The Final Scenes

Buffalo, Sept. 24.     

     As the jury resumed their seats, Judge White, who had returned to his chair, asked the District Attorney if he had any requests to make.
     The District [A]ttorney asked that the jury be instructed as follows:
     1. That the law presumes every person sane.
     2. That the burden of overthrowing the presumption of sanity and of showing insanity is upon the person who alleges it.
     Mr. Titus, for the defense, asked that the jury be charged that if from all the evidence of the case that at the time of the committing of this assault the defendant was laboring under such a defect of reason as not to know the quality of the act he was doing, that then he is not responsible, and they must acquit him.
     On the Judge’s motion the jury retired.

How the Jury Balloted.

     Four ballots were taken by the jury in the course of its deliberations. This was done to settle exactly and definitely the conviction of each juror, and helped to kill time, which the jury thought proper, as it wished to avoid the appearance of undue haste.
     The first question presented to the jury by Foreman Wendt was:
     “Is the defendant sane or insane?”
     Twelve jurymen without a moment’s hesitation voted “Sane.”
     “Is he guilty?” was the second proposition.
     “Guilty,” said the twelve men by their ballots.
     “Is he guilty of murder in the [s]econd degree?” was the third question.
     “No,” said the votes of every man.
     “Is he guilty of murder in the first degree?” was the final query.
     “YES!” said they with unanimity. Thus with deliberation was the ass[a]ssin’s fate calmly decided.
     After the jury had rendered its verdict of “Guilty” the Judge d[i]scharged it from service. He gave notice that he would pass sentence on the prisoner on Thursday afternoon at [?] o’clock. The prisoner was taken away. The people left the court-room.