New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-07
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
MIST HE DEF

To me Editor Of The tribune
SIR: On Wednesday.neXt an innocent man
ia To be deprived OF life the gaOws In the town OF
stroudsburg Monroe County, Penn. No Just cause OF
death has been found him, and yet the la" requires
his fe and die must unless the Governor nc Sha
interfere Two men, Brooks and Orme went TO tho hote
at te Water GAP took four drinks apiece on an empty
stopoch and became lust intoxicated enough TO feel
independent and ready for fight While In THIS semi
rational state, they committed theft were pursued.
and finally Oyertaken bY tho brothers Brodhead. Inc
testimony at this point runs thus TheO Br0dhead stuck
one OF them the head with cane whe ms p0Ing
Thomas grappled with Ome and threw him. WINE
illus PROSTATE, with his antagonist kneellng upon hl
Orme called out 90 Brooks to shoot MIN down. Bfooks
seeing the strait his companion was In, complied, but
killed the wrong man-that IT, not the man 10 whom
Orme had reference Eventually, the men Brooks ana
death Before the day Of execution they escaped Io
the Iail-a small house. Ormo was Iec.ptuieI anu
aeon another day OF execution was appointed 10 re-
cenjtulate: Two men deprived Of reason by hquor
sold them by tho wife OF one OF the Brodhead they COM
init petty larceny, and being overHken and roughly
handled by two private citizens, one OF them hres
pistol, and one OF the citizens Is killed ne ~.S co.,,
must be asserted; the Governor Il pettoned aud the
who did not Kill any one must SWief tne sGveres
jury out OF Monroe County would ever nave i0nnu sucn
guilty OF murder In the lrst degfeeI Nneie ~
the conditions Of such guilt Where the pemedltaOhI
the "cOid blood" the "mnlce aiofethOughtf, -,
But Ormo has been treated with th9 greatest orHIg
during his incarceration The hoppes have been welded
by the baCsmits art, upon his legs ana TOT zen weeks
he has not been able to change MS pan,aooG ~,
bread and water. vermin crawl over him. He cannot
reach the waste c0se-his chain Is not long enouehahd
he Is compelled 10 answer the calls OF nature on the ov
and then 10 SIT beside It, eat beside IT, sleep beside ~
During the eleven months Of his imprisonment nc mas SUI
fered more than IL he had been sentenced 10 eleven
wears in the Peuitentinry 10 has been reported mat ne
tried 10 escape a second time. It - not so. Ho WAS
wounded in the neck and spine while soldier IN our
army and any deSngement Of his sysom affects thoso
paris and each time temporary insanity III Was
while In one these moods that his door happening 70
be left open by the attendant physcan he rushed "l he
len 9Th Of his chain for the purpose Of hurting bca Dh
nj the cell OF fellow prisoner, who had Deen madenR
him by his taunts The physician and several Olleis
were in his cell; he chained and fastened TO INC
ground or wall, and u o'clock M the afternoon
broad daylight How ridiculous the idea that II was
an attempt escaped And yet IL was this eircunsahGr
reported TO Gov Gcary, that caused the issuing OF e
the second time Had the DstriotAitot-
ney (the Governors uurmanO investigated the alar'
ne would have to Harrisburg very different tale.
To crown the Injustice ana baTbuity OF TINS whole case,
the poor man II 20 hanged whore every ookeron can
see him swing Behind fence ten or twelve feet high
a concession this TO the law--he gaows will be erected,
SO hi IN that NOT one OF the boodthy mobiles OF Monroe
County need be deprived Of the luxury OF witnessing ms
execution Cannot something yet be done Tor MIMI IN
the OF Justice, Of humanity Of violated law cannot
the execution DC stayed Sentence him you ltaee 10
a term OF years the PencEtay. but let not M lnno'
cent blood be spilled a CLEhGlAAh'
1elg Pam. Aug. .. 1859.