The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-07
FHB CONDEMNED PRISONERS At THE ToNBS.

THR CONDEMNED PRISONERS At THE T0NBS.
~~>.>~~>~~~~~~>~~So~~~-
lnservisws with stephens, Shepherd,
ssneAss and Quimbo Appetite
Recent Decisions Of the
Court OF Appeals.
dsc., dsc., DO.
1hsYe are now four under sentence Of death In this
Sy a o whom have had stays Of execution granted on
various pretsnCss These James Stephens, who was
convicted Of the murder Of his wife by poison James
Shepherd convicted Of in the nrst degree, in hav
hg Get nrs 70 his own dwelling house, In the flames Of
which his wife perished Juan Sanchez, Creole, con
vic,sdi of The murder Of his father and, finally,
Qumbo Apo, Chinaman, who, in defending himself
from the onslaught Of three four nebrated women
who had been ndusingin Hhassons Of bad whiskey in
A wfes company happened stab Of them fatally,
and was strangely enough, found guilty Of murder for
she act.
me sentences Of all Of these were suspended in
sraer 70 have their applications for new riaa de-
sided by the higher Courts In the Of Stephens
and Shepherd decisions rendered by the Court Of
Appsab ct Albany Wednesday lasl Shepherd wss 70
b tried again; sephens 70 undergo his sentence. Our
reporter called yesterday to the unfortunate men
end Ascertain how they were severaly affected by the
action Of the Court Of Appeals.
JAMES srHPHENs.
Tho remarkable circums ances which have brought
about the present position OF Stephens fresh in tho
recollection Of the community. They 10 point out
the unfaing certainty with which, sooner later dark
doeds brought TO light little over year ago
young named James Bell, who had but recently
arrived In this city from his home the county Csvan,
Ireland was arrested by the police charge Of at
tempting 10 shoot James Stephens native Of the
county Tho ball passed through the lapel Of Stephens
coat without inurng him. Stephens Immediately threw
himself upon his assaiant, wrested the pistol from
his hands, and gave him in charge TO the police.
Bell did not attempt to deny the act but he justified by
aeang that he intended TO kill Stephens because the
Aater had poisoned his wife (who Of Bers,
and had seduccd attempted TO soduce his Bes) sister,
and had striven rnish her reputation These charges
urged by Bell and repeated by Bells two ssers-Fanny
and sophia-were Of grave character that exami
nation before police magistrate-Justice Wesh-took
place. and extended period Of several weeks dur
ing which Stephens permitted TO be at large though
In the custody Of officer In the meantime the body Of
Mrs. Stephens, which had been buried in Greenwood cemc
tory dsnerred under the directions Of Coroner Con-
merry, and conveyed to Bellevue Hospital, where in
quest was held II remarked as q curious coincidence
that the dnterment took place the anniversary the
womans death. (she died 2ad September 1851 The
appearance Of the body after years sepuure gave
hrmaon TO the charge With the exception the face
In Of perfect preservation and looked-as OBJ
served at the tme-as had been saed down with
senc The chemists who made partial examination certi
Acd TO the presence Of poison and that fact with the cs
mony Of the two nieces Of the deceased-the girls Bell
satisfied the coroners jury, who found verdict of wul
murder against Stephens He committed TO the
Tombs and subsequently indicted by the Grand Jury
The trial. which took place before Judge Roosevelt in
March last and which occupied three weeks ended
in verdict Of guilty Tho prosecution showed that the
fatal illness Of the deceased lasted for about twenty days.
that the prisoner had been In the habit Of administering the
medicines the deceased that he had about that time pro-
cured arsenic from neghboring druggists that for
. day two previous to her death he had given her
large quantities Of laudanum and brandy, and that he
bad discontinued the services OF her attending physician
The symptoms Of the illness shown TO be similar in
character TO those in poisoning by arsenic and finally,
Or Doremus in careful chemical analysis, discovered
arsenic in the system There also some collateral
bearing the matter the principal among which
the attention shown by Stephens to his deceased
wes niece (Miss Bel) and the plan which be said to
have resorted to to prevent marrying Mr. Cardwcl
% whom she had been engaged.
From the peculiar circumstances OF the case and from
the respectable position which all the parties hold-l Of
them being prominent members OF the Methodist church
there very lively degree Of interest taken in the trial.
That abated when the counsel for the
eused resorted TO very dsgracefu expedient to
their client from the gaows In the Of the tedious
trial one Of the jurors sick and unable attend
the court Counsel thereupon entered into agreement
70 have the case tried by the remaining eleven.
But they afterwards before the general term Of
the Supreme Court with bill Of exceptions, alleging,
among other things that the jurors had been permitted
TO separate during the trial, although this was done
T7..
ruled and the directed be executed But the
case brought before the Court of Appeals and that
Court has affirmed the correctness of the proceedings
below.
"How do you feel to-day, Stephenss' asked our re-
porter, the condemned man approached the strong
grated door which guards the entrance to his CELL He
knocked the ashes out Of the pipe which he had been
smoking, laid aside, and putting his face close up the
door, commenced q conversation. He said that he did
not feel much cast down about IT. that he felt he was to
Co. and did intend make any further movement to
avert his fate. But, said he, tiny blood be on the
head Of them that brought here. will not be on my
own head found guilty Of two hings-the poison.
ing Of my wife and the writing Of that anonymous letter
he letter to Cardwel backening the character Of his
intended wife, Miss Bcl)-and yet am as innocent Of
both as either Of you gentlemen are.'
RxPoRrR-Who do you think wrote that letter.
SnPHKss-Well, don't know; l have sometimes
Thought was one person, and sometimes another sent
word TO man in Second avenue who thought wrote II,
but he declared that he did not However, It not likely
that he would confess II II he did sometimes suspected
that it Cardwe himself that IT, in order to nnd
out whether she was proper or not She told
me day that he said something 70 her inmating
suspicion Of her virtue and asked her why she did not
marry young -, who was doing business In Fulton
Market, and who was willing to marry her. Well, you
know that Flynn that asked him to direct
eter for me- he that the envelope over that
anonymous letter in his handwriting That 10 easily
accounted for he used to direct her letters for
her. and Of he might have put into Of those
envelopes
Rxroxr-Do you think your wife died Of poison at alls
SrrHKSs-weli, don't think she did; she may have
had arsenic in her system but don't believe she had.
Doctor Doremus said he found Of in the bone and
doctors have been talking Judge Roosevelt about