words of the verdict been read than in a single bound he was before the jurors. Shaking each by the hand he thanked them cordially, and then, addressing them as a body, said: "Gentlemen, I thank you. I trust that the future may confirm your judgment upon me, and that you will never regret that you found me not guilty of this terrible charge."
O'Sullivan was the only one of the other three prisoners who gave vent to his feelings in tears. They trickled down his cheeks for a moment, but he brushed them away and soon recovered his self-possession. Coughlin looked defiantly around the court-room but did not betray any emotion, while Martin Burke looked more cool and unconcerned than any man in the room. The formal motion for a new trial was entered and recorded, the iron doors revolved on their hinges, the four prisoners passed to the jail beyond, the great trial was at an end, and with three men condemned to a living death and the fourth incarcerated for a period commensurate with his crime, the murder of the Irish patriot was avenged.
The End.
Transcriber's Note:
Some illustrations have been moved from the middle of a paragraph to a nearby paragraph break.
The text in the list of illustrations is presented as in the original text, but the links navigate to the page number closest to the illustration's loaction in this document.
The following misprints have been corrected:
"portait" corrected to "portrait" (page xii)
"Identifed" corrected to "Identified" (page xiii)
"forthought" corrected to "forethought" (page 17)
"confidental" corrected to "confidential" (page 17)
"physican's" corrected to "physician's" (page 22)
"Captains" corrected to "Captain" (page 31)
"the the" corrected to "the" (page 35)
"miscroscope" corrected to "microscope" (page 36)
"pecular" corrected to "peculiar" (page 47)
"PHYSICAN" corrected to "PHYSICIAN" (page 57)
"Presdents" corrected to "Presidents" (page 58)
"exept" corrected to "except" (page 62)
"orginization" corrected to "organization" (page 70)
"Main" corrected to "Maine" (page 70)
"h m" corrected to "him" (page 74)
"generel" corrected to "general" (page 74)
"represenative" corrected to "representative" (page 78)
"purjurer" corrected to "perjurer" (page 81)
"Nationel" corrected to "National" (page 81)
"enlaree" corrected to "enlarge" (page 81)
"reprehensibl" corrected to "reprehensible" (page 87)
"informotion" corrected to "information" (page 90)
"sufficint" corrected to "sufficient" (page 91)
"discusson" corrected to "discussion" (page 95)
"busines" corrected to "business" (page 100)
"Lomansey" corrected to "Lomasney" (page 100)
"physican's" corrected to "physician's" (page 107)
"the the" corrected to "the" (page 133)
"Catharines" corrected to "Catherines" (page 151)
"imprisioned" corrected to "imprisoned" (page 219)
"PHILADELHHIA" corrected to "PHILADELPHIA" (page 234)
"contradition" corrected to "contradiction" (page 246)
"Coronor" corrected to "Coroner" (page 248)
"Sulllivan" corrected to "Sullivan" (page 252)
"villian" corrected to "villain" (page 255)
"mitimus" corrected to "mittimus" (page 270)
"phenominal" corrected to "phenomenal" (page 271)
"stoping" corrected to "stopping" (page 281)
"Clan-na-6ael" corrected to"Clan-na-gael" (page 282)
"witnessess" corrected to "witnesses" (page 287)
"admissable" corrected to "admissible" (page 289)
"Schack" corrected to "Schaak" (page 289)
"arirve" corrected to "arrive" (page 296)
"beheld" corrected to "be held" (page 296)
"homeat" corrected to "home at" (page 296)
"Februray" corrected to "February" (page 300)
"WINNEPEG" corrected to "WINNIPEG" (page 303)
"Winnepeg" corrected to "Winnipeg" (page 304)
"occasionaly" corrected to "occasionally" (page 304)
"Winnepeg" corrected to "Winnipeg" (page 312)
"condiserable" corrected to "considerable" (page 317)
"admissibl eand" corrected to "admissible and" (page 323)
missing "the" added (page 327)
extraneous "while" removed (page 329)
"transfered" corrected to "transferred" (page 331)
"employe's" corrected to "employees" (page 336)
"of of" corrected to "of" (page 336)
"BAGNELL" corrected to "BAGNALL" (page 345)
missing "he" added (page 360)
"fradulently" corrected to "fraudulently" (page 363)
"no" corrected to "not" (page 376)
"nationalty" corrected to "nationality" (page 377)
"Lafllin" corrected to "Laflin" (page 385)
"preceedings" corrected to "proceedings" (page 391)
"elasses" corrected to "classes" (page 394)
"distinetion" corrected to "distinction" (page 394)
"ean" corrected to "can" (page 395)
missing "to" added (page 407)
"the" corrected to "that" (page 408)
"apointment" corrected to "appointment" (page 408)
"giving" corrected to "given" (page 423)
"and and" corrected to "and" (page 423)
"O'Sulivan" corrected to "O'Sullivan" (page 427)
"stanch" corrected to "staunch" (page 435)
"It" corrected to "If" (page 444)
"no" corrected to "on" (page 453)
"Simons" corrected to "Simonds" (page 485)
"iniflct" corrected to "inflict" (page 487)
"mantlepiece" corrected to "mantelpiece" (page 495)
"Gentleman" corrected to "Gentlemen" (page 498)
"if if" corrected to "if" (page 509)
missing "I" added (page 511)
"responsibly" corrected to "responsibility" (page 513)
"lelt" corrected to "left" (page 515)
"patroit" corrected to "patriot" (page 518)
"acount" corrected to "account" (page 520)
"palf" corrected to "half" (page 523)
"abili" corrected to "alibi" (page 524)
"dont" corrected to "don't" (page 525)
"Cughlin" corrected to "Coughlin" (page 526)
"anyth ng" corrected to "anything" (page 526)
"predjudice" corrected to "prejudice" (page 527)
"predjudices" corrected to "prejudices" (page 527)
"a" corrected to "as" (page 533)
"Gods" corrected to "God's" (page 534)
"Inspite" corrected to "In spite" (page 537)
"beeause" corrected to "because" (page 542)
"steets" corrected to "streets" (page 546)
"they" corrected to "that" (page 548)
"whn" corrected to why" (page 552)
"poople" corrected to "people" (page 552)
"aftet" corrected to "after" (page 557)
"certainity" corrected to "certainty" (page 564)
"predjudice" corrected to "prejudice" (page 565)