Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 August 1887 — THE WESTEEN STATES. [ARTICLE]

THE WESTEEN STATES.

The trial of the Chicago "boodlers has resulted in a verdict of guilty. Seven of the defendants go to the State Prison for two years, while four of them get off with a fine of #l,000. The closing scenes of tho celebrated trial are thus described in a special from Chicago:

“Guilty of conspiracy as charged In the indictment" was the verdict of the “boodle' jury returned to Judge Jamieson a few minutes before 9 o’clock last night, after six hours' deliberation. The sentences imposed by the jury were: Commissioner Daniel J. Wren, two years in the penitentiary; Commissioner Richard S. McClaughry two years; ex-Commis-sioner Michael Wasserman, two years; exCommissioner Adam Ochs, two years; ex. Commissioner John E. Van Pelt, two years; ex-Commissioner Michael K. Leyden, two years; ex-Warden Harry A. Varnell. two years ; Commissioner James J. (Buck/ McCarthy. 91,003 fine ; Commissioner Christian Geils, 81,u00 fine; Commissioner Richard M. Oliver, 91,000 fine; Commissioner Christian Casselman, 81,000 fine, HjnWtly before 9 oclock Sheriff Matson was nrafted that tho jury had agreed. Eleven meh who had been doing business for tho county lagged slowly into tho court room to hoar the result. Wren, with his bronzed straw hat on his head was the first to take his seat. Leyden, Casselman, Ochs, McClaughry, Wasserman, Van Pelt, and the rest soon followed. McCarthy sat near the railing meek as a martyr. Then the jury tramped slowly in. Casselman breathed like a stricken man, Ho scarcely sustained himself In hie chair by grasping its arms with both hands. Ochs was pale and trembled violently. Leyden and Varnell hau lost the robust color of their faces. Van Pelt’s sallowed pallor was a shade lighter than usual. Wren appeared stolid but nervous. All the defendants were excited and expected the extreme penalty—three years at Joiiet. Tho call of the jurors’ names seemed an hour in duration. Then the Judge asked if they had agreed upon a verdict. Foreman Brown arose and said: “We have, your Honor.’’ Tho tinKle of the car bells rang ou the silence like church bells. The rattle of the vehicles below echoed through the room. Eleven men who had once been respected citizens waited the verdict of their peers. Ten of them had been elected to the County Board by the people whose confidence they were on trial for having betrayed. Tho Clerk began to read the paper handed him by Mr. Brown. “ We, the jury, find the defendants guilty of conspiracy, as charged in the indictment." No surprise. Everybody expected it. The defendants expected it. They did not wince when the clerk read their names. The conspiracy of which they were guilty was to defraud Cook County by false pretenses. “And fix the punishment, ” continued the elerk, as deliberately as though reading a text from the Bible. Then he read the names of seven men who wore given two years in the penitentiary. Varneli's color tied. Leyden sighed heavily and dropped his arms outside his chair. Wren's eyes were glassy and saw' nothing. Van Pelt never moved a muscle. Ochs blanched ahd clutched at his hair. McClaughry’B bronzed and wrinkled features became ashen and his eyes fixed to tho floor. Michael Wasserman showed the least anxiety, but slid out of sight in his chair. The Clerk continued to read. McCarthy, Oliver, Casseliuau, Geils, 81,300 fine. Casselman was too far prostrated, apparently, to notice his light sentence. He remained motionless. The crimson hue of his face did not change. His jaws fell apart, and he appeared to be in a swoon. Casselman suffered more than the other ten men combined. Oliver aud Geils maintained their composure. They seemed dazed by their good luck. McCarthy alone appreciated the favor of ti.e jury. His spirits and presence of mind flashed through his great hulk and blazed in his face. A smile wandered over his big red countenance. Not one of the defendants’ counsel was present. McCarthy was on his feet in a moment, asking that the jury be polled. When the last sentence of the verdict was read, some one in the audience opened his mouth to say “whoop!” but a score of Deputy Sheriffs started for him and his enthusiusm was smothered. Counsel for the defense immediately entered amotion for a new trial. The walls of the burned Anthony elevator, at Minneapolis, fell upon a gang of workmen who were digging out the damaged wheat. Six were taken out dead, aud one was fatally injured.

Millbrook, Graham County, Kan., twenty miles north of Kansas City, was almost wholly destroyed by a straight wind coming from slightly west of north. The place contains about 500 inhabitants. Only one house, a residence, escaped serious damage. Four persona were killed, and about twenty-five wore injured. An Omaha special says the little excursion steamer Manawa, bearing a party of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Eugineers, capsized in Lake Manawa, three miles south of Council Bluffs, precipitating about thirty excursionists, all men, into the water. Joseph Newman aud George Cartwright, of Omaha, and C. H. Pherson, of Council Bluffs, were drowned; also two others whose names are unknown. Their bodies were recovered. It is thought two or three more were drowned. The rest were rescued. Thousands of acres of land have been burned over in the neighborhood of Joliet, 111, says a dispatch from that city. The flames were in some instances twenty feet high, and the fires ro led along the prairies faster than a man could ruu. One house, hay, machinery, fences, etc., were destroyed. The men are organized as fire-fighters; wornsn are offering prayers for rain. / A telegram from Ellenßburg, W. T., says: Fifty tons of rock fell in the eastern end of the Cascades tunnel, now being built by the Northern Pacific Railroad, killing four men and wounding several others. Natjbal gas has for somo yc ar i beeu known to exist in many localities arnu id Albert 1 Lea, Minnesota. S -veral sn ail wel s have been struck, which were regarded as curiosities and never turned to any account. Now a company has been formed to operate gas wells on ten thou-and acres of land, and it proposes to light and boat Albert Lea aud neighboring cities. During tho launching of the new atoambarge Wolf, at Wolf & Davidson’B ship-yard, Milwaukee* a wave, caused by the displacement of the water, broke over a dock and shed covered with people aud swept them into the slip. Three persons were killed and many injured fatally. A Milwaukee dispatch says of the unfortunate affair: The eause of the accident is not fully determined. Some eighty people were on a staging, or runway over the dock of the Northwestern Fuel Company when the huge vessel made her

plunge as the last block was knocked away. A great wave was caused by the displacement of water and through the wall of spray the platform was seen to lift and then crash down upon the docks below, many of the .people beneath the fallen timbers, maluumg, mangling, and wounding a score of tbe nnfoitunates. The immense wave swept up on the dock ten or twelve feet, striking with terrific force agaiust the coal sheds, and throwing many people into the water. Fortunately all were rescued without serious injury.