The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-08-05
JOHN REAL TO TIE PUBLIC.
SOLEMN PROTEST FROM UNDER THE
SHADOW OF THB GALLOWs.
A Fearful impeachment or Gov. Hoffman,

TO ne Pubic.
Gov Hoffman has refused 10 reprieve me. must
die an ignominious death. know this feel Il: but
my poor suffering sisters and my faithful father feel
IL mr more than ]. II is on this account M well as
on my own that feel IL my duty to give the public
the following facts
killed smedick, bu, did no, murder him. He
had rersatedly beaten me- and had repeatedly
restened my life. killed him in selEdefsnce. I
shot him after he had struck me twice and was
following mp his attack. am able to prove this
by the testimony Of unimpeschsble witnesses, but
the opportunity has been denied me. Gov. Hon.
man would not listen to these witnesses, but I am
sure that the people will. Gov. Hoffman would not
90 behind the record Of the trial. but firmly believe
that the public will A few words regarding the
trial.
l was tried, convicted, and sentenced within
twelve hours. The public were excited over the
Rogers murder, and was offered the sacrifice.
Now, when the question OF my repri,vo comes up,
the public are again excited over the Nathan mur.
der, and am again to be offered as public sacri.
nce These are harsh words, but the facts will bear
them out. My counsel vninly asked for time pro-
duce witnesses. Their testimony would have con.
vinced he Jury OF my Innocence Of the crime OF
murder. They would have been in tie court room
| II they had known the trial would have been O. n
ished on that day. But the Judge was inexorable.
lie refused to delay the trial. The record made
up without the testimony OF the .eye.witr who
could have cleared me VI murder, and wn doomed
| to death,
WHO were the witnesses against mel They were
onicers Lambreebt aud Nee, and men named Car
| penter and HylanG. Lambrecht is now accused OF
| perjury before Justice Coulter; Hyiand has been
held to bail for drawing revolver on citizen, and
Carpenter has been found guilty OF robbery and sent
TO the Penitentiary appeal to the So er sense OF
| the people. Should man be sent to his grave on
| the testimony Of such men as thesoi
ofhcer Nee was allowed to give only just testi-
| mony enough to weigh heavily against me. lie gave
words spoken by me in the excitement caused by
| my arrest lie was not allowed 20 give further
| conversation with me, which would have DESTROYED
| tho effect OF those words. In his sworn affidavit
| before Commissioner White hS lssys he had anoth
| er conversation with Real next morning. iu Which
Real stated the reason why he shot Smedick was
that he met him on the street and commenced
| to beat him. as he bad often done before, and that
| he coulu no, stand his clubbing auy longer. lie
| said he was his way to bis vessel which he was
watching when smedck assaulted him."
John Mabony, sn honest teanster. in a smilsr
anhcs,h ssys, "Isaw m onicer strike man twice
in the head with club and then saw the man turn
and give two shots, and then saw the oricer fall"
| Philip Comisky, giassblower, without stain on
| his reputation. makes sridayit that he "saw the
ofcer In the act Of ushg his club against Real, and
saw him strike him or at him or more times,
| and Immediately aaer deponent heard two pisIol
| shots"
All this Is evidence that Gov. Hoifunn refused to
consider. pTolerriak tho testimony Of men who have
since been sent 10 the pentenary brought before
the courts for psrjury and other crimes Could tie
Governor have reelected Tat le was bringing
shame and sorrow upon the gray head OF my fond
aul ba.r NJ ,,,v
ate sisters with anguish. when he resouiey shut
his eyes 10 this testimony and resolved 10 10 10y the
| record OF Judge Bliulrd's Court
| Bot the Governor does not even heed the record
OF the Court. The jury, alter duly WcithlHg the
| evidence, unanimously recommended me to mercy.
| made andayit before the Governor that I'VE won
| not have assented to such verdict except that
would be sure to enec, a communication OF the penal
| ~ to imrrisonment for life in state Prison. That
| recormentati vas sgreed uron m the ipry room,
| with the underestimate aud belief by a the Jurors,
| 40 tar ss We know, that the prisoner would not De
| Win these fNcts ever burning upon my mRd.
| have not been without hoTea o' a conmutauon Of
| nv sentence. II has seemed Impossible to me that
| such evidence should not have had ts eject upou
| the mind OF tie GoyernOf What msn In M post
,ion could have thought otherwise The Governor
| Offers the Nathan murder, nn' Judge barnard held
| up the Roger. murder ~ an excuse for my death.
But whai had | to do With those murdeIs' did
those murders. should l, an iunoc, n, man be cent
|
| the men who did those bloody deed-'
But these are but mere eIcu'es sm sent to my
friends in The Twenty sr.t Ward we're opposed 70
Mr.. Ilonmans nomination for Governor. They
o5 sroosyp. VIC wa. rival candidate So long as
my friends sustained Mr., Hoffman and the other
Tammany nominees so long was un1is!urbed. My
case vas never called TO trial until my friends sup
ported MIR. MURPHY az candidate for Governor,
months and month, after wos arrested, These
facts are not only known TO Gov. Holman,
but to nearly every politician in the ctty Tho Tam
many Toliticans took advantage o' the excitement
for their refusal to support Hoffman by bringing me
to trial, Oakoy Hail sat upon the cench witt Ju,gc
Barnard, and the trial was rushed through wthlul
allowing me time to defend myself, Had my friends
continued to upheld Tammany ! might now hayr
Y betn at liberty Men are now Mt large through tho
influence of 1ammany WHO have committed, unlike
me, uDprovoksd murders.
Take the case OF Donohug,. lie 1. charged witr
| the murder OF Florence ScaHnell lie II now out on
| bail Whyi j. Il not because he Is u member OF tac
Tammany Hall General Committee, and because he
| the murdeTf feel confident that ], like him, would
have escaped Il my friends had followed ramnany's
leadership. Before the trial one of my friends met
Peter b. Swecny in tie Park. sweeny said, " Real
must be hnnged. He has got TO be hanged. The IN.
| tefests OF Tammany Hall demand It,"
Was il TOR The interests OF rsmmany Hall that
| Gov. Hoffman refused TO commute nv sentence'
when implorsd by some good priests who asked for
a 'ew days in which 10 prepare my soul for eternity
| But the will Of God be done. i feel that tie Gov
ernor has acted willlully, but rom the bottom OF
my soul forgive bln and pray that God may for
| give him too, for feel In my last moments that he
| needs the forgiveness of God. die warmly thanking
my riends Tor all they have dole Tor me, and they
have done much To tile Sheriff and the Warden, and
all the keeepers am ndet ted for the kindest sym.
| pathy and attention. God, | am sure, will reward
the laithfu priests and the good Sisters OF Mercy
who have been uDremitting in their kindness 10
| me. l die guiltless o the stain of murder or this
am conscious. And die in the hope that this fact
will soften the bitterness, the pain, and the anguish
Ot my poor father sisters, and relatives while weep
| ing over my grave. JOHN REAL.
| The above statement given to d BUN re-
porter b. Real in his cell at II o'clock last nisht,
in the presence Of Father Duranquet, brother.in-
| law Of Reals, and an editor Of the Express.
Poor Real had sPont tho evening in an arm.chor
in the yard gazing at the stars, ana talking with his
friends. Tho gallows opposite the big bulls eye
lamp, cast deep shadow over tho ynrd,
"Well, It will soon be all over said tho Door fcl-
low, taking the SUN reporter by the hand. Theu
abstractedly wiping his mouth with his handker-
chier, he gAzed into the darkness as II dreaming
ard added, Sunday night-Where shall 10 then "
He did not retire to rest until 2 A. NJ.
| TuH LAT KPFORT TO-SAyE REAL.