A Surprise Guilty Verdict in a Waterfront Holdup
A jury convicts I. W. Tollman of highway robbery, while the trial of John Murphy for the same holdup of John Smith continues in Judge Bellinger's court.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The jury in the case of I. W. Tollman, charged with highway robbery, returned a verdict of "guilty." The case was opened at 9 o'clock yesterday morning in Judge Bellinger's court. The verdict was a surprise, as from Tollman's reasonable defense many thought that he would only be convicted of petty larceny.
Judge Bellinger was busy all day hearing the case of John Murphy, which was called for trial Monday evening. Murphy is one of three men charged with holding up John Smith on the corner of Water and Clay streets last month. The trial was not completed and will be resumed today. The other two men will also be tried separately.
“The verdict was a surprise, as from Tollman's reasonable defense many thought that he would only be convicted of petty larceny.”
This 1903 robbery case turned on a downtown street corner and the kind of courtroom surprise that still draws attention. Modern Seattle debates over public safety and prosecution ask similar questions about who is charged, who is convicted, and how justice is delivered.
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