Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 May 1908 — GUILTY OF MANSLAUGHTER. [ARTICLE]

GUILTY OF MANSLAUGHTER.

Continued from First Page, kitchen, opened the door for Dau but refused to go out. Some talk was had and Dan pointed a revolver at Daisy’s breast and fired. She ran to the bedroom screaming “My God, Ma, Dan has shot me." The family got up at once and the mother tried to hold Daisy on her feet but could not. She fell to the floor and was soon dead. Dr. M. D. Gwin swore the bullet passed through the heart and the lower lobe of the lung. Dan said that he did not mean to shoot the girl; said he pointed the revolver at her and ft “went off.” Dan said he fell down twice as he started to run away, went south toward the ice house, threw away his whiskey, which Thomas and Parks found afterward, and found his way to Dolph Day’s In the east part of town. He didn’t tell Dolph he had shot the girl, but Parks and Thomas had by this time gone to Hiram Day’s on Cedar street and told hhn what Dan had done. The three began to hunt for Dan. They went to Dolph’s house and Hiram tapped on the bedroom window. Dolph was asked to come to the back door. Dan in the mean time was sitting in another room by the stove. Hiram asked Dolph if Dan was there, and he said yes. Hiram told him what Dan had done and requested him to go in and catch Dan. Parks and Thomas got behind Hiram to protect themselves, and Dolph went in to the room where Dan was and caught around him from behind. Dan had a gun in his hand. Thomas came after Dolph and was closely followed by Hiram and Parks. Thomas took Dan’s guns away from him—two revolvers and a dirk knife—and when the guns were examined no loads were missing, he having evidently reloaded his gun going home. Dan was placed in jail and has been there since, being brought from there to the court house during the trial. The prosecuting attorney commenced his argument to the jury at 10:45 a. m. Wednesday. G. A. Williams followed with an hour’s speech. The State then closed and the court commenced reading its instructions to the jury at 2:25. This required 30 minutes, after which the jury retired' to deliberate on its verdict at 2:55. The court’s instructions seemed to be in the State’s favor, and were listened to attentively by the jury. During At 3 p. m. Thursday the jury asked for more instructions, and the same were re-read to them. It was evident .they were having a stiff fight, as they had then been out about 24 hours. A compromise verdict was finally agreed upon and returned at 11 p. m. Thursday for manslaughter, which carries with It a sentence of from two to twenty-one years in the reformatory at Jeffersonville. The prisoner was brought into court to hear the verdict and was immediately sentenced as above stated. He will probably be taken to Jeffersonville Monday to begin his sentence. Ellis Jones of Remington was foreman of the jury. The jury was out 32 hours.