The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-02-14
STEPHENS, THE WIFE POISONER.

Deposition Of sanshez on HIS Examinatlsn
by Hon. Judge Roosevelt, In Reference to
the PktoIs-Inpsrtant Facts from Mr.. Suit
ton, Warden II the city Prison Stephens
Guilt tnquestionable, &e., &c.
Judge Roosevelt being DESTROYS TO elicit all the facts
relative to the Affair Of Stephens requested reporter
to accompany him to the City Prison. 10 take down from
the lips of Sanchez the history Of the attempt made 10
murder the keepers, and then escape We detailed one
Of our staff to perform this duty The testimony given
by Sanchez and Mr. Sutton, the Warden, was taken in
short land Every word it flowed from their lips was
faithfully recorded, and present suocinct, and
derstandable narrative Of this heretofore somewhat
doubtful Strenuous efforts continue TO be made 70
mpugn the verdict Of the jury in this case Tho dying
mans assertion Of innocence relied on as decisive test
mony TO override the verdict and the evidence
on which II was founded. And for this pur-
pose not only his competency but his credibiity q
witness is assumed; waving the question of competency
let how his character for truth and veracty stands
viewed in the light Of the recent Developments The
pistol affair is the main incident to be considered II hin
account of this be shown TO be individually FALSE his vera
city at overthrown. False in one false in ali y
q common well as legal maxim. He says "ffiend
conveyed the pistol 10 him with advice to sucide Ts
pistol we have seen 1t B revolver with SIX loads Il
possible that such an instrument, under the circum-
stances, would have been selected, for such pur-
pose instead Of poison, q dagger And six dis
charges necessary for o to take his own life. The
same "frend, contemplating stephens suicide furnishes
another pistol loaded 70 the muzzle to Sanchez the
prisoner in the adjoining CELL Was Sanchez be suicide
alsoS or was he 10 aid Stephens in that very regous
duiyg' That there two pistols is not disputed
both are produced, and both fully loaded Is San
CHEFS account then or is Stephens the ntrnscay
probable9 But Sanchez is relied upon 10 sustain stephens
This statement says Of the witnesses, less
than three times repeated, ais confirmed by Sanchez
Sanchez being thus made witness by the writer him
self, let us what account he gives Of garbled
portions, but Of the whole transaction
SANCHEZS STATEMENT.
DO you understand English very welR A. Yes, very
well-pretty well.
O want to inquire Of you the particulars Of those pis
tolls one Of which found in your possession and the
other in that of Stephens A. Yes, sir
q wish you will now state the truth correctly. Do
not mind body here, but state the truth precisely
That 10 all we want to get at How many weeks before
the Friday Of the execution Of Stephens had you heard
had his pistol since the 10Th Of December and the be
gave me had in my possession about three weeks9
When be gave i to you what did he says A BE said
O. Did he give it TO you, or did somebody eseT A.
Somebody else gave IT to me- some friend Of his came and
O. Was Stephens at that time in the cell next 10 yourss
A. Yes, sir.
Q Could he hear what that friend said9
Sanchez-Which friendY
Judge Roosevelt-why, he who brought the pistol TO
you. Could stephens hear what said to your A.
do not think he could, sir the friend da not speak to me
@ Did he come into your cel9 A. No, sir; he came to
the door Of my CELL
O. He the door Of the cell in which you were
A. Yes Stephens cell and mine were together.
Do you say that he spoke to yoa through the bars
Yes cir the man who gave me the pistol spoke 10
through the bars.
g Well, and what did he ssyS He gave me the
Q. Did he say anything mOres A. No, sir; nothing
more.
O. Was that pistol loaded at that tine9 A. Yes, SIR
@ How many barrels there to 1T A. cannot
say exactly how many.
tMr Sutton here produced two reyolvers one with six
which were shown TO the witness.)
Examination rcsumed-Q IL that the pistol that the
O. Was il wrsppeA up in anytningY A. Yes sir Il was
rolled up in the tribune.
@ just count the barrels A. There are six Of them
O. Do you say it was six barrelled pistolS A. Yes,
@ When you received IL loaded up in the way in
which 1t is now9 A. In the same way. When he had
given to me put II on the shelf under my clothes
O. Had Stephens spoken TO you before that about the
Iistof Yes, sir before this pistol handed in by
the man Stephens had spoken to me about pistols.
O. What had he said A He said that he had sent 10
buy two pistols and to give one and to keep for
himself 10 take the watchmens lives.
@ What was he going to take the watchmen g lives for9
A. He said be wanted to do 80 to make his escape.
T. de said that, did heY A. Yes cir.
O. Have yeu any doubt that he said so9 A. am sure
that he said 60.
Q You have no doubt at all about III A have no
doubt at ALL Judge; he said to that " There is the
pistol that you take the mems lives so as TO
make our escape
q In what way did he tell you thatP A. Through the
pipe.
O. Did you make any answer TO him when he said thaP
did not answer him at all the watchman was making
noee in the hail. and he did not to talk loud but
he said that the Waterman gone up stairs he
would call me TO the pipe again.
Q. The pipe running from one cell to the others A.
Q. Well, what did he say that timer A. That time he
said to me- Keep quiet, and take everything easy that
he had plenty of friends outside, who had plenty Of
money to take US out Of the CITY,"
@ How long il before he spoke TO you again. If he
did speak again. about the matter through the ppeS Did
he speak to you any other time about afterwardsS A.
O. How long was it before the friday A. Three weeks
or two weeks.
O. Had you conversation with him the next day after
that through the piper A. Every day-every day.
@ Can you recollect what he saidS A. Yes SIR all the
time he did not want the watchmen understand what
he said and he said that he and would talk though
were talking about getting petition to the Governor for
pardon.
O. Do you mean to say that he suggested at the inter-
views between him and the outsiders that that petition
could be used to disguise his operations the pis
tolss A. don't understand what " his operations"
MT an.
Q His intentions about the pistoss A. Yes SIR He
told that when he got outside he had plenty Of friends
10 put him under this underground railroad which had
four five depos. Stephens said to me- "Any time
speak TO you about the petition mean plot"
O. That the plot TO escapes A. Yes, SIR the arrange
mont He said, "any time mention TO you anything
about the petition mean the plot to escape because the
wachmen would hear him. and they would NOT think
was anything but about the petition
Q By "pot" you mean the arrangement TO escapes
A. Yes cir
Q. How many times do you reoolect he spoke 70 you
about the using Of these pistols A. He said two
Sundays ago, "Tonight want you to take the two watch
mems lives"
O. That was the Sunday before the pistols taken
away? A. Last Sunday week.
@ The Sunday you speak Of was last Sunday week.
A. Yes.
@ That the Sunday Immediately before the friday
A. Yes.
@ On that Sunday that he spoke 10 you, in the
morning or afternoon A. He spoke TO on the Satur
day night before the Sunday.
Q Did he speak to you on Sunday morning again9 A.
No, sir, because the pipe was full Of water.
O. Did he speak you the Sunday afernoon9 A.
Yes, sir at six seven O'Clock after the water had
OIL.
O. And the pipe was cleared9 A. Yes, SIR
O. What did he say TO you Saturday night9 A. That