Show SENT TO PRISON FOR LIFE pfoutz pleads guilty and draws same sentence given elliott by jury prisoners taken to state penitentiary sunday robert H culott and delbert webster pfoutz murderers of marshal n D westwood aged moab peace officer must spend the remainder of their natural lives within the walls of the utah state prison this was the judgment meted out to them saturday by judge deworth woodey following the rendering of a verdict of first degree murder by the jury which sat in the culott case the culott jury reached a verdict alter deliberating tor tour and one half hours most of which time it Is reported was spent in determining whet herthe death penalty should be the decision or whether a recommendation of life imprisonment should be made the jury finally agreed on the latter course and at 8 45 friday evening court was convened reconvened re to hear the verdict foreman P 0 steams submitted the jurys verdict which held elleott guilty of murder in the first degree with a recommendation of life imprisonment judge woodey after thanking the jurors for their services in the case dismissed them and fixed saturday at 10 0 clock as the time for pronouncing noun cing sentence on the defendant the defendant through his attorneys senator knox patterson and B W dalton waived the statutory time tor sentencing and agreed that judgment be immediately at 10 a m saturday culott was brought into court to hear his sentence defense counsel urged that the recommendation of the jury be carried out and that the life of el be spared while they admitted that the court might disregard the jurys recommendation they urged the judge not to assume the responsibility of ordering the execution of EI llott district attorney P W keuer and C A robertson associate counsel tor the state stated that the crime committed by culott merited the death penalty they stated that through the action of the jury the responsibility of meting out a deserved punishment rested with the court in pronouncing sentence judge woodey severely castigated culott saying that the crime he had committed had placed him without the pale of the law and bad forfeited his right to live the judge said that the cold blooded slaying of the aged officer constituted a crime which might properly be punished by the infliction of the death penalty however the jury had recommended life imprisonment placing the response baity of fixing the punishment upon the court judge woodey declared he was not disposed to shirk or evade this and he had given the matter long and earnest thought to decide whether or not he should disregard the recommendation of the jury an examination of au cases of capital punishment in utah he said had disclosed some aggravated nature of the crime committed a condition which was not so evident in this case he had decided therefore that the verdict of the jury was a good one he thereupon sentenced culott to imprisonment for life at hard labor and stated that be would becom mend to the board of pardons that no leniency be shown in handling the case he informed elleott that he could not possibly hope for liberty short of a quarter of a century and that he could expect to depend the remainder of his life insle the prison walls case disposed of with the disposal of the elleott case the court asked counsel it they were ready to proceed with the case against pfoutz defendant codefendant co of el llott which had been set for hearing upon completion ot the elleott trial the defense counsel stated that pfoutz was ready to plead guilty to a charge of second degree murder and receive a sentence of life imprisonment they were prepared to have their client plead to such a charge immediately they said district attorney keller said that while he bad given the matter some consideration and had in fact agreed to accept a plea of murder in the second degree he was doubtful it he should agree to such a compromise he expressed the fear that it pfoutz was given a prison sentence he would be released within a few years and could then continue his life of crime defense counsel stated that they would file becom with the board of pardons that pfoutz be given the maximum imprisonment under the sentence district attorney keller asked that he be given until two 0 clock to consider the matter at the opening of court at two 0 clock the district attorney filed a new information against pfoutz charging him with murder in the second degree the defendant was brought into court and entered a pica of guilty to the charge he was thereupon sentenced by judge woolley to life imprisonment at hard labo in the state penitentiary the two defendants were given over to the custody of the sheriff tor commitment to the state prison sheriff J B left moab saturday night with the prisoners reaching the penitentiary with them sunday after the disposal of the pfoutz case judge woolley in open court thanked counsel for the defense and state tor the earnest and energetic manner in which they bad worked in the two cases he said that while on first thought it might appear that the murderers were getting a lesser punishment than they merited he felt that from all angles justice had been meted out he said that the jury which tried the elleott case was manifestly fair and conscientious and had gone into the matter with the determination mi nation that both sides should be given fair consideration the judge said that the actions of the jury reflected credit on the county judge woolley declared that all in all justice had been done in the two cases and the ability of the courts to administer impartial justice was again vindicated the judge also praised the sheriffs office tor its splendid work in handling the homicide case and he also commended the and others who had helped to capture the two prisoners following their two escapes the tore bearance of the public generally and its disposition to let law and order taka its course spoke in highest terms of the good citizenship of the people of grand county judge woolley said ELLIOT AND PFOUTZ slayers of marshal westwood who entered the state prison sunday to commence serving life terms 7 artt |