New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-07-21
CAsE OF MATTHEW WOOD.
Gov. FIsh'- Reasons for refusing Executive
Interference.

The following SIS copy OF a letter addressed by
the Governor to Sheriff WEsTERsELr. giving his
reasons far refusing % commute the punishment
Of Matthew Wood
STATE of NV ioEK. EVEcrrIyE DEPARTMENT
ALsANi. July :. l-f'.
Jou~ D. 3. WEsrERvELT. Esq.
SieiT VI zee Cfa and Cosan ~ Nar-ivs
-iR The sentence OF death against Matthew Wood
has been respiied until .uth insr Applications have
sgain made TOR further .nierposuon o the ESecu
tive power cannot however srsat 10. Il any DE-.
pendence can be placed upon human testimony md
lu.e-s reject the established rules 90 evidence,
which have been perfected into system. Tor the care
ful protection % gt rs0lal rights entertain DO par
tc.e o; doubt oi the guilt % this unfortunate man.
shortly after his conviction. Judge Edmonds VINO
presided The tral furnish o. me the orciA report
% the trial. which The statute reg lres have exam
med il with moot painful. interest and attention IL has
produced perfect conviction "a my mind OF the cor
rectncss of the verdict.
10 appears from the testimony 10 the case that Wood
some fourteen years younger ID his wife They
resided In Ireland He abducted and sccreted hcf she
being supposed 10 have some property, which ho~ev
er dependent On The pleasure ot her mother After
keeping her concealed tor some time he was induced
10 marry her IN MAY. l-fb. Bur he did not I've with
her sitter his marriage IN ireland They came 20 this
country n the spring OF l-i here ne neglected 20
provide for her, aud entirely abandoned her that ia
the Summer OF sc complaint was made by her family
the Police and he required give security Tor
her maintenance falling % obtain the security ne was
constrained 10 provide room, but he threatened and
said he would be- rsvenged on one OF the family
On the evening previous 60 her death be told her not
10 NIX any cakes until he came home he returned ate
IN the morning she arose and mixed some batter ana
cooked two cakes be- then arose and BID her 20 l1f
some molasses she procuTea t but ne dld not taste
ol IT, During her absence he baked cakes tor Der
breakfast II pom her return. he hai ~ MS hand,
piece OF white paper she inquired what Was D. re-
piled snuff and thrust 10 INTO The stove. She pre-
pared the table tor breakfast and While dong 50 4
neighbours daughter came in Mrs Wood and this gir
ate Of the cakes. Wood becNoned 20 his wife not 10
give the child any OF the cakes tie himself fciussd
u of them alleging that he had breskfasted during
her absence but he requested cup OF tea or coffee
IL was remarked by the child that the cakes hai
bad taste. Wood said hs wife might have pat too
much saleratus n them. Mrs. Wood complained that
they were turning her stomach Eat your MI OF
them. said Wood, they % do you good lt was re
marked that they mad peculiar color Wood again
ready with an excuse and replied That 20 was on"
ng 20 the mOlasses which he had mixed Ia the batter
Mrs Wood WAS wes before eating the cakes but AZ
ter doing she soon sickened and became suspicious
Of the she hid away the vessel containing the
batter and placed what remained Of the cakes In cup
board she mentioned this. in Wood presence, 10
Mrs Reed who saw the cake Ia the cupboard About
nm hour after Mrs Reed looked for H. and 10 was gone
Wood had thrown 10 out IL WAS found 10 the pnvy
where be had been seen going, carrying vessels 10
empty
he hunted up the vessel containing the remains Of
the batter from the place where bis wife had concealed
H. washed IT, he also did the other articles used Al
breakfast although before known % do so and
empti.d the contents IN the prvv. When the Doctor
asked for them Wood exhibited them perfectly clean
When requested 10 20 tor physician, be refused
Being asked why he would not he said because be
would not-coud not get one Being again directed
% 20. and a certain house being named, ne tarned
ana neighbor went after him and found him talking
10 a man the street he said he could not md the
place But It appears that there was no dihcuity IN
nn0ing it.
III. physician directed that whs, Mrs Wood somted
should be preserved-but ood Ia spite Of the direc
tons threw IL away. When bis wife narrated the &C
currences of the breakfast Wood said be had eaten
the cakes she had lett. This is shown to be utterly
false At another time he said they were thrown into
the prvy He hesitated aud dllatory about gong
Tor 4 clergyman
During her sickness suspicous Of his guilt were ire
quenuy expressed In his hearing and he remained
silent His wife after she convinced of her approach
ing end and OF the cause said IN his presence maj
she thought she done Wood replied that che
would soon be well enough She said she nad Iona
been expecting something Of the kind and asked wha
have done 10 Matthew Wood % have done this Ia
mef lie client under the reproof Again when
reproached for the act, his only reply was That NJ
had no money since sunday
All the material circumstances attending the break
and the removal by Wood Of the evidences OF the
poison from the room, as narrated by Mrs Wood 10
her dying moments, are confirmed by other corTopora
tive testimony and facts.
When he was arrested and within few minutes Of
her death he spoke few words % biz wife 10 low
tone OF voice. 20 which she replied, hope God VIII
forgive you too
such Is bret summary Of the evidence against him,
As furnished 10 me by the Presiding Judge. 10 my
mind IL il such as 20 exclude, 20 moral certainty
every hypothesis but that Of his guilt.
Pror 10 the day named by the Court for his execu-
ton received a communication from W God II was
written by some third party, and infer That wood
himself cannot write, as this communication was SUP
scuDed by MIN with his marx instead II NJ proper
signature satisfied. however. thAtit was prepared
under his directions from IL reference % private Ia
teryiew which / had with Wood ia prison, without
making n yself known 10 him Al the time
In this communication he admits that be and his vile
lived unhsppiy-" quarreliHg all the time. lie IN
desvors 10 throw suspicion upon her, u having POI
soned herself aud states several material things utterly
AZ variance With facts proved the trial By Witnesses
other than the brother and the sister IN law Of Mrs
Wood. Ia almost every important particular, TINS
statement Of Woods u dsprOyed by the witnesses on
the stand. may farther state that varies very ma
terisly from the narrative which be made 10 me-, when
sew him IN the prison, about week " ten days pre-
yi0us
On the 2lst June the day previous 10 that originally
named tor his execution and after that had declined
10 interfere with the sentence received Al this place
teIegraphc communication from gentleman ID New
YORK, 10 whose intelligence and character lad coma
dence requesting respite Tor some days and statng
that there are matters developed which shake my
confidence N his guilt" A4other teegrsphic commu-
nicaiiOn received the time, said " Ne" Us
umony will / believe, Be obtained Not knowing
what these Developments might be, and with pros
pect Of there being additional testimony which might
tend 10 show Mood innocent dId not hesitate " grant
1
q respite until the lOth Of July.
On the 9TH Of July being then IN the City 81 New
York, several gentlemen spilled for further respite
among them we're the two gentlemen who mad sent me
telegraphc commune atoms the 2lst Of June and
there another gentleman u high character and
| standing trend whom had known and esteemed
from bOyhOod and whose intelligence and philanthropy
are appreciated By the public well as BY myself
Yielded has earnest request 70 D. allowed tie 70 So
whether be could not procure the testimony "nich u
hoped would raise Al least presumption "a iaFof
Of Woods innocence The result o. MS earnestnes'
was the second res ote which you have received where
By the execution postponed Until The Dtn Oh THIS
month. 400.
| have thus afforded every opportunity 70 estas-sn
the innocence Of the prisoner The execution na- o.en
resped for four weeks but not paruc4e u evidence
has been produced cast doubt upon ne correct
ness Of the verdict One parre srndaVlt nas been
| produced showing that Ia the summer u l-i- MIS-
Wood aid that her sister n-lag, Mrs. hcF arle -
"a hostile 70 Wood that she wished aim drowned me
party making THE affidavit earn suoPcenaed
5y the defense on the trial but the prisoners counsel
..certAning nat il placed the stand me TESTIMONY
u ~ elected IRON him cross ex4fn-naLol Nv1o
| tend against Wood, declined 10 cal hin
Under these circumstances cannot again interfere
With the sentence The law must take its course
trst that you will once adnonisn The uniort1h1'S
man that there ground Of nope Tor any f1fthef
DELAY nor for any change Of the sentence Irge him
u en- plOy the few remaining moments OF NC 70 40
pressing his prayers tor mercy aud forgiveness 70
| higher Tribunal
| HAMILTON FISH