New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-15
Ne,p2lprk DAILY Gribm,te
THE MURDERER STEPHENS.

Strenuous endeavors having been made, since the
execution of James Stephens, the wife murderer, to In
duce the public TO believe that he died an innocent mao
Judge Roosevelt has bad an interview with Felix San
chez during which he subjected him to very severe
xaminaon in relation to the project for escaping
from prison by numbering the keepers The result OF
this examination may be briefly summed up. Sanchez
rays Stephens told him that hebad the two pistols since
the 18th Of December, and he Sanchez had his given
TO him three weeks before the day of execution. Ste
phens said be had bought these pistols through friend
He Mt one of them 70 Sanchez through friend whom
the latter did not know. Subsequently Stephens d.
yuged his plot to Sanchez substantially related here
toore, communicating with him through the waste pipe
between the cells, and telling him. in order to avoid
suspicion should they be overheard, to speak of the
plot and the time it was TO be accomplished, as if they
getting up petition TO the Governor for pardon
The time fixed upon by Stephens for the execution Of
the plot was the Sunday prior to the execution,
when the supper tray passed by the keeper from
his cell to that of Sanchez, and the latter did not
shoot the keeper Sephepseursed him for his cowardee
in not doing so, and declared be would do 30 himself
In order to effect this Sanchez says:
was IN the ysrd looking round The Of the ws,chasn
coming ws IL o'clock a night and stephens called very HsId
heard stephens but did not apsTer Stephens called again an
want - Az be THE wschmsn was coming, stephens said
MI Finlay want you TO give me the Iay bach nom san
neat morning he would think there something wong
N. wschmen len anne to me aud he opened my doer and
had blanket having got OF from the bed and he sad 70
fhiy want the t,ay back to give it to Stephen for
s,srhsIs wants back ~h bssSe, my sys r. s sSs
the wsicbman lsh the tray in the hall outside and
the tTay in the hall by his cell this stephen.
10 San hava
10 t The Sest chance take the life WON'T have
another but mind to morrow night vii take the Two
rope he intensrd his, snOw, said
pi,f On @onSsy nornng called the Keeper, NJ Cunning
ham, and rent for Mr.. Sutton.
Sanchez then related the plot and gave up the pistol
to the Warden, telling him that Stephens also had
psto which he keptconcealed In the inside of the leg
of his pantaoon. MI. Fnlay coroborated the circum
stances of Sunday night, as above stated The mode
of escape in thus detailed:
stephens stated me through of his communications
Prison that he had dozen friends round the Iobs ne
sid that the for hsyng four cssgss was TO deceive the
and Somebody was the attention of the officers OF nom
ss ns sq s BE- & ii
tina, should officer interfere one OF tho friends IN Tesnss
would officer and the time reel as though he
were drunk distract the attention of the officer from
the pursuit
Mr.. Sutton, Warden of the Tombs, has written
statement for Judge Roosevelt in relation to his deal
ngs with Stephens in which he states that the prisoner
had rum smuggled TO him by his friends-that three
Cat boee which had contained liquor, were found 10
his CELL and that was detected and arrested in
the act of passing another fiat pintbote OF gin TO him
through the bars. This man, after his discharge,
admitted that he had brought the same kind Of liquor
TO Stephens two or three times before Stephens
srenuousy denied that he had received or used
liquor in bis cell. The Warden also states many cir
cumsaDees showing the deceptive and untruthfu char
aeter of Stephens. Some time before Sanchez made
the disclosure about the plot, he received information
from another perpon that Stephens had weapons He
says:
o'clock gentleman into my Office while was In
aiion win Gov Pnckney and said he bad just come rom
psid literally toward the expenses Of hi. trial bat that
thought his duty good citizen TO inform that Ste
lTea q him Be- So told me Sa. bad told him many
other tnnf Which s.I sSs execution Re Would S,Te %;
he also told that stephens had informed him that these PTS
prison pressed him urgently give the particulars. but he
said he would not unil afler the execution:
on The opposite ode Of the hail stephens for and
cOmplanse that cell DARK aud otherwise unpleasant
@ he sso oeud 70 Into cell that time Mr. Cum
ninghsm the heeper called me and wished me to g into the
there found that hes had been cut In the WALL about feet
from the ground the die Of which about twelve inches
dismeer then told Mr. Cunningham, before be put him back
into his CELL TO subject him sesTcbthst had been
informed he bad poshst be search every part OF his
bed and that would be better place bed In his cell
directed him 70 search him in the hall and not In h' cell Mr.
Cunningham followed my directions but found nothing upon
Linn. n satisfied that be had pistols that they
In the hands Of somebody who would bring them back to him
again ct that time particular Instructions to the night
Waterman 10 be careful OF Stephens In the Of the
met the gentleman again who had given the information
10 the pistols and cld him that bad stephens searched
could not hnd any He told that stephens bad them that
be had seen them himself That night gave the night leep-
particular telling them fhed
weapons sboni him On tho next Monday about o'clock,
ssnehez rent for Sanchez told that the plot OF
STEPHENS murder the keepers sunday evenings
then she the from the night keeper make their into
the street. aud the remaining charges in the pistols would be de-
voted to protecting themselves should any attempt be mad. 70
arrest them Sanchez at the time stated TO me that
he never would into operation OF that Kind but thai
stephens had made hs mind tho thing had BY on
Sunday night tia, Monday be would do the thing hiu
SELF
The Sheriff was sent for, and being told the story,
said Stephens must be searched and tho Warden, sber
III and Mr.. Cunningham entered tbe ceH