The Cortland Democrat, Friday, November 30, 1900.
MURDER IN FIRST DEGREE.
Fred Krist Convicted of Murdering Katie Tobin.
Owego, N. Y., Nov. 24.—The trial of Fred Krist for the murder of Miss Katie Tobin concluded yesterday afternoon and the jury rendered a verdict of "guilty of murder in the first degree." The defendant's counsel introduced testimony to prove that insanity ran in the Krist family, but Dr. Charles G. Wagner, superintendent of the State hospital at Binghamton in rebuttal said he did not believe Krist ever showed symptoms of insanity.
Attorney Darrow summed up the case for the defense yesterday afternoon. Mrs. Tobin and Mrs. Donahue, mother of and sister of the murdered girl and Krist's wife and sister wept and sobbed during his plea, but Krist showed no emotion whatever.
The District Attorney reviewed the case for the people, speaking a little less than an hour. Judge Mattice charged the jury briefly.
At 5 o'clock the jury retired and court adjourned until 7 p. m.
Krist was found guilty of murder in the first degree after a deliberation of three hours. The jurors came in at 8:15 and Krist heard his doom pronounced with a smile of the utmost indifference. His two brothers were the only friends in court when the verdict was pronounced. He expresses his pleasure with the verdict and says as he has since the afternoon of April 7 when he shot the girl that he wishes to be convicted and electrocuted.
The court room was packed, hundreds of women being present, some of them standing for hours waiting for the verdict and not even leaving the room for a lunch. The judge warned the audience that he would not tolerate any expression of approval or disapproval.
Sentence was pronounced upon Krist this morning. Long before the appointed hour the court room was crowded with spectators. At 9:30 o'clock the convicted murderer accompanied by his two brothers, Henry Krist of Ithaca and Julius J. Krist of Buffalo, entered the court house in the custody of undersheriff E. W. Rodman.
He was neatly dressed as usual and appeared to have taken great pains with his toilet. His face was slightly more flushed than when he left the court yesterday, but he still retained his usual good spirits.
The proceeding was concise. Judge Mattice spoke but few words in passing the sentence of electrocution in the Auburn state prison during the week beginning January 6th.
Krist remained calm throughout and smiled when his death warrant was spoken. He chatted cheerfully with the officers on his way back to the jail.
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PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
Thanksgiving.
Of all our national holidays not one is so distinctly and peculiarly American as Thanksgiving day. It was brought into existence on the bleak and barren New England shores that gather about Plymouth Rock. It was cradled into strength amid the frigid surroundings and hard conditions of the Pilgrims in the early years of their settlement. Its establishment will ever stand forth as a proud memorial of the spirit of thoughtfulness—hence thankfulness—of those grand characters who bore across the Atlantic the principles of a higher civilization, and brought with them a charter of that broad freedom, pledged to the enactment of just and equitable laws, and committed to the idea that before these laws all men should be equal.
Thanksgiving day was established in the year 1621 in this wise: Governor Bradford, after the final fruits of the harvest had been gathered in rich abundance, set forth a company of men to procure game for a coming feast. God had blessed the colonies in their labors, and this was to be the feast of their thanks giving. "So they met together and thanked God with all their hearts, for the good world and the good things in it." Although indigenous to New England, the spirit and the idea of Thanksgiving have been carried far and near by the sons and daughters of New England until its significance and its observation are as wide-spread as are Americans throughout the world.
Thanksgiving, in its observance, is peculiarly a product of the home and is preeminently the home day of the year. And as each heart has its own individual longing for home, many hearts must be gathered together in thought or act on Thanksgiving day, at these rallying places of the heart.
The national designation of Thanksgiving day from year to year is not solely to carry out the form of expressing the willing gratitude of the heart to an over-guiding Providence for leading the nation through various vicissitudes into the broadening paths of light, but is as well an impulse to the preservation of the home spirit, as healthy, happy, virtuous, grateful homes are the true bulwarks of national honor, national faith and national perpetuity. The spirit of the day and its implied hope is expressed in the wish of Cervantes: "Every one in his own home and God in all of them."
The Democrat expresses at this time the heartfelt wish that in every home where it enters there peace and plenty may be found and there abide. May Thanksgiving cheer wait on our readers one and all. May their tables groan beneath their loads of plenty! May family joys be multiplied, family ties be strengthened and family cheer be disseminated. To the older of our readers may many bright scenes there come forth from memory of the typical in-gatherings and the abundant cheer of the Thanksgiving days of long ago, and may such memories be handed down in story to the younger members of the family with merry laughter and with reverent thanks. Let the day be made the harvest-home of the heart! All need such days. The old need them that the unsunned treasures of the heart may again be moved into glow and gleam of other days. The young need them to gather into their hearts sunlit joys that will prove wantless springs of cheer in days to come. The world has grown neither old nor cold. It only seems thus because so many in the world are merely absorbents, taking in the light and heat of the world, but irradiating nothing of the warmth and glow of kindliness. So many have left the highlands of hope and dwell in the valleys of selfish indifference.
Let Thanksgiving day recall that true joys come only to the heartful giver, that in others happiness is our own revealed. Let those on whom fortune has smiled give something out of the heaped up measures of their abundance to brighten those homes where want dwells and where misfortune seems to have an abiding place. Let the day stand forth in the city of Cortland as the one day in the year when, at least, there will be an abundance of temporal blessings in every home within its boundaries. Thus, indeed, can be carried out in part that ancestral custom handed down to us, whereby good cheer and becoming gratitude should be mingled together at Thanksgiving tide.
And let the thanks of all true Americans be expressed for all the lavish bounties of the year, and for all the crowning strength and graces of the year. And let abounding thanks be given for national honor and national greatness, for civic pride and civic worth, for patriotic promptings and patriotic deeds, for the glorious memories of the patriotic dead, and the presence and inspiration of the patriotic living.
Generous Supervisors.
The supervisors of Cortland county did a most praiseworthy deed last Friday, one which calls for praise from the entire city. At the annual donation for the benefit of the City hospital held on that day, the entire board visited that institution and after inspecting its workings they generously donated $40.68 to the hospital association, which with other cash offerings amounted to $84. "Well done, good and faithful servants."
HERE AND THERE.
An amusing scene occurred near the Wickwire shops Monday morning, when the street was flooded with water. One of the employees was riding his wheel along in the pool when it struck a sand bank or other obstruction and over the rider went in the water. A second wheelman endeavored to be more cautious, when he also took a header in the drink. A third and a fourth went down in quick succession, and all that was lacking was a Baptist clergyman to make the scene a deeply impressive one.
That was a most glorious rain we had, lasting from Saturday evening until Monday. The springs and wells felt the effects of the storm, and it is probable there will be no further annoyance from drouth this year.
Oh, yes, we have water in the well now, thank you.
"Reubens" is the name of a new flag station on the E. & C. N. Y. railroad at the Fralic crossing west of White's Mills.
Maple logs are being shipped from Cincinnatus to New York.
Mrs. R. T. Peck gave a tea to a few friends last Saturday evening.
James W. Clark, the new D., L. & W. station agent at Cortland, has leased a portion of the Tanner house, 60 Railroad-st. and will move his family from Scranton, Pa.
Members of McGrawville grange should remember the election of officers and annual dinner on Saturday of this week.
Tuesday, December 4, is the anniversary of the organization of Cortlandville grange, and for this reason the annual supper will be held on that evening. 'Tis safe to say the attendance will be large.
The net receipts of the recent rummage sale were $480.84. The ladies of Grace church labored faithfully to make the affair a success, and they well deserve great credit for the handsome addition to the treasury.
The W, C. T. U. will serve a chicken-pie supper at the time of the Prohibition conference on Friday. Dec. 7. Price 25 cents. Tickets may be procured at any time of Mrs. H. R. Greenman or of Mr. C. W. Collins.
We predict that but very few taxpayers in Cortland county will criticize the action of the board of supervisors in increasing the salary of the clerk to $200. The work performed by Mr. Alger is well worth the increased salary, and we are heartily glad the board voted favorably and unanimously upon the proposition.
We have received from Geo. Hoyt. a former typo in this office who is now attending Amherst college, a copy of the Amherst Literary Monthly, a most entertaining literary journal issued by the students. We look in vain for the signature "G. H." to either of the many well-written articles, but it is a satisfaction to know that George is capable of indicting something fine and that his opportunity will surely come.
Last Thursday death claimed one of the oldest residents of Preble, Cornelius Daly. He was 93 years of age and had long been a resident of that town. He leaves seven children, Mrs. W. A. Pierce and Mrs. James Mack of Cortland, Mrs. D. P. Hartnett Jr. and Mrs. David Fox of Truxton, John Daly of Tully, P. F. Daly of Preble and C. C. Daly of Syracuse. The funeral was held Saturday and burial made at Truxton.
One of the most delightful spots to spend an hour or two on a cool or stormy day is at the Brainbridge nurseries, conducted by Messrs. Adolph Frost & Son. These gentlemen have any quantity of chrysanthemums, palms, carnations, roses, and other plants and flowers, and when you buy of them you are not asked to pay a small fortune for your purchases, but you get your full money's worth every time. Everyone is welcome to go all through the greenhouses whether desirous of purchasing or not.
A most peculiar runaway accident occurred in this city last Saturday night. A gentleman from Virgil drove in town to attend the entertainment at the Opera house, and before starting for home later in the evening he stopped at a lunch wagon to refresh the inner man. During his absence the horse ran away up Main-st. and Groton-ave. The gentleman searched a long time for his rig, and finally went home with a livery team. About 4 o'clock the following morning his own horse returned home with harness and buggy in good order.
Pomona Grange.
The fourth quarterly meeting of Cortland county Pomona grange is to be held in Good Templar hall in Cortland on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 10 o'clock. The election of officers for the coming year will take place, and delegates to the state grange will be chosen. The election of an executive committee for three years will also occur during the day.
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