Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 April 1910 — GUILTY IS VERDICT IN SAYLER TRIAL [ARTICLE]

GUILTY IS VERDICT IN SAYLER TRIAL

For Dr. Miller and Wife of Murdered Illinois Banker. JOHN GRUNDEN GOES FREE. Jury Was Out Thirty-six Hours Before a Verdict Was Reached—Dr. Miller Gets Twelve Year Sentence Mrs. Saylor Three Years. Watseka, 111., April 11.—After being out thirty-six hours the jury in the Sayler murder case to-day returned a verdict of guilty, Dr. W. H. Miller was sentenced to twelve years in the state prison and Mrs. Sayler to three. John Grundcn, father of Mrs. Sayler, was acquitted. The convicted defendants have moved for a new trial.

The general, expectation had been that the jury would disagree. Late in the afternoon, after more than ten ballots had been taken, a verdict of manslaughter was decided on. Shortly after 3 o’clock the jury announced that it was ready to report. . - . ■ When the jurors entered the courtroom Mrs. Sayler was seated beside her daughter Golda and Dr. Miller beside his wife. Grunden sat alone a little aside from the others. When the foreman of the jury uttered the word “guilty” Mrs. Sayler fell weeping into her daughter’s arms. Dr. Miller blanched and his wife flung her arms about him, sobbing hysterically. There was considerable confusion in the crowd and the bailiff rapped for order. Then the jury was polled and Attorney Free P. Morris made the formal motion for a new trial. State’s Attorney John P. Pallissard agreed to April 30 as the date for argument. Judge Dibell then thanked the jurors and discharged them.

When Miller arose from his seat to leave the courtroom one of his guards stepped forward and a moment later, for the first time since the murder was committed he felt the clasp, of manacles about his wrists. His wife till clung weeping to him, but an officer pushed her .aside and the convicted physician was led out of the courtroom to the county jail. Mrs. Sayler, after a fit of sobbing, recovered her cbmposuie and was taken unshackled to her cell. Her father squared his shoulders and walked out of the building a free man. The trial was the most sensational ever held in Iroquois County and has brought great crowds to Watseka on court days. Practieally every resident of the county has followed" it either by attending sessions of the court or through the newspaper accounts. Before a jury could be impaneled 237 veniremen were examined. The trial be-, gan March 14 and cost the county SB,OOO. - , • John Byron, popularly known as “By,” Sayler, a stock buyer and banker of Crescent City, 111., was murdered July 11, 1909, in his own hbme./ The motive for the crime lay in the "fact that Mrs. Sayler a,nd Dr. Miller had for a long time previous to the killing been on- such terms of intimacy as to make Sayler a laughing stock and by-word of the whole community. /