The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-06

outraged majesty OF the law from Delng Vn-
Dictated.
1t is greatly to the credit of Governor
Hoffman that he reselutely declined to inter-
fere, and in his letter written few days be-
fore the execution, giving his final decision,
he reviews the case with such clearness and
force as to leave no doubt upon any impair
tial mind that the conclusion he arrived at
was the only correct one. The Governor
shows that the story of Officer Smedick
having maltreated Real was trumped
up after the trial, and that, even
admitting it to be true, the murder was
committed three weeks after the last occasion
when the officer was said to have
been the assailant, so that the
murder could not be said to
have been committed in the heat of passion.
'Unless the prisoners own statements against
every reliable witness on the trial are accepted
as true, says the Governor, che wantonly,
wickedly, and deliberately shot down in the
public streets a public officer" and in his
final summing up he says: ''The case presents
q clear and distinct issue between law and
lawlessness. The law must be indicated"
This hits the nail squarely upon the head,
and the firm purpose of Governor Hoffman
in vindicating the law will meet with the cor
dial approval of all good citizens.
There are always two sides to a story, how
ever, and as an offset to this letter of the
Governors, Real issued can Appeal to the
Public" which contains some points worthy
of cogitation. This appeal, which was evil
IDENTITY not written by Real, is one of the
most remarkable specimens of gallows' litera-
ture that has ever been put before the public.
AS an insolent defiance of law and decency it
is almost without a parallel. After reviewing
the evidence and complaining that he was not
accorded a fair trial, Real exclaims in a tone
of injured innocence, "Could the Governor
have reflected that be was bringing the gray
hairs of my fond father, and rending the
hearts of my four affectionate sisters with
anguish, when he resolutely shut his eyes
to the testimony and resolved to go by the
record of Judge Barnard's court" y Il
''The Governor offers the Nathan murder,
and Judge Barnard held up the Rogers muir
der, as an excuse for my death. But what
had 1 to do with those murders? 1 did not
murder either Mr.. Nathan or Mr.. Rogers. 1
should have had justice, without any refer
ence to those murders" The public at large
will conclude that Real did have justice when
he swung from the gallows yesterday, and
will conclude that the world is we'll rid of one
ruffian at least. Further on in his appeal,
however, Real touches pom the real gist of
the whole matter. He says
81 am sent to my grave for far different reasons.
All my political friends in the Twenty-frst ward
were opposed to Mr.. HofIman's nomination for Gov
prnnf ThpV OAyp Ill thptr GnnnNrt 4 n fhn Inn
Henry G. Murphy, of Brooklyn, who was a rival can
didate. So long as my friends sustained Mr.. Hon-
man and the other Tammany nominees, SO long /
was undisturbed. MY case was never called for
trial until my friends supported Mr.. Murphy as a
was arrested. These facts are not only known to
Governor Hoffman, but to nearly every politician In
OF the excitement caused by the Rogers murder to
punish my friends for their refusal to support
upon the Bench es Sl" wish Judge ml % Barnard srai o and t he trial rial
was rushed through without allowing me time to
defend myself. Had my friends continued to up
hold Tammany, | might now have been at liberty.
Men are now at large through the influence OF Tam
many who have committed, unlike me, unprovoked
murders. Take the case OF Donohue. He is charged
with the murder of Florence Scannell. He is now
out on bail; Why? Is It not because he is a
and because he has been made a member OF the
Americus Club since the murder 1 feel conf
friends had followed Tammany's leadership. Before
the trial one OF my friends met Peter b. Sweeny in
the Park. SWeeny SAID, Real must be hanged. He
AAbSA S3b vi AAAAAa
Hall demand it, Was 1t for the interests OF Tam
many Hall that Governor Hoffman refused to COM
mute my sentence? Was it for this he refused to
grant a respite when implored by some good priests
who asked for a few days in which to prepare my
sou. for eternity But the will Of God be done. l
feel that the Governor has acted wilfully, but from
the bottom OF my soul L forgive him, and pray that
God may forgive him too, for | feel in my last
moments that he needs the forgiveness OF God"
Looking beyond the effrontery which makes
the Governor the criminal because he refused
to grant a pardon, the paragraph gives a
curious insight into politics and criminal
jurisprudence of New York. Real asserts
that he was doomed to the gallows because
he did not belong to the political ring in
power. 1t would be presumptuous on our
part to insist hat he is not somewhere near
the truth. At all events he has met the
punishment he deserved, and we commend
Governor Hoffman for his course in the
matter, without regard to what his private
motives may have been; and if he honestly
intends this to be an example of his purposes
in the future, he will do much towards putting
an end to the reign of rufianism in New
York.