The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-01-01 00:00:00

A MURDERER'S DESPERATION.

A Brooklyn paper (says the Daily Telegraph of Tuesday)
gives the following extraordinary account of an interview
between a murderer under sentence of death in New York
State and the barrister who defended him on his trial :

On Sunday afternoon George A. M3tt visited Wm.
Delaney, under sentence of. death in the gaol at
Mineola. Mr. Mott defended Delaney on his trial
and called on him to see whether there was anything
he could do for him, as he was represented as being in
a dying condition from hemorrhage of the lungs.

Mr. Mott was admitted to the condemned man's
cell by Keeper Bushman, who locked the door after
him and retired. Mr. Mott found Delaney lying on
his bed with the coverlet over him. As his visitor
entered he turned his head, but did not otherwise
move. As soon as the keeper was out of sight Delaney
threw off the coverlet and sprang to his feet. He
stepped toward Mr. Mott and seized him by both
shoulders. Mr. Mott is a man below the medium
height, whereas Delaney is almost of gigantic pro-
portions. He held Mr. Mott in an iron grip, and,
shaking him almost savagely, he hissed out in a
whisper:
"Have you got a knife? Give it to me if you
have."
Mr. Mott was greatly alarmed, but retained his
presence of mind. He was alone with the murderer,
and the keepers were some yards distant in the cor•
ridor.
"What's the matter?" Mott asked.

"Give me your 'knife," Deline3i said, shaking
right hand over Mr. Mott's head, and quivering with
excitement from head to foot, "give me your knife."
"I have no knife." Mr. Mott replied.
"Don't tell me that," Delaney said. "You, have a
knife. Give it to me, give it to me, and I'm a free
man."
"I tell you I haven't a knife," Mr. Mott repeated.
"Yes you have," Delaney said, savagely. "Let
me have it, and liberty is mine before to-morrow."
"What nonsense," Mr. Mott said. "I haven't got
any knife."
"Give me your knife, I say" -Dela,), y whispered,
shaking all over with intense exciteme ' There are
only two warders here, Rushinan and ", lib. Let me
have the knife, and I'll gash their thteat F ; I'll cut out
their hearts. They'll be dead men the first time they
enter my cell, and then I'm a free man."
"Be quiet, man,' Mr. Mott said, "they are too
much for you, and your irons would prevent you from
doing any harm."
"My irons," Delaney said, in a hissing whisper, "I
tell you I've cut them through. I can shake them off
in a minute. They think I'm sick, but I'm not. I'd
jump on them, shake off my shackles, and cut their
throats in a moment. All I want is a knife. I'm
ready now," he added, in a tremor of wild excitement.
"Only give me your knife' and when they come in to
let you out I'll pretend to knock you down, and then
I'll Rash their throats and be free.' s •
All this time the condemned man had kept Mr. Mott
in his grasp. The lawyer was not a little alarmed, but
he lacks neither nerve nor ingenuity. Seeing that the
man was desperately in earnest, and fearing that in his
fury he might inflict injury on him, Mr. Mott smiled
on his assailant, and at length pretended to approve of
the scheme.
"I see," Mr. Mott said, "You'd pretend to knock
me down, and then kill the keepers and escape. But
the mischief is, I haven't got a knife. But I'll tell you
what I'll do. I'll go out and get a good big knife, and
then I'll come back, pretending I've iorgotten to tell
you.something. Then I'll give you the knife, and you
can escape."
"That'll do," the murderer said, tremulous with joy.

"Make haste and get me the knife, and I'll never for- I
get the act as long as hive."
. The man then lay down and covered himself with I
the bed clothes, and Mr. Mott called the keepers to
let him out. "'When he was safe outside, Mr. Mott
said to the keepers "For God's sake, don't go near
that man.. He has got his shackles off and wants to
kill you. IN* wanted .ins to,gi,ve him a. knife .to
_cut
your throats Veith." ' 411 r;/• ---1/2V,e •
Next cla3ljire keepers :entered Delaney's cell, and,
after a struggle, overpowered him. His-irons were all
filed throUgh, the interatipe& being .filledi with bread
crumbs. The floor of iiiell was tort up, an& a. hole
was dug through the foundation into the next cell, in
which two negroes were confined for burglary. These
men and Delaney had planned an escape. An old
truss- was found concealeclin_Delanay7s_bed..ttsd the
springs Of .this had been. uSe file their irons. Air
the men cpUld have shaken o itheir ins in a ininnte.
Delaney -*rat rein6ved t &War` AI, and _teen-rely
ironed-- - 777 ' _ -
Yesterday it was found thiiche-had again- sawed
through all his shackles and torn his cell to pieces.
He Swears that they shall never hang him:
Delaney was supposed fotsome time to be suffering
from bleeding of the lungs. It appears that he pro-
duced a wound in his nostrils, and then spat, th,tukiu--7
ducing the belief that he was spitting blood.

Last night, on entering Delaney's cell, the warden
found that he had again broken his shackles and
removed the bars of his cell, ready for ' an escape.
It was with great difficulty that he was secured.
Fresh irons were firmly riveted on him, and he is
to be chained to the floor. A keeper is to watch
in his cell day and night.- The other day the
father and mother of the condemned man came from
Illinois to see their son. On entering the cell
he refused to recognise them, and said that they
were no relatives of his. He treated them with the
utmost contempt, and the poor old couple went away
almost in doubt as to whether he really was their eon.
After they left Delaney laughed over the scene with
the ikeepers, and told them that he recognised them as
soon as they came into his cell, but that he didn't care
to let them know it. - .