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The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, July 13, 1915, NOON EDITION, Image 2

Image and text provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1915-07-13/ed-1/seq-2/

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man Walsh's questions or send him to
jail for contempt"
Despite the fact that the supreme
court of Colorado is reviewing the
conduct of Judge Granby Hillyer in
the district court of Denver, Hillyer
yesterday denied John R. Lawson, la
bor leader convicted"" of murder in
connection with strike disorders, a
new trial and sentenced him to spend
the remainder of his life at hard la
bor in the state penitentiary. He also
denied Lawson'i plea that he be per
mitted to go on bond pending action
in the appeal by the supreme court.
When asked if he had any state
ment to make before judgment was
pronounced, Lawson read a lengthy
statement in which he maintained his
innocence.
Denouncing Judge Hillyer, he said:
"In the name of the courts of my
country, which I respect, I protest
against you? right to pass any judg
ment on me. It is undenied in this
case that you were appointed to the
bench this spring for the trial of my
self and associates.
"Fresh from the employment of
the coal operators of Colorado, in
' eluding the Rockefellers, you have
engineered these prosecutions. Your
self a coal company attorney, you
were so prejudiced against me that
my case in this court was a travestry
on justice.
"Today the supreme court of Colo
rado in Denver is reviewing your con
duct and yet you refuse to wait an
other twenty-four hours for the guid
ance of That court's decision. Such
unseeming haste- in the exercise of
such a jurisdiction to thrust me into
prison should not be passed without
protest.
"You refused to permit the jury to
be drawn from the regular jury box
provided by law and you ordered an
open venire. This method was
exactly adapted to procure what none
was surprised to discover, a hand
picked jury of coal company parti
sans. "Nothing was to be permitted to
stand in the way and it is significant
a jury so selected refused to convict
me until a bailiff selected by you, ac
cording to affidavits on file in this
court, tortured a juryman with man
ufactured reports of the dangerous
illness of the juror's wife, and as a
final stroke warned the jury that
under your orders the jury would
have nothing further to eat until they
gave their verdict"
Lawson was convicted May 3 of
first degree murder for the killing of
John Nimmo, a deputy sheriff, on Oct.
25, 1913, during a battle between
strikers and mine guards when Law
son was shown to be eight miles
away. The prosecution charged the
strikers were in personal charge of
Lawson.
The state supreme court of Den
ver took under advisement applica
tion of Horace N. Hawkins and A. M.
Belcher, attorneys for United Mine
Workers of America, for writ barring
Judge Granby Hillyer from presiding
at trial of three former coal mine
strikers at Walsenburg.
' o o
COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL
DEFENDS ROCKEFELLER JUDGE
Denver, Colo., July 13. Judge
Granby Hillyer, to whom Frank P.
Walsh referred as the "corrupt
court," was defended by Att'y Gen.
Fred Farrar before the supreme
court. A writ of prohibition was
sought by coal strikers' attorney to
prevent Hillyer presiding at future
trials of miners indicted for murder
in connection with fatal riots during
the recent labor war in Colorado.
Farrar denied the allegation that pre
vious employment by the coal em
ployers unfitted Hillyer to trial former
strikers.
o o
LET'S MOVE TO-SAYVILLE
Sayville, L. I. Over 100 cases of
pineapples washed up by ocean here.
No one knows where they came from.
Half populace now watching beach
for sugar with which to preserve the
fruit

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