The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-04
SENTENCE OF A NAV AND WOMiN FOR CON.
MITTiNG MURDER in KASsaS.


HITTING MURDER in KAysAS.
Confession Of tue Marble Insists that this
Woman Made Him Kill Her aus"nnd.
From the topeka tKansas) Commonwealth,
The announcement that Mary Jane Scales ami
Lewis Ford wound be sentenced yesterday morning
Although very many colOred people were III attend-
ance during the trial. very few were IN Yesterday
morning, and only two white a'iies were present.
which is accounted for by the rain which prevailed
at the hour appointed for the opening or the Court
The Court opened In due form, alter which, tho
prisoners entered being In charge OF Sherir Thomas
and deputies Lindsay ana DsDrow. Mrs. Scales
waistcoat and shirt sleeves and us ne entered cast
his eyes about as unmndlul OF the doom awaiting
County Attorney Ryan arose, anu win solemn
ana distinct voice moved tnat as Mary Jane Scales
and Lewis Ford hai been convicted OF murder In
the first degree, aud an application Tor new trial
had been granted, That the sentence OF the law 10
now pronounced against them.
Judge Morton then addressed the prisoners and
asked them II they mad anything 10 say why SEN
tence should not be rendered and advised them thar
they could, II they wished, consult their counsel
before making their remarks.
A. Ii. Case, Esq., replied for the prisoners that
they had nothing to say.
Judge Morton then pronounced the sentence in
very clear and distinct manner until he reached the
last sentence, when his voice fatered, as II That JUS
tice which he was melting out 10 5ne condemned
ana the mercy which welled up from his kind heart
were struggling Tor the mastery. Amid the deep
OF the crowd OF witnesses the prisoners were per.
fectly stold Airs. Scales Listened TO the sentence
with her eyes hXed lntently upon the Judge, but
with more apparent feeling than one would mani
fest IN the details or embarrassing story Ford sat
half loungng in his char looking ABOUT hun with
no more concern Than he would have In the recita
ton OF foreign language.
The sentence concluded, the prisoners in charge
OF the Sheriff and MS deputies retired to their cells
to await their awful doom.
The demeanor OF the condemned exhibited so
much indifference that The heart OF sympathy and
pity was barred, and word Of regret escaped tue
lips OF 4 single spectator
CONFESSION OF LEWIS EORD.
Rev. Il. 0. Taylor, pastor OF the First Baptism
church, furnishes us the following report or an in
terview he had with the condemned, after they had
BY request OF Lewis Ford, who has been convicted
as Que OF the murderers OF Burnett Scales, visited
his cell yesterday morning, about eight O'Clock,
when he made ne the following voluntary comics
sioa OF hls crime. In reply 10 my request that no
act honestly with himself and before God, whom ne
must suon meet at the hands OF the law, he sald:-
acknowledges my guilt: kilei the man myself Mrs.
morning got up and Gown from about three
WAS not r an m a hour n to be be ~ nss The
having had something to do WIN bis wie ashed aress
made fire in the COOKING stove During this time he
w nave S Win viii isc
l then went and packed my Globes N my runk
talking until he caused me to give him tie lie
ONE hand Which he could use he could not hold ae
tore myself loose from him ana ran to the shelf behind the
and a. H. he ss ms Il. s % s r n md gaIa
and s for The s s s s0sas with ss nsa
accden.aythec charge. think, GU, % The door
his weakened grasp
and ran unds, the bed AS he went under struck him win
po,sh was done By tue lock The Dur he seas
- S % & T. cute: @ @
II. ws and ' p fs ns s Sssf
not assist in any WAY H ss then =. said MSsr you 20 no.
bed and out the door, and fell hrs face dea righ.
m and struck ann on the back .de iGe Ss"a
thin. he Was dead before .racA him for he novel
4 upon the railroad acs to AVOID ssDeon but told her
then went right TO the river and threw ,e gua into
NE and bnr pa e door % ss bs Snd
She was taking with the little girl when and sal!
ee ForI ha: the sesosy of the ns
was Thsn stasa right Gu. to rais the ssrm an
ran across the road to tho rs hous and told he people that
would go the house while town TO ten iSs
on in nve %nnss after had killed him wa. sorry Men.
troubled that thought the hood OF,
scarcely knowing what l did
Here asked Mr.. Ford II he thought the sentence
OF the Court was just one. He replied, ''In one
sense do. but another sense I 40 notn me
sentence Of the Court was Just, because did the
woman has had me under her control ever since
was ten years old. as she has mad with her lust
rs her own husband whenever she pleased. Since
her marriage, and became OF age. has made
love to desperately, and has frequently SAID that
she was sorry that she ever married the Old man.
nave been with her Just whenever she wished me
up 10 the very day OF the murder. she had always
taught me from child that there was ~ harm in
sucn things. 1t was by ner teachings ami entreaties
OF love that have been controlled oy her, aud she
has for more than year previous TO the murder
plead with me to Kill HIM. | wOuld always say
no, ana would read the Bible TO her and tell
her what terrible SIN we were committing.
when she would say, '.If God VIII forgive one
thing he will anOther.n tried to get married three
times that might get rid Of her influence but she
has broken i up each time, and wnen Mr.; Scales
devil few into me through ncr whole past teach.
ing, and Killed nun. had no though or doing II
when got up, but went about making the fire,
perfectly calm. When | killed him | consider
mat killed friend. He had been such to me from
childhood, and 1 loved MN. 1t was passion that
did IT,
do not ask the Court TO commute the sentence.
IL ~ as II should be- Neither do expect that this
confession viii change 10; but owe this statement
OF nv acc 10 God, myself ana nv fellow men. 1
believe am prepared to die. | have made my
great sin. My only desire to live Is that may prove
myself better man ami serve my God. ask the
forgiveness OF the Court for having denied the
charge OF murder, aud desl.e TO earnestly wan
other young men against the evil influence or bad
women. II II had not been Tor this woman should
never have been here. May Goa forgive both her
and me-
uelleve the above confession was made honestly
and sincerely. II my experience among penitent
men Is or any use to me should regard Lewis Ford
as truly repentant man, and as such Is worthy the
sympathy OF all.
BY request OF Mrs. Scales also visited at her
cell she had no confession 70 make OF Facts when
denied every charge Of completely in the death OF
her husband. and said that she knew nothing OF his
death until the officers came To make an examine
ton. She acknowledged that there was no posi-
BILE hope for her, and claims that the charges pre-
TERED against her were sustained by false Wit.
nesses. She manifested no sign OF penitence, ana
seemed as composed, even after the sentence was
pronounced Us though notning had happened.