The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-03-30

where her supposed paramour, Walker, was
boarding, and with him started for the
country for concealment for few days until
he could make arrangements for getting her
out of the State.
They went out to the neighborhood of
Lake Como, where they remained nearly
week, and were finally arrested between that
place end St. Anthony, by officers Church
and Turnbull, and brought to the city and
lodged in Jail. Walker was bound over to
the District Court, but on trial the evidence
was not sufficient to convict, and he was
discharged. What has since become of
him we do not know.
THE SENTENCE OF DEATH.
At the close of the September term of
the court, she was brought in to receive the
sentence of the court. She came in with q
firm step, but on sitting down, she buried
her face in her handkerchief. She was
asked if she had anything to say why the
sentence Of death should not be pronounced
upon her. She arose, and addressing the
Court, said
d" If I die in this case, die an innocent
woman. I don't think I have had fair
and just trial. You can proceed"
The prisoner was then addressed at some
length by Judge Palmer, who briefly ad-
verted to the main facts connected with the
crime of the prisoner, her bearing at and
during the trial, and warning her that she
need expect no pardon, and it was useless
for her to attempt to avert her doom-that
it was as certain as her crime had been hei-
nous, and entreating her to make her peace
with her Creator during the remaining pc
Rod of her confinement.
She was then sentenced as follows
ct is the judgment Of the law that you,
Anna Bilansky, be hence removed to the
common jail of this county, and therein kept
in solitary confinement for the period of one
month, and that thereafter, at such time as
the Governor Of this State shall by his war
rant appoint, you be taken to such place
within the county as the Sheriff shall select,
and there be hung by the neck until you are
dead. And may God, in His infinite COM
passion, have mercy upon your soul"
She sobbed audibly while the Judge was
addressing her, and on receiving her sen.
tence, she burst into tears.
LEGISLATIVE INTERFERENCE.
The session of the Legislature commenc-
ing soon after the sentence of death was
pronounced, strenuous efforts were made to
abolish capital punishment. Finding there
was no probability of success in this, a bill
was introduced to commute the sentence OF
Mrs. Bilansky to imprisonment for life, the
second section of which virtually abolished
the punishment of death in all cases, as it
came from the House of Representatives.
but this was stricken out by the Senate.
The bill remained in this state long
time, but just before adjournment, the House
concurred with the Senate amendment, and
the bill passed, and was sent to the Gov
ernor.
The friends of Mrs. Bilansky, or rather
the opponents of capital punishment, during
this time, had prevailed on members of the
Legislature to visit the Jail and hear from
Mrs. Bilansky her story of the trial, and,
singular enough as it may appear, they,
often quoted in private conversation, if not
in public speeches, the evidence of the con-
demned and her version of the testimony and
gave it credence far above the legal evil
dence, upon which she was convicted. This
became so common, and the stories so uni
form, that when the grossest misstatements
were made, it was common reply to
them to say, " You have been to see Mrs.
Bilansky."
The whole mater was stopped, however,
most efectually, by the manly veto of the
Governor upon this attempt to interfere
WIFI Ills executive luuCtlOuS, huu upOu tut
vote on the bill, whether it should pass, not.
withstanding the objections of the Governor
it received a less vote than at any time
during its different stages in the Legislature.
HER DEMEANoR IN JAIL.
Her conduct ever since she was first ar.
rested, up to recent period, was not such
as to command the sympathies of the COM
munity, and possibly may have had an effect
on the verdict of jury. We learn that she
seemed to be utterly devoid of all natural
female modesty, and even of common decency,
and her heartless rmarks often got outside
of the prisoner walls and served to enhance
the prejudices of the people, which were al
ready excited by the heinous nature Of the
crime with which she was charged. Prob.
ably no Jail ever contained a criminal,
either male or female, under Imprisonment
for such crime, who exhibited such COM
plete want of decency and propriety.
She manifested but little feeling of horror
at the crime with which she was charged.
but often entertained those who visited her
with long accounts other trial and its min
ute technicalities, remembering each with
wondorfnl c0rrectnesS Tn fact che was q