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DISTRICT COURT.Perkins, who were indicted formurder in the first degree, thecharge being the killing of thenew - born child of the unmarrieddefendant. The principal witness wasMrs. Emilv Pfort, a half-witted aunt of1 9the girl who swore positively that the child was born alive and was strangledby her sister and niece. It was shown that she had told various persons that the child was born dead, but afterwards claimed that she lied and only made such statements at the request of Mrs. Perkins. The defense proved that thiswitness had two illegitimate childrenand that her moral reputationwas bad. Also that she wasunusually ignorant. The state introduced Drs. Little, Leipziger andMcDill, Jr., who made an examination of the body at the request of the coroner and found that it had independentlife after birth. This testimony corroborated that of Emily Pfort, the eye witness, and it bad sufficient weight tocause seven of the jury to hold out forconviction. They were called in at noon, and, stating that there was no possibility of an agreement, were discharged. They stood as follows: for conviction—J. A. Dunham, H. C.Beckman, J. C. Bailey, Al. Wilkin, E. P. Dunham, Alois Fensterer, Adam Braunberger; for acquittal—Jacob Leff-ler, T. J. Copp, Jacob Thienes, William Griffith.The offense not being a bailable one, the prisoners were returned to jail, where they must remain to await a new trial next September. It is a severe trial upon the Perkins family whether guilty or not. Mrs. Perkins has one infant and five other small childrenand if she must stay in jail till next fall they will be neglected. Possibly some arrangements can be made for their release pending another trial.Judge Casey yesterday sentenced H. C. Rutherford, the printer who embezzled the funds of the Typographical Union of this city, to one year in the penitentiary, the lowest sentence that could be imposed. Rutherford is a good printer, but an unprincipled scamp, who deliberately robbed the Union ofThe Jury Fails to Agree In the Murder j j Case—Assignment of Coart Cases.At half past 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon Judge Casey instructed the jury in the infanticide case and they retired to deliberate upon the guilt of Mary Belle Perkins and her mother, Sarah
Newspaper Details
Burlington Daily Gazette
Burlington, Iowa, US
Fri, May 20, 1887
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Karen K.
IA, USA 12 Feb 2018
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