Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 November 1908 — LAMPHERE TO THE PEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

LAMPHERE TO THE PEN

Jury Says He Is Guilty of Arson and He Gets an lndeter> minate Sentence. MAY GET OUT IN TWO YEARS Cannot Cast a Vote, However, for a Period of Sixty Months. He and the Jnry Agree That Mr*, Gunnera In Dead—His Counsel Will Appeal the Case Higher. V La Porte, Ind., Nov. 27.—Ray Lan> rphere, charged with the murder of Mrs. Belle Gunness and her three children by setting fire to the Goanese house, has been found guilty at arson by the jury, which had the case more than twenty-four hours. Wltbia five minutes after the verdict was reported Judge Richter had sentenced the defendant to the state penitentiary

a* Michigan City for an indetermlm ate term ot from two to twenty-one years. He was taken to Michigan City today to begin his sentence. When word got around that a verdict had been re iched the courtroom was crowded in fifteen minutes. The process of polling the jury was soon completed, all the jurymen declaring that they joined in the verdict. w Statement That Won’t Be Made.

Previous to the handing of the verdict to Judge Richter, Foreman Mill stated that he wished to make a statement to the court, but Judge Richter informed hhn that he could not hear any statement until after the verdict had been received and read. After it had been read Judge Richter asked him if lie cared to make the statement, but he said that it would do no good now.

-Church Bells Rang His Doom. Following the withdrawal of the jury Judge Richter Instructed Lamphere to stand up. which the latter did, and then, just as the church bells in the city were ringing out Judge Richter asked him if he had any reasons to state why sentence should not be pronounced. He replied, slowly but distinctly, “I have none.” With that Judge Richter sentenced him to the state prison In Michigan City for an indeterminate term of from two to twenty-one years, fined him $5,000 and disfranchised him for five years.

the undersigned jurors, empaneled and sworn iu the case of the state of Indiana versus Ray Lamphere. hereby say that It was ow judgment in the consideration of the ease that the adult Ixxly found in the ruins of the fire was that of Belle Gunness. and tluit the ease was decided by us on an entirely different proposition.” Lamphere says he Is confident that the dead body tn the fire was Mrs. Gunness, regardless of -what other people may think. He also declared that he did not see Mrs. Gunness kill Heb geleln. “I have no complaint to mats about the verdict. Tbinkd looked pretty blue, but the verdict might have been worse.” Attorney Worden, for the defense, said that a motion for a new trial would be made, and should it be refused an appeal to the Indiana supreme court would follow. Worden declared the verdict to be rlddiculous. “If he was guilty at all,” said the attorney, “he would have been guilty of murder.”

RAY LAMPHERE.