Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1847-10-07

From the Easton Wing Ertra, Oct ist.
A few Facts connected with the is
suing of the Death Warrant and
granting respite TO Lawrence
Tearney. C.
Lawrence Tearney was convicted OF the muir
der of his wife on he 29'h of April last, and
sentenced on the ID of May, by The Court, 10
be hung. During the same week the record oil
his sentence was forwarded to Harrisburg
Shortly afterwards a petition. signed by num-
! Der of persons, was sent 10 the Governor, by
the prisoners friends, asking him to suspend
The execution of ,he doomed man un:il after The
meeting of The Legislature next winter. in or
der to give him the benefit OF aEy legislation
that may be had on the suhjee, of Capital Pun
ishment. In answer to this petition Governor
Skunk gave Tcarney's friends 10 understand
that he would suspend The execution, as asked
for, until after the meeting of The Legislature.
This was in May After his, more than Two
months elapsed wthou, any thing being done
in The matter by the Governor.
In The meantime many of our citizens became
dissatisfied with the delay, and some OF the
Governors political friends declared that II he
did not carry the law into execution, as he was
sworn to do, they would oppose him. Whilst
these things were going on one OF the Govern
ors oaice holders. from Harrisburg, arrived IN
Easion, and found his political friends Of North
ampton in state Of great excitement on The
subject Of the execution, and that any further
delay on the part Of Governor Skunk would ma
teriay injure his prospect in this county.
About the same time the Argus" came out
with an article stating. in effect, that Mr.. Skunk
had been from home, had bu, recently returned.
and ,ha, as soon as he could investigate Tear
ney's case he would &C, promptly and wi'hou.
fear upon it. This article, If We recollect Alright
appeared in the Argus on The 22d OF July. and
on The 2Slh of the same month Sheriff Adams
received The Death Warrant for the execution
of Tearney on the lst of October.
Whether the office holder. one Of the editors
of the Argus, or somebody else wrote TO the
Governor, informing him of the excitement here
and whether :he information induced the Gov
ernor 10 send on the Warrant we leave The COM
muniy 10 Judge! That portion of the CON-
munity al least, entertained the latter opinion
we know-for as soon as he receip, of the
Death Warrant was made public, some of Tear
ney's friends OPENLY DECLARED thai
Governor Skunk had given them to understand
that he would do nothing in the matter until al
ter the meeting Of the Legislature, and lha, now
for political effect, he had limited Tearney's
days TO the frs, of October. As may be sup
posed, this double dealing could have no other
effect, than TO make enemies of those who had
been so grossly deceived by the Governor, and
induced them at once TO join the opposition a.
gainst him. This they did,. and now We bold
ly proclaim that ii was for The purpose Of re-
claiming their votes that Francis R. Skunk
granted The Respite, which was issued on Mon
day last The letter Of the Rev Mr.. Reardon,
(athough no doubt written in good faith by that
young Priesl) was demanded by Mr.. Skunk as
prelext for the Act which he had previously
determined on That Mr.. Skunk had deiermn-
ed to GRANT the Respite before he received
that letter, is not only evident from all the cir
cumslances attending the transaction, but it is
POSITIVELY KNOWN to have been the
case. The Rev. Mr.. Reardon's letter was
written on Friday last, the 24lh of September,
sent by Saturdays mail and could by no possi-
Ibility have reached Harrisburg before some
time on Sunday. Yet on Monday, the 9th
before the mail left Harrisburg, at IL o'clock,
NJ the Governor, had The Respite prepared
and lodged in the Post Office. Who believes
that in the short space of one forenoon the
Governor could receive and ponder over such
an important communication and not only re-
solve to grant the Respite, but also, have the
[document prepared, and the letter covering four
half sheets of paper, copied and annexed there
to? Nobody! But we are not left merely TO
conjecture in the premises. 1t was boldly de-
ctared before the Respite reached Easton, by a
friend of Tearney, that the Execution would
not take place. This can be proven by the
testimony of those who were assisting TO erect
platform on the property of Mr.. West, from
which the Execution was TO be viewed. And
what is more, distinguished citizen of this
Borough, who had shortly before seen Mr.
r Skunk, and who was in his confidence on this
subject, told friend of his, as early as Friday
last, and before the Rev. Mr.. Reardon's letter
!. probably was written, that the Execution would
not take place.
These few plain facts connected with
the history Of this murder, and prove most con.
clu,iyely that both The DEATH WARRANT
AND THE RESPITE were issues for polili
, cal effect. This lamperng however with the