This closed the examination. The jury went into secret session.
At ten minutes to ten o’clock, the jury came from their room to the place of trial, in the lumber yard, where preparations were made immediately for the reception of the prisoner.
At ten o’clock, the culprit made his appearance on the ground, under an escort of about fifty well armed men. A circle was formed by the guard and the prisoner placed in the center. His appearance was not that of a man likely to die in a few minutes. He looked bravely around the crowd, nodding here and there to his acquaintances, and calling to them by name. Captain Florman having detailed his guard, gave the word, “all ready.” The foreman of the jury then opened the sealed verdict: “We, the jury, in the case of the people of Montana versus John Keene, find him guilty of murder in the first degree.”
A Voice—“What shall be done?”
Several voices in the crowd—“Hang him! hang him!”
The President here rose and said he wished to hear some expression of the public sentiment or motions in the case.
Calls were made for Colonel Johnson. The Colonel addressed the assembly in an appropriate speech, which was followed by a few short and pertinent remarks from Judge Bond.
On motion of A. J. Edwards, the testimony of Messrs. Boyden and Michael McGregor was read, and thereupon Judge Lawrence rose and said he was sure Keene had all the chance for a fair trial he could have wished, and motioned to carry the jury’s verdict into execution. Passed.
The prisoner here got up and said: “All I wanted was a fair and just trial; I think I have got it, and death is my doom; but I want time to settle up my business; I am not trying to get away.”
He was granted an hour’s time to prepare for his execution. The committee fixed the hour of execution at 11¹⁄₂ o’clock A. M. Keene remarked that he hadn’t any money to pay expenses—and was told that it should not cost him a cent. The guard now took charge of the doomed man, and escorted him to an adjacent house, in order that he might arrange his affairs.