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A " \fv s NL o 8 el et Il s / Y| L \J -&@¥/ ae AXL - i ,L T\ \ : g gl « : ‘»-\,\l{/\?f\’ € & f. i 2 So N7 W v i@/fgv e \1 N E N e B (s - AV | I Bparip -A L e 75TH YEAR. CHRISTIANSTED. V.I. U.S. A.,, MONDAY 6t DECEMBER 1920. on the part of the prosecution, the Court had invariably adjourned.: To assist the Hon’ble Judge Thiele, four of our most reputed and worthy citizens, in the per- sons of Messrs. E. D. Boardman, Warran S. Lee, J. E. Knutz and R. Miller. had been appointed, while the Hon’ble Con- rad Corneiro was apprinted an inter- preter. Among the various witnesses and members of the crew who testified to the murder, etc., and whose sworn testi- monies lie recorded in the courts, was John Patrick Mc Crystal, oiler, who ac- cused Lopez of killing Dougherty, Charles H. Mann, coal-passer, Angel Coesti, who told of the argument be- twwveen the prisoner and his victim, and of the subsequent fight. The sailor, whose testimony is of interest, told of the challenge tendered each other, and how Lopez to)k a knife and followed Dougherty out of the ronm. Another witness for the prosecution was Walter Smith, deck engineer, who, h)wever, claimed to have been absent at the time. Another important witness was Pedro Preche, 25 years of age, who told of the quarrvel that ied to sueh fatal results. He had returned from on shore in a car, with others. Going don board the ship, he had gone to the crew’s quarters, where he found Lopez and Dougherty quarrelling. Then he saw Lopez leave the room with a knife. Soto was also taking part in the quarrel, and called for a fellow-seaman, Smith, in a threat- ening way. Mec Crystal, again testifying, told how he had been calling for *‘Canny;’’ how he had mel Donohpe coming up a lad- der, followed by Lopez, who carried a huge knife. Behind, came Dougherty, upon Lopez turned and stabbed, so that he fell. The ‘‘Canny’’ mentioned- a while ago, is John Canon, fireman, 32 years old, who tcstified to having been on shere until 6 p. m., when having to go ‘‘on wateh’’ at 8 o’clock, he had returned to the ship. Finding everything O. K. he bhad gone strolling along the docks, when he heard the whistles blowing, call- ing for the police. A.F.Wilsor,coal passer, told of the argument between the two men, and of having seen Soto leave the room also with a knife. Stabbing at him, Wilson returnad to the crew’s room. Socon, Lopez with a long butch- er’s knife re-entered the room. Soon the room was vacant, so he did not see the stabbing. : Robert Andrews, oiler, 26 years, told how he had been attaeked by Soto with ; THE ST. CROIX AVIS 18 printed and published daily (Sundays and Holidays excepted) by G. Johansen at the Avis Office. TERMS---50 cents monthly in advance. 2 cents per single copy. Entered as second-class matter May 26th 1917 at the Post Office at Christian- .\n?ed, St Crow, V. L' ofthe Ul. S. A.. un- der the Act of March 3. 1879. Contribution to this paper will be glad- ly received when the same deals with mat- ters of general interest, and is accompa- nied with the author’s name, as a quar- antee of good faith. The editor cannot be responsible for the views of his correspon- dents nor does he necessarily endorse them. St. Thomas News. - Murderers of the American ss. JSPolar Star” sentenced—Lo- pez to lose his life—Soto to 6 years in penitentiary -Coun- sel for defendants antagonis- tic---Gives notice of appeal. Yesterday afternoon, Monday the 29th inst. the case ‘“‘Government versus Jose Lopez and Jose Soto,’”’ came up for final judgement when Lopez, who is a Sfpaniard, 24 years (f age, and a Romanist by faith, and charged with the wilful murder of E. J. Douzherty, a stoker on board the American S S. ‘‘Polar Star,” lying ia port on the night of September 9th inst. was sentenced to ‘death; and Soto 24 years of age, of Cewcales, Chili; and likewise a Roman Catholic, to six years in the penitentiary for his complicity in the crime, and for his malicious assault upon, and dangercus wounding of Pa- trick Joseph Donahue, a fellow seaman, and who =still lies injured, and minus an eye, in the Municipal Hospital. Appear- ing for the Prosecution was Lawy :r Geo. A.Keyser, Government’s Attorney, while Captain Leo F.S. Horan, U.S. M. C, and acting-Government Secretary, ap- “peared for the defence. " This case, from its uniqueness, had created all along a very deep and painful impression. From time to time the court had sat; but through the stubbornnessof the de- " fendants to acknowledge the committal of .the crime, through the apparent lack of sufficient testimony to convict them, as well as through ‘‘unpreparedness’ No. 282. a knife, and how he had been saved by Lopez throwing himself between him and his assailant. There were many other witnesses,” most of whom testified to having had a couple glasses of beer while on shore, but who serupulously maintained that no one was really intox- icated. The prisoners had lik~wise been on shoreleave, and had also had some beer, but not to that extent as to make them intoxicated. Returning to the ship the men had congregated in the crew’s room, when the row—apparently over the right to a bunk—had started. With such clear proofs as to the non- justification for the perpetration of so foul a deed, it is nothing to be wondered at that the Government’s Attorney in the person of Lawyer Geo. A. Keyser made so urgent and strenuous an appeal for conviction during the sitting of the Court last Wednesday morning. %‘aced by the incontrovertible evidence against his clients, is it any wonder that the Counsel for the defense, Capt. Horan, endeavoured to tear the evidence of the witnesses to- pieces? Failing in this, however, he made an ‘‘appeal for cle- mency’’ on behalf of the unfortunate prisoners in a brilliant manner, and in words that went to the hearts of the audience, citing as an example the case recently of Small vs. Samuel. No de- cision having been reached as to the penalty to be inflicted, sentence was deiayed until further. Yesterday afternoon, however, the Judges met at 3 o’clock, and were in session until long after 5 o’clock. At 4.46 p. m. the prisoners weie brought from their c-lls, and seated in the lobby of the Court. At 5.45 the Judges entered the Court room, and the piisoners and the lawyers took their respective places. “‘Let the prisoners stand before the Bar’’ said Judge Thiele '‘and receive their sentences.”’ ' “Jose Lopez’’ said he, ‘‘you have been found guilty of murder, and have been sentenced to lose your life. (Pro- found silence.) Jose Soto, as an ae- complice in the crime, you have been sentenced to six years in the peniten- tiary.”’ v Captain Horan as counsel for the defendants was visibly taken aback by the verdict of the Court, and gave in- stant notice of his intentfon to appeal to the Third Circuit Court of Philadel- phia, and asked for a copy of the en- tire Court proceedings. Lawyer Key- g (Continued on 4th page.) 1