Show POISON PAST PASTOR 15 IS GIVEN EN LIFE L L. L M M. M HEIGHT FORMER METHODIST METHODIST METHO METHO- DIST MINISTER GOES TO PRISON FOR FOR MURDER Mr Mrs MII Elsie Ellie Accomplice Cn In Crime Sentenced to 35 Year Years In Illinois Penal I Institution Mount Vernon Lawrence lit Lawrence M 11 Hight former Methodist pastor must serve a life sentence in the Illinois penitentiary and Mrs Elsie thirty-five thirty years for the murder of Wilford A jury brought in the verdict with the foregoing sentences The Thi jury had deliberated on the ease aase for lor approximately eleven hours The main question among the jurors according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to rumors about the courtroom courtroom court court- room was whether or not the former minister should hang Both Hight and Mrs took the verdict calmly The pastor seemed seem seem- ed resigned to sentence Mrs Sweet in expressed gratification at the fact she ahe had not been given a life lile sentence This was was the final episode of the perfect love which the minister and the miners miner's wife had built up For months he wooed her clandestinely and in the end according to the states state's evidence it Jt resulted in the poisoning of Mrs husband The ministers minister's wife Mrs Anna A A. A Hight Bight also died from arsenic poisoning poison ing and a charge of murder in connection connection con con- with her death still hg over the two States State's attorneys announced they take up the second murder case immediately The states state's attorney also said he was very much displeased with the leniency of the jurors We built up a perfect case against the two I am displeased with such a verdict Frank Fran Thompson one of the prosecutors said In the closing arguments both Th Thompson and his assistant made pleas that Hight and Mrs be sent to the gallows for the murder Bights Hight's defense was was based around insanity and Mrs had contended contended contended con con- tended she had no part in the affair Immediately after the pair were arrested arrested arrested ar ar- ar- ar rested in connection with the murder they conf confessed to the crime Bights Hight's confession was read into the records but Mrs Mr repudiated hers her's and it was stricken from the testimony However the state engineered a coup when Lun the dead mans man's father testified th that t Mrs had confessed to him that she killed her husband after Hight had hod urged her to do it |